Change is afoot!

    

Batavia Blonde lettuce

So here we are at the end of the first week of August. Autumn just around the corner. Hardly seems like summer has got started! Dry, hot and mostly sunny here in La Creuse, central France. The Creuse is the driest department in France. There are major water restrictions and appeals for people to save water at every opportunity. Fortunately it rained a fair bit just recently and I managed to refill my water butts, however, I fear the dry spell will outlast those. My eldest daughters partner brought me a 1000 litre water container which I have hooked up to my most productive down pipe. Rain water from the  barn roof goes down this pipe. Now need it to rain to fill it up!

   The sheep have now gone. No more sheep. It is likely I will sell up and move at some point but that could be a couple of years away and at least a year. Property does not sell quickly here. The chickens are fine and one of this years hens has come into lay. She produced the smallest egg I have ever seen.

Savoy type cabbage Milan

    August is time to harvest shallots and onions. I think I am a week or two early but I have now pulled all the shallots and they now need to be pickled! Onions I am gradually pulling as the leaves die back. No point in pulling them too soon in this dry weather. The sun might as well dry them off. During the week I have picked courgettes, cucumbers and Noire Crimee tomatoes. I have dug up ANOE potatoes which are now all but finished. One more lot will see them done. Desiree main crop are waiting to be dug up! I gathered some coriander seed for next year. I had very few coriander plants this year. The poly tunnel has been a disappointment although lettuce and a few tomatoes have done well. More preparation for winter with savoy cabbage, variety Milan, planted out. I now need to wonder about whether or not to plant more leeks. 

Start of drying out the onion crop

2019 Red Sun shallot harvest