KW-25 It's that fruitarian part of the year

The cellar is dry.

It rained this morning. For three minutes between 05.31 and 05:34 and again for maybe a minute and a half around 6am.

strawberries. I shall apply straw today

It’s not exactly what we need, but at least it has cooled everything down a bit, and I am looking forward to a full day in the garden.

I was looking through photos from 1, 2 and 3 years ago, and it looks like we’re actually pretty much on target. The potatoes are bang on where they were in their best year. The peas and beans are as good or better. I’m feeling really good about the tomatoes, but don’t want to shout about it because you never know.

Oh, and that reminds me, I have to give the polytunnel a really good going over today. It’s looking good, but a couple of hours and it’ll look perfect. And I’ve actually not been up to the vineyard for a week.

Tell you what. I shall go now, and take a completely unprepared photo of it.

There The vineyard, unvarnished. Left to right: sunflowers, quinoa, sunflowers, beetsandweeds and if you look very carefully, the few sweetcorns which made it.

Talking of styling photos, I had some journalists round again. One who does words and one who does pictures. This time from a UK paper. I spent the days before they came working on the pig house extension. As soon as they turned up, I realised a real internet gardener would have spent that time weeding.

Don’t believe a single photo you see on vegetable gardens online. If they are perfectly manicured and weed-free one of three things has happened

1. they have an army of gardeners who you never see

2. they use herbicides or

3. you should see just out of shot. It looks as bad as any of my photos!

The most interesting thing about these journalists though, was the questions have changed.

Four years ago, all their questions had a slightly cynical, but friendly “what if you are wrong?” tone to them. Now, that has completely disappeared and there seems to be genuine concern for “what happens next?”.

It’s a good question.

the peas have outgrown their supports and are making flowers. I’ve been gnashing on the tops for a week now. It’s like having a pea salad, but all the ingredients are pea.

This week, it’s all hands on the weeding and watering. Possibly with some eating of strawberries. I mowed literally everything this last week, in anticipation of rain. Grass (mulch / future compost / trapped carbons) grows best when it’s short, and when it rains. If it rains again today, which it might, then hopefully it will all spring up green and lush and beautiful.

an tomato, and about 20cm depth of mulch. Also, calendula.

potatoes, with an insane amount of mulch. It was 40cm deep when applied. it’s settled a bit now

completing the tomatoes, potatoes, beans. They might well get some weeding action this week, and definitely more mulch.

Thanks to the people who answered the call, and spread the word of The Barracks last week. A couple of people jumped on the hype train, and I’m pleased to say our numbers swelled by 6 new signups! So thank you. It means a lot.

Until next time, much pirating love

Your Pirate Ben