Bens update as requested!

The garden seems to be motoring along nicely now, the recent combination of heat and torrential downpours have caused a frenzy of veggie activity.

The children's' 'bens' are just poking up above the soil. The Borlotti beans are doing well too, sprouting up much quicker than the ones I planted in the front garden which makes me wonder if the front garden is sunny enough for them. The courgette is struggling a bit with the extreme hot weather so it's receiving a bit of intensive care, watering twice a day and I've hung towels on the washing line in strategic places to shield it from the worst of the sun. The good old reliable Jerusalem Artichokes are towering like giants over everything, providing much needed shade for the lollo rosso.

Cropping is beginning now, over the weekend we harvested petit pois and broad beans and my first crop of mixed cut and come again salad leaves has been exhausted, the pea shoots are doing well and should be really to go in the salad very soon.

Thinking ahead, I'm in the process of drying out some seeds from Rachel's pumpkin. If the allotment goes ahead we can plant them out there next year.

Now all I need is the radish sky scraper to be installed, Adam has made noises about putting it up tonight so watch this space!