'Growing your own' isn't always easy...there will be losses!

More wonderful rain today. In between showers I managed to get out and plant out some cauliflower seedlings that seem to have been on the go for months and months. At that time, I planted two varieties - All Year Round and Snowball. In my haste I forgot to label them so there the patch is going to be a bit of mix match.The first lot I planted were an unqualified disaster with only 2/3 survivors out of about 20 I planted. Perhaps it was too cold for them at the time or some allotment rodent predators attacked them. Allotment gardening isn't always easy....there will be losses - in that regard allotments are a significant metaphor for life itself....

The potatoes (first and second earlies) are looking good and were earthed up today after I planted out a dozen courgettes (Defender F1 and Soleil ) into a non dig-bed I created last year. The courgettes produced on WTA last year were incredible and became a staple part of the diet for a few months. Courgette grilled on a barbecue are unbeatable as part of summer dinner or lunch.

The hearing scientist has been barred from any gardening activity for the next few weeks after a minor operation to remove a mole from her leg on Thursday. A "Catastrophe" she says . Still, never one to let anything stop her, she has begun bottling the seriously good home made wine which has finished fermenting. Earlier the HS found a picture of some veg I produced on the allotment last year and we picked for the family Christmas dinner 2008. I'm determined to have a vege self sufficient yule this year.