Vegetable patch

I thought I'd show you how I'm getting on in the allotment and in the garden this year. It's hard work and very time consuming, but I seem to be getting to a point where the allotment is cleared, tidier and slightly under control. I've been reading the River Cottage 'Veg Patch' book from cover to cover and trying to do everything properly and at the right time.

The broad beans and the peas are coming on well, I've made circular cane wigwams woven with little twigs for them to climb up. I've planted six cauliflower plants this week. I think it is an under rated vegetable so am doing my bit to appreciate the British cauliflower. I have read that they are quite hard work to grow over the summer as they are demanding and thirsty... but I'll try my best...

The sunflowers are getting taller and taller. I'd like to have lots of beautiful flowers scattered around the plot as well as my vegetables, so have put in lupins and poppies, and still have cornflowers and nasturtiums to plant yet. The purple balls bobbing around on top of the chive plants look lovely.

In the garden I have a beautiful flower on the clematis plant, it has been growing for three years and has never flowered until now... I have put in six tomato plants against a sunny wall and one cucumber plant, which has already suffered a bit of damage from the ridiculous wind we're having but hopefully he will survive.

Finally in the house the sweetcorn has appeared in little spiky shoots and the climbing french beans have also popped up. They should be ready to go into the allotment next week and then it's on to the courgettes, turks turbans and cabbages...