I’ve been picking raspberries and strawberries (Although strawberries have all gone virtually now, so I’m hoping they’ll have another flush of flowers!) all week and have made some jam. This has been my first attempt at making jam and it tastes excellent!

We’ve pulled a couple of carrots and have eaten one on the allotment! Same with some peas! Next year we’re going to do a huge row of peas and try not to let the slugs eat them! There are some lovely red flowers on the beans so that’s a good sign and I’ve picked some broad beans too!
My neighbour at home has given me some onions. He’d forgotten if he’d put in spring onions or proper onions and had probably left them a bit long for spring onions. I had thought he’d bought sets though! Interesting all the same!

I got 4 plants off Frank at the allotment and went wild and planted a few seeds at home too. I’ve reared 7 plants myself and these are in big tubs too at the allotment now. The ones from Frank though are getting quite tall and one has started setting fruit.

There it is! The tomatoes are tiny and green at the moment but I hope they’ll soon be red and delicious!

The mess in the background is the anti-rock measure we need on our allotment site due to youths loving the sound of breaking glass.

Most of my tomatoes are gardener’s delight – a favourite amongst everyone on the allotment plot apart from Hazel who loves to grow heritage tomatoes for something a bit different!

I think there’s a lot to be said for buying different seeds from what you normally eat – for instance – it’s not too late to buy some of these tomatoes Tomato Tomazing™ at Thompson and Morgan

They’re deliciously sweet cherry tomatoes – now I adore cherry toms but they’re usually quite dear, especially if you’re making a big salad with them, so it is a good plan to think about what things you’d appreciate in the kitchen!

I know our tomatoes are going to be enjoyed – but what if you don’t have a greenhouse – buying the plants now and perhaps having a hanging basket with some of these in would do the trick! Tomato Tasty Tumbler

Think how little space a couple of hanging baskets take up – and how almost everyone has room for some!

Tomatoes seem to be fairly easy up til now – water regularly, pot up into either large pots or directly into the border of the greenhouse and from now on feed once a week. And pinch out the side shoots. If you miss them when they’re tiny then cut them off. You can do it with your thumbnail when they’re tiny but if they’ve got too big you’ll have to cut them with a knife or cutters.

Not experienced any pests or problems yet, but I’ll be having a read up on this this week to see what I should be looking out for!