Gasp!

    The sun continues to shine, the ground gets drier and harder, the vegetables suffer! It has been a hot week. Temperatures reached the upper thirty degree celcius. Short term these temperatures are not so bad but the average over the last two or three weeks has been in the thirties and is not good. In my department, la Creue, a code red, a drought situation, has been declared. Great care to be taken with the use of water. My water butts are all but empty and I am now only watering the water melons, cucumbers, lettuce and Giant Pacific pumpkins. Everything else has to take its chance. My brassicas are suffering!

    Winter leeks have been planted but they will not like the dry weather thats for sure. Cucumbers and courgettes being picked and I have started to harvest the Sturon onions as the leaves die back. The onion crop is good with good sized bulbs but nothing to big or too small. I am very pleased with the onion crop. Haricot vert being picked. Not as much as I would have liked to see but it was a struggle to get them to germinate in the first place! I have started to pick tomatoes mostly Champeau Gardeners Delight (grape variety) which are doing well compared to the Champeau heritage varieties. Cucumbers are good but the chickens have found them! My Giant Pacific pumpking continues to grow and it looks like it is going to be a monster.

    The chickens are on strike. Only two eggs a day rather than fiver or six. I do not blame them Too hot! Chicks are growing well and it will not be long before some end up in the freezer.

    There is no sign of any rain in the forecast. A dip to low 20's and then back up into the mid 30's. Need to make sure there is beer in the fridge. It is going to be a scorcher.

Courgettes and cucumbers 

Black Mountain Water Melon

Haricot vert and Sturon onions