I am now learning the desert song....

  

Mixed squash harvest

   The drought continues. It is still sunny and there have been two days of thirty degree centigrade this last week. Temperatures continue in the mid to upper twenties and a very very vague hint of "light rain" sometime in the near future!
     There is very little in the vegetable garden now. A few tomato plants still giving me a few fruits which is fine by me as too many means I have to find something to do with them! A mixed bag of winter squash has be gathered, crown prince, long island chess, butternut to mention three. Still one or two to gather but those are on plants that are still hanging in there and I am reluctant to harvest until the plant gives up.

  The photo is of my Bedfordshire onions grown from seed. I am quite proud of them.  Another couple of courgettes picked. The plants are showing signs of giving up now. There is little I can do in the vegetable garden. Even clearing weeks is not a good think to do and it just disturbs already dry soil and digging or forking is definitely out! I would like to plant some over winter onion sets. They are not in the shop yet but again I am reluctant to do anything until there has been a bit of rain.
   It is time to think about gathering seed and I have some parsnip and moss curled parsley already. Need to get some tomato seeds especially the black Crimea which have done so well in the dry conditions.
    Chickens. Oh yes chickens. Feathers everywhere! You would think the fox had been at them but no they are moulting. One or two look a right mess with bold patches and feathers hanging in ready to fall out. Lucky for them it has not been cold. Still getting two to three eggs a day which does me fine. The chicks are growing and it cannot be long before they come into lay.
    Just took a look at the weather forecast a week out and rain is forecast for Sunday 22nd September. Believe it when I feel it.