.... is pausing with your strawberry in the air, tantilisingly close to plunging your teeth into it, for a photo opportunity without even being asked. Xanthe saw me approach with strawberries and camera in hand, she silently took the strawberry and posed obligingly with it. Even photophobic Willow, while snipping elderflowers for the 'bizarre weather' post, shot me a look mid-snip and asked the lens "have you finished? Can I put the scissors down?". I thought she was behaving in a marvelously natural and unselfconscious manner, turns out every move was carefully calculated.
The allotment strawberries have been fabulous this year, I'm coming away with tubs full every few days. I guess those news reports about jubilant strawberry farmers were true after all. It's a good job really as there's not much else ready to pick. We've got lettuce but last year's chard has finally run to seed and nothing else is ready, the radishes have only just gone in, tomatoes only just flowering, courgettes only just forming.
I assume everyone else is having an awful year for fruit trees and it's not just me? We had lots of flowers on the plum, apple and pear trees and lots of tiny fruit formed but the lack of rain seems to be stunting their growth. They've remained tiny, have withered and are dropping off the tree. Other wild trees (cherry and yellow bullace) seem to be doing the same thing too although sloes in the hedgerows seem to be OK so far.
I'm now at a stage where I should be able to see if my '2 plot' strategy pays off. Bressingham (the further away plot) is now more or less established, all the plants are watered in and shouldn't need much attention from hereon in. The high maintenance crops are all watered in at Louie's Lane (3 mins walk away) so survival watering and caterpillar patrol is all that's required - hopefully. So this is the moment of truth, will I be able to maintain 2 plots split between 2 sites? I certainly hope so as I'd hate to have to decide which plot to give up.
Lovely pic :)
ReplyDeleteMy strawbs have been great too. I couldn't believe how expensive they were in the shop too. A container full is worth well over a fiver!
Thanks - I'll tell Xanthe her sacrifice was worth the shot!
ReplyDeleteI wish you luck with your two plots...I know it can be done as my friend has two plots on two different sites and has managed them well for a few years now. However if I was you and found it a little too much i would definitely give up the one furthest away.
ReplyDeleteAs for fruit...i have pears and bramleys and that's all for the trees this year though the shrubs are all producing well.
I hope I don't have to give one up, each one has it's own advantages/disadvantages (hmm, maybe there's a post in that) The nearest one is convenient but not terribly family friendly.
ReplyDeleteMy fruit's very new, trees only planted last year, shrubs went in this year so I can't expect too much at this stage.
What a great way for children to learn about where food comes from and to be able to eat off home grown food, amazing :)
ReplyDeleteAwww, that's such a sweet picture. My daughter does the same now... a deep sigh, and a 'have you quite finished now?' look. More worryingly I caught her trying to take a picture of her food before eating it ;-) My blog is in safe hands I guess.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog, its so accessible and I find myself nodding along several times.
Lol @ photographing her food - mine haven't gone quite that far yet!
ReplyDeleteSo funny about the photo! It's very sweet. And how wonderful to have punnets of your own strawberries; I always think wistfully about growing some every spring and I always leave it too late. Presume you have lots more stuff ready now, since you posted this a few weeks ago. Lovely.
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