Still lots to do!

 This shows just how well my cabbages have done this summer - both the pointed and the white ball types. I hope the winter cabbages that I am planting will be equally good! It's undoubtedly because I've kept them covered. This has kept the butterflies off, and also allowed me to put down a few slug pellets without fear of harming the birds. Each cabbage is plenty for four people.

I am also picking French beans, runner beans, spring onions, carrots, courgettes and beetroot, with sweetcorn looking good and chard coming along nicely. Red onions were however poor - but very

strong -  and white onions will be ready in a few weeks. I've also dug some potatoes, but there are another 3 rows to come. Swedes and parsnips are not ready yet, but will be in a month or so.

But there is still a lot to do! The weeds are growing strongly - they always do, come rain or shine - and there is feeding and watering to do. In the autumn, or when I have made some space, I will put down and dig in a lot of manure and compost. The soil still has a very heavy texture which has to be lightened, especially for root crops. Of course, we don't know what 2014 will bring weatherwise, but if it's warm, I will try to get things off to an early start - which will only be possible if I improve the soil a lot. There is no greater pleasure than picking fresh vegetables early on, when the ones in the shops have had to come half way round the world! 

Watering

This is our new 10 000 litre water storage tank, sitting on its concrete base, which will be used to collect rainwater from the containers against which it is standing. This will be topped up with mains water, and will be piped around the site to each 1 000 litre water container, from which we fill up watering cans.

I have now finished picking both peas and broad beans, and have taken out the plants. This gives room for some winter cabbage, which have just germinated in the seed bed. I also dug a row of potatoes, which gave room for a row of chard, which I have just planted out.

French beans and courgettes are now coming on as fast as I can pick them, and the runner beans have started as well. I have also pulled beetroot - many more coming on - and carrots will be ready next week. Still lots of cabbages, and potatoes, with onions (poor), parsnips (ready October ish) swede (also probably ready in October) and sweetcorn (looking good, and should be ready in September) to come.