Harvest time

The last few weeks have been hectic (even without visiting the plot) hence the lack of blogs. My visits to the plot have been largely fleeting, and mainly to pick up produce. Strawberries have finished now - they were super - and I've started clearing up the strawberry patch and planting runners. I've put these in small pots, set into the ground, and filled with compost. They are still attached to the parent plants, but when they have rooted, they will be detached and the pots moved to where I want them. Since the weather has been dry for the last month (there seems to be no happy medium : either it is continuous rain or we have none at all and the ground develops large cracks) I have had to keep everything watered, especially the small pots of runners.
Otherwise, I have been picking French beans, runner beans, courgettes, potatoes, broad beans, garlic, carrots, beetroot and lettuce, as well as the odd cabbage and broccoli when required. The potatoes have been excellent, with no slug damage at all, and no blight etc, with good yields. They boil very well and are extremely tasty. It's a new variety - Sarpo Mira - and I will certainly be growing them again next year. Peas are now finished and have been pulled up. However, I have just planted some more small plants - I sowed the seed in pots under cover at home - and if we get some decent weather, they should give me a late crop. I have also sown some more beetroot, and have at last planted out my leeks. I dug the ground over for them a month ago, but have not been able to plant them out because it's been so dry. In desperation, I watered the patch very thoroughly, broke up the clods as best I could, then dibbed some holes and planted out the leeks and watered them in. They will have to take their chances!