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It suddenly feels like summer is gone! The days are shorter almost overnight and there's that autumnal nip in the air of a morning, which is making me think that my summer harvests are going to start drawing to a close very quickly. There was even a frost here the other day - wel...

the crop rotation plan I formulated earlier in the season.I'm already flouting my New Year resolution to abstain from growing crops that require regular picking. That would mean no beans, French or otherwise, no courgettes and no fresh peas. I really can

I really should practice what I preach. What with one thing or another, I haven't harvested my broad beans as regularly as I should have. I blame Paul. It was his job to pick the beans on our last visit to the plot; he obviously harvested

It's been a bumper year for strawberries on the Bathampton plot. Lizzy, Paul and I have been picking for all we're worth and my jam pan has scarcely left the stove.We grow two varieties of strawberry: an early called 'Honeoye' and a later one

Allotmenteers fall into two camps, I've decided, after closely observing patterns of behaviour on our site. There are the Harvesters, those who pick a crop in batches, a row of carrots at a time, a few lettuces or a basketful of strawberries

be surprised to hear that this week I couldn't wait to get up to the plot and start picking. Even Paul braved the icy winds to give me a hand with the harvest. And why were we so excited? Because the purple sprouting broccoli was ready.Luscious green, purple

I can't say it's a surprise - I've been expecting the annual appearance of a whopping great marrow on one of my courgette plants. It happens every year, without fail. I try to be so thorough when I'm picking, delving under the leaves, harvesting

'cos once they start producing they just don't stop and we can't pick them fast enough. You really need to pick them every other day, if not every day. And if you leave them alone for a whole weekend then they turn into marrows! Before long I know

built me a coldframe/hot box (I know how to pick 'em!). A quick clear out revealed a couple of surprisingly perfect pak choi. It really must be toasty in there! Everything around it is shades of brown mush and white frost, and inside the hot box it

plots and tend to pick a suitable day to blitz them all at once, getting everything cleared and organised for spring planting. Another neighbour, Vic, was also on his plot, moving his broad bean plants from his greenhouse at home to a sheltered spot