1 August 2009 – End of staycation

Time alone will tell whether today was the best day of the year in the allotment. Perhaps, though, it is our end-of-staycation-tinged view that has made our day seem so rich.

To start, we had an 80th birthday party for Jim, who, we believe, is the oldest Burydell allotmenteer and, it is rumoured, whose father and grandfather had plots here. About 40 people turned up at lunchtime at The Falcon Public House (the pub nearest to Burydell Lane) and Jim was presented with a new bench for his plot. We may all be pitching in to help him in future, as his primary helper is moving house and will not be able to drop in as often. More community spirit.

A natter with the Ladies and a few other familiar faces, then off to the plot, which is in full bloom. Maincrop potatoes still doing well, despite us having had to remove two plants suffering from Leaf Curl. Cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli doing well, although some off the latter sort of going to seed. These stalks removed to the compost, with tender shoots to follow (we hope).

Onions and kale getting on well. Leeks, transported from the seed bed a little while ago, are perking up. K narrowed the deep wells into which they had been moved, because they didn't seem to have the strength/support to bring themselves erect. (We've all been there.)

Apples. Despite good advice from our Hungarian apple expert, the tree I like best has produced only three apples - though fine, plump apples they are. There's something we need to learn re pruning - all the new growth each autumn? Blueberry plant seems to be flagging. Autumn raspberries will explode soon.

Their Fruit Cage neighbours, two leeks, we have left in flower, as the bees love them. We will take a view nearer the Agricultural Show on whether to enter the fine, sturdy beasts.

Original peas dying away, and yet, and yet, newly planted peas are emerging. Too late for a further crop? Who knows?

Various beans and the corn are growing, but seem shorter in general than those of other plots.

Plentiful sun reminded us that a visit by our 3.5 year old neighbour Connor had been postponed earlier in the week due to showers. It turned out that he had a window in his diary (after a nap) and he, Jo and Dave dropped by for carrot-picking and the harvest of a small bag of second-early potatoes from the bank. He has a gift, we think, for spotting potatoes as they are uncovered by the pitchfork. They also left with a courgette (something like our eighth to date), and Dave's growing conviction that he is a Man of the Soil who should become an Allotmenteer.

So far, then, community spirit and conversion.

We left with second-earlies, courgettes, broccoli, carrots, raspberries and blueberries.

Earlier in the week - the second of our two-week staycation - we had a much-enjoyed, and all-too-brief visit from our friend the eminent Professor Jeffery, who had a feast of our produce at supper. He seemed to approve of our plot activities, and kindly carried home the first of our summer cabbages, a monster. (NB. this was one of the Homebase seedlings and turned out to be exceedingly tasty.)

Of the 148 garlic bulbs harvested recently, now drying in our home greenhouse, several have been pickled and, today, one put into herby oil for snacking. As the Radlett deli owner, himself an allotment novice, said, a 148-bulb harvest allows you some scope for experimentation. The drying bulbs could be smelled next door, but we hope to smooth over any temporary discomfort through vegetable bribery.

So it seemed to us, on balance, to have been a fine day, perhaps the day that will epitomise the summer of 2009.