The plot is pretty much reaching its peak around now, and that always strikes me as a good time to take stock.
The plot is pretty much reaching its peak around now, and that always strikes me as a good time to take stock. I can sit back on the step of the shed and soak up the successes of the summer. But I can also reflect on what didn't go so well, and analyse what went wrong.
Top failure prize this year has to go to parsnips - I only have about half a dozen. I know what went wrong, though: I sowed old seed that was past its sell-by-date. I've learnt my lesson, and it won't happen again.
Second prize goes to my tomatoes, which I grew at home in an attempt to keep them clear of the dreaded tomato blight. No chance! They've succumbed to the horrible fungus yet again. What's worse is that the fruits on 'Marmande' were looking so lovely and swelling so beautifully that anyone who saw them passed comment. It's a lovely variety to grow and the fruits did look fantastic, but I can't tell you what they taste like!
My third 'failure' is less severe. This year my onions are decidedly patchy performers. I've got a few that would be worthy of the village show and more than a few that would be best pickled as they're so tiny. Again, I think I know what the problem is. The weeds got a bit out of hand in June when I was on holiday, swamping the onions at a rather delicate stage of their development and they never really recovered. My shallots, however, are fantastic!
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