Being 3 weeks old and sunshine...

Well what a difference a weather front makes!
All us growing types are out there loving it and blogging on about the relaxation and rewards of our labour in the veggie beds.  Come now it was not so long ago you could'nt see a muddy welly for all the moaning going on about the rain, the slugs and the ridiculous season we in Britain call summer.  OK I know we were as bad as others and the slug slaughter was top of our list for a while there, but heck it's been full on for the past 7 days, so here goes to try and bring you all up to speed.

First up we had 2 big parties to cater for.  All bespoke choices from our range and much loved by all that tasted them.  Some people were still raving about the amazing flavours 5 days after they had eaten it so we are well pleased with that feedback.
It being the last week of term in most London schools we had a few farewell parties to get along to as well for friends leaving schools or the profession.  Exciting times hearing what they all have planned for the coming months and beyond.


We have had some really interesting and thought provoking meetings with schools and local community projects that would like to work with us, using our skills with growing and using the harvest to work alongside their projects which all involve getting more young people out in the growing environments or looking after animal welfare and being more aware themselves of the food they put on their tables.  So lots of planning is going in and we hope to have further news and invites for you guys to get involved very soon.

The rain certainly moved things on in the garden, but as it was so hard to get out there and do much, things needed a real good tidy yet again.  We picked loads of raspberries and turned them into raspberry and vanilla jam, it is delicious. Then we took in all the plums which have been stoned and frozen ready for jam making when stock levels need it.  The last of the cherries were eaten from the tree and the tomatoes have finally started to catch up with the time of year and fruit all over the place.  We harvested the garlics this week and they just about managed to avoid being flooded out, then we planted loads of leeks so we can pick them early as babies. The salad garden is still thriving and beets are going well along with the spring onions, am now on the look out for some funky beet seeds to grow different varieties in a spare piece of veggie bed over the back.  Finally the pumpkins, butternut and corgette bed is going like crazy and flowering loads and the greenhouse is making easy work of the rosemary and sage cuttings and the lychee plants which are growing very quickly now.
As to the chooks, we picked up a set of Freegle paving slabs to raise the large coop and avoid the indoor swimming pool they have been putting up with, and the little Bantams are having a top family time showing peep all the ways of chook life including a first attempt at dust bathing!!