Poor Neglected Veggies

As you may have noticed I've been mega busy on the jam making front this year. We've been so busy foraging fruit I feel I've been neglecting the veg both on here and in the garden.

The Grand Radish Project of 2009 has turned into the Great Radish Massacre of 2009 thanks to the sodding caterpillars. They stripped all the leaves then started on the stalks and finally the actual radishes, the guttering is in a sorry state indeed.

Everything else is motoring along nicely, I can't keep up with all the salad we have, the tumbling toms have just about finished as the main tomatoes are ripening up, the borlotti and french beans are forming, swiss chard doing great and the butternut squash is merrily throwing out flowers.

The Jerusalem artichokes have turned into thundering great behemoths of the garden and have had to be lassoed to the fence in order to maintain pedestrian access across the lawn. They are easily about 8' tall and have totally crowded out one basket of strawberries, 2 pots of lollo rosso, the chives and the mint. I'm hoping and praying we get the allotment so I can transfer them over there and free up much needed space at home.

I have to admit that at the moment I'm slightly worried about the allotment. I'm struggling to keep up with all the wild fruit and I'm doubtful I would have the time to maintain an allotment on top of that. But, on the other hand, the fruit only lasts a few weeks of the year, if I'm careful in choosing varieties/harvest times I could plan around the fruit season - couldn't I? (waiver)

Anyway, still not heard from the Parish Council so this debate could all be academic. Though if I don't get an allotment this blog will be awfully quiet come January ......