Rain, rain, rain ...

We've been deluged with rain and I've been very lucky not to have suffered any flood damage. Fortunately for me, my lottie is on a slope, but I know some of the sites locally have been submerged. Of course the weeds have gone absolutely barmy and the lottie is incredibly green and lush at the moment. My main crop potatoes are now mid-thigh in height !

Tigerella tomato:


Sweet Olive Plum:


Well the courgettes have started production ... did I mention I'd planted all 10 of them. Next door are going to take some, once I've identified what colour they all are:





I decided to crop some peas this afternoon and was muttering to myself about the state of the peas and how they need more protection than a flipping pop star and how I might not bother with them next year as they are such a pain - protecting them from the meices, from the frost, from the pigeons etc, etc when I looked down at the trug and noticed that it was nicely full ! So tonight we are having risotto for tea - with peas, broad beans, the newly cropped garlic, my first Japanese onion and my first three baby courgettes (two green and one yellow). Must have sounded yummy, as some friends have decided to come too. Think I'll roast one of last years butternut squashes to go with it.

Emporer beans are curling around the canes nicely:


Half of my garlic has been dried in the brick greenhouse and looks absolutely gorgeous now that the ratty rusty leaves have been taken off. Lifted the other half this afternoon:


Lavender:


Dill's Atlantic Giant looks to have it's first fruit appearing. Undecided yet as to whether I will let it grow lots of pumpkins, or take off all but two to see whether I can beat last year's Big Max:


more wildlife:

Red Bottomed Bee (I think):


A greeney-blue damsel fly and a red damsel fly were flitting around the pond this afternoon. The greeney-blue one was laying eggs in the water:


anyone know what this bug is ?


The blackberry bushes are covered in flowers and bees - the hedgerows are lovely on our allotments and attract a lot of wildlife:


another ladybird, think its the same one as below:


Along came a spider ... he is huge, so it seems fitting he was on the globe artichoke:


I'm thinking of setting up another blog site just with the lottie wildlife, it's quite varied and my new camera is taking some cracking shots for me (its a Canon Ixus 850 IS for those who are interested - the IS (image stabiliser) is the magic bit)).