The garden is very productive right now even if it is looking a bit sad because of the drought in the last month.

The plums are nearly over and the greengages in the orchard and the woods are completely over. Interestingly it has been an amazing year for the wild plums and some small yellow plum trees also in the woods.

The pruned apple trees are looking good and the early apples are ready. They are not so good for eating, but the juice looks pretty even if it has a rather ‘dry’ and bitter after-taste. I think the variety is Norfolk Royal, however the local fruit grower hadn’t heard of it so I may go back to the drawing board on that one, it could be Lady Sudeley.

The beans haven’t done as well as I had hoped- I really must plant many more green beans next year and a more productive type- the ‘speedy’ and ‘deliniel’ were not a prolific as I had hoped. The runner beans I sowed were ‘moonlight’ but they get big and coarse so soon and I end up throwing them away. One courgette plant is also plenty for our use.

Once again the sweet corn was disappointing with cobs small and not filled out to the end and the kale and broccoli was very susceptible to rodents and caterpillars.

The spinach is good and the mangetout has gone well and I am growing a second crop. The beetroot is also good.