GASP!

   Ok folks still no rain and now the first frost! That is early! Just gone through a couple of days of lot cooler weather but the forecast is for the temperature to rise into the 20's so here is hoping winter stays away a little longer but boy could do with some rain!

Unknown tomato variety...black!

   So,  over the last week what has been going on? Not a lot. Picked a few courgettes and tomatoes and looked despairingly at the other crops. The ground is just bone dry now and there is no sign of any rain in the forecast. The river at the bottom of my field is as low as I have ever seen it and to honest I am glad that I no longer have any sheep.

Bedfordshire onions grown from seed

   I have managed to produce some pickled beetroot. The beets have been various in size from tiny to medium and I made a jar of whole pickled beets which I have never done before. In the poly tunnel the last lot of lettuce have all but given up despite being watered regularly. Still some tomatoes hanging in and my market maker cucumber is also just about holding on and I may get another one or two. 
   On the plus side I have never seen so many blackberries. I have an enormous collection of them outside my front door! I have frozen some and prepared some apple and blackberry mush for a pie or crumble.
  Well my tan is being maintained but little is being done in the garden though there are as always jobs to be done!