Seed circle 1

One of the joys of forums is that some run various seed circles.This I have joined the GYO Tomato seed circle.I have grown and harvested Early Tanana and Latah as my contribution.
In return I will get upwards of 40 new varieties to try next year.
Some of the varieties I am looking forward to trialling.
I originally got these seed from the Allotments 4 All last year.Without this I would never have heard of these varieties and hopefully I can introduce 20 other people to grow them.
They are both early season varieties so the bad weather and blight this year didn't affect them.
Early Tanana comes from Denali seeds in Alaska and if it can grow there the UK will pose no problems.
Latah originally came from Real Seeds who are well worth a look for something slightly out of the ordinary.

Allotment and Garden update.

Harvesting continues.
Over the last couple of days I have had Pentland Javelin and Charlotte potatoes,French Breakfast radishes,Boltardy and Chioggia beetroots and White Lady runner beans.
I have planted Sparkler and French Breakfast radishes,Samish F1 spinach and little Purple Sprouting broccoli plants that i started earlier in the year.
I have weeded my Onion bed and harvested some Golden Gourmet shallots and Red Baron onions.
I have also made a cane cage for my Autumn Bliss raspberries.
In the conservatory i have made winter plantings of Romanesco cauliflower,Black Tuscany kale,Italian Flat leave parsley,Blue De Solaise leeks,Siberian kale,Durham Early cabbages and Black kale.
I have potted on some Sweet Genovese and Purple basil and some Catmint for the cat.
I have had a reorganisation of the greenhouses and out go Early Tanana to be replaced by Sungella,Monkey's Ass and Losetto tomatoes

Start of another month.

I managed to get a bit of weeding and harvesting done today before the rains arrived

 My first attempt at growing swwetcorn,this is Headstart F1 and there are some cobs showing.

 In between my sweetcorn I have planted some Black Beauty courgettes which are flowering but as yet no fruits,

 The runner beans are climbing and are in flower but as yet no beans

Due to the blight on the plot I have cut down the haulms and this is today's harvest of Pentland Javelins,I also harvested some Charlottes,the last of the Albignesian Wight garlic and an Early Nantes carrot.
The Early Onward peas have finished so are now in the compost bin.
I don't hold out much hope for the allotment tomatoes and seem to spent ages snapping off discoloured leaves,at least there are a few green tomatoes which have had a borage mulch to see if it gives any protection.
I have planted rows of Autumn King and Flyaway carrots,Ishikara spring onions,Axima and Blue De Solaise leeks.
I have finally had some Latah,Early Tanana and Koralik tomatoes from the garden,some Chioggia beetroot and some Piccolino cucumbers.
I have potted up Sungella,Principe Borghese and Sweet Million tomatoes as well as a batch of Sweet Genovese and Purple Basil.

Why gardening is so frustrating.

Yesterday I thought it would rain so I didn't go down to the allotment.Today the weather was similiar so I did and guess what it pissed down.

I had the time to cut down my chocolate spot infected Aquadulce dulce broan beans that had dropped their leaves.

 I also managed to harvest some of my Albigensian Wight softneck rust riddled garlic.I got some decent cloves out of them.

 On a happier note my Headstart sweetcorn and Black Beauty courgettes are coming along.

The tomato patch is progressing and as yet isn't blight riddled.

A pic of my bee magnet Borage,good for compost tea and the bees love it.

I also harvested some more Pentland Javelins and French Breakfast radishes.

At home I have started pots of Sweet Genovese and Purple basil.
In the garden I have finally planted out Beijing Yellow,Alpatieva 905 and Early Tanana tomatoes.
Into a container I have potted up Beijing Yellow tomatoes and a Picolino cucumber.
I am also hardening off Dwarf Mr Snow and Tasmanian Chocolate dwarf tomatoes.

Weekly update

Another picture of dirt but this contains my newly planted Red Baron and Rumba onion sets as well as my overwintering Shallots and Onions.
I have also planted another 2 rows of Pentland Javelin.Only Charlotte and Pink Fir Apple to go.This week this weather has been glorious so a couple of hours pottering about weeding and digging has been the order of the day.
On the seed front I have planted another batch of Early Onward Peas,Losetto Tomatoes,Garlic Chives,Sungold,Primo Cabbage,Harbinger,San Marzano,Falstaff Brussel Sprouts and Koralik Tomatoes.
I have potted on Early Tanana Tomatoes,Marigold Galore,Napia Early Pointy Red Peppers and Zinnia Queen Red Lime.

Leap Year

 With the extra day this year I thought I would use it to refill my heated propagator.My Alberto's Locoto began showing yesterday,the only failure so far is Cayenne pepper which I will give another week.The windowsill is currently Pepper heaven with about 5 types on it.
I have refilled with flowers that are Feb/March sowing on the packets.Thus today I started pots of Amaranthus.Marigold Galore,Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy,Cosmos Brightness and Verbena Bonariensis.Finally I have started my tomatoes with a pot of Early Tanana.Only another 30 types to go.

The small plastic greenhouse is currently home to my Broad beans.So far the Bunyard's Exhibition have yet to show but the Aquadulce are sprouting.Another couple of weeks and they will be on the allotment.

The recent decent weather has seen me down there digging and weeding.

The garlic is coming along strongly as are the shallots,unfortunately a weeding of my onion patch has left me with a number of gaps.The manure has all been dug in in my legume bed and I am making a start on removing a tree stump and my plastic path has been completed.