If at first ...

Distraught that my first cordial attempt ended up as jelly, I have invested in a jam thermometer and tried again. Hmmm, seems 100degs was just about a fast simmer - not the rolling boil that I had going originally ! Second batch is now bottled and is still liquid - hurray. It tastes delicious.

Finally have a baby aubergine - one fruit from five plants, not bad 'eh ! Am hoping that now they've got the hang of it, they'll get a move on, although the season is progressing pretty quick.

Condensed my two onion beds into one, have a few stragglers that may benefit from another few weeks growing time. Dug the free bed over - looks so lovely.

Sweetcorn looks as if it could be ready any day now, although Nick next door thinks it'll be more like September.

Lifted the remaining pathetic pea plants that never recovered from the dratted pigeon attack. There was a stray potato plant in the middle of the pathetic peas and whilst lifting the potatoes I came across an .... EGG ... er, not small insect eggs, but a hen sized egg ! not quite sure what it was doing there - it certainly wasn't there when I dug the bed over at Easter.

Unfortunately my tactic of ignoring the courgettes has not worked as another 16 of differing sizes were demanding to be picked on Friday night. Intend to take them all to work - maybe that will be my new tactic.

Wish I could get my mint to grow, ended up buying a pot from the supermarket (it's so expensive), but the taste and smell was amazing - have been drinking Mint tea all weekend.

The plot is looking lovely at the minute.

Got my seed catalogue this morning from the Allotment shop and spent the afternoon deciding what to grow next year. Definitely intend to get some golden beetroot. Since discovering the taste and texture of freshly boiled beetroot, OH is almost addicted and his biggest concern is that we might run out - scattered the last of this year's seed (Boltardy) to keep him going over the next few months.