Sunflowers

This year our main veg patch was planted with only 3 crops  - sunflowers and maize and fodder beet for the pigs. Since it was underwater three times last year we couldn't risk our veg getting another dunking. The sunflowers are destined for the chickens once the heads have dried.If you look carefully you can see Scarlett hiding before she selected a bouquet for the kitchen table.....

Our new veg patch (the "airstrip" as it's now called) is alongside the main veg patch but on a ridge so we are hoping less prone to flooding.

The beans are on support canes on the left, a swathe of butternuts and pumpkins down the middle (keeping the weeds down as they sprawl across the whole airstrip!), tomatoes, carrots, French beans, chickpeas then potatoes down the right. Looks like a jungle but we know where everything is.....

"I'll just go a weed a row in the airstrip" is now a half-day task as the rows are so long!

The polytunnel is rammed this time of year - tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, chilis, gherkins and cucumbers. 

When it hits 50 degrees it's time to evacuate and leave the horrible spiders that weave webs between the plants in peace!