Autumn has certainly arrived but crops are producing well.

Covering the soil with Mypex certainly slows down weed growth, except through holes as seen here where thistles have found escape routes, but now have been removed and replaced with cabbage plants.

Working as a community, climbing beans were harvested from both sides of the frame supports and weeds added to the compost bins.

The celeriac is growing well.

Companion plants and bee-friendly flowers are adding colour, as are the bright tomatoes.

There’s plenty to do and extra helpers as it’s the school holidays.

There are a few problems with eg runner and climbing bean plants not growing but overall, as can be seen, crops are producing well.

Although the temperatures were hot much was achieved, including harvesting the first lot of garlic while the take-home boxes contained a range of goodies.

It’s good to see the leeks and climbing beans free of weeds, with flowers on the beans.

Red currants have ripened , plus some raspberries

added to take-home produce – broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and strawberries.

A good morning’s work with a rewarding take-home box.

A new website, thanks to Gary.

In May we’ve had bumper crops of salad leaves but now the plants have been removed as they were going to seed and we needed room for tomato plants.

However new salad seedlings have been planted outdoors and covered…

Posts and frameworks have been erected for beans and after a mass planting, these have also been covered.

We had a lot of people out today, including several children (and grandchildren) because it is a school holiday and also one dog.

We all enjoyed the warm sunshine, and got a lot of work done. We had some yummy cake and brownies with our coffee.

You can see how well the new crops are coming along in the beds and the polytunnels, so we had a nice Spring harvest.

The rain forecast for today held off, allowing us to work in the dry, eg to sow carrot and parsnip seeds.

It was decided to harvest the last of the leeks

and important news – our first asparagus spears were cut.

The rotovation was speeded up, including inside one of the polytunnels and among other jobs a raspberry patch was weeded and brassica stems chopped up to aid decomposition.