Get out the supports

The melons have reached a stage where they need support so the nets have come out. One is OK as it is resting on the shelf in the greenhouse but I am concerned that it is going to get a square bottom so I think I will need to support that one as well. There are four that are growing well and about 10 others that are struggling as we cannot keep up with the watering and the plant is looking decidedly limp. I think all the energy is going into the big four so I may decide to remove the others.


One of the hasards of irregular watering is that things dont grow evenly as shown in this cucumber. It is very long but decidedly kinky!

At the weekend we harvested all the courgettes to clear out the big ones and give a chance for new little ones to form. It felt strange coming home without the despair of what to do with the courgettes but in their place we have a basket full of french beans, a load of chard onions, another lot of yellow tomatoes, loads of peppers and our first squash.

Alan Titchmarsh assures me that chard is two meals in one. The leaves are like spinach and the stalks are delicious used a celery or lightly boiled and covered with a cheese sauce. We shall see if he is right. The colours are so lovely that I am sure it will make any meal look exciting (even yellow bolognaise). Hugh Ferney-Wittingstall (another one of my idols, closely following Bob Flowerdew) has a great recipe for soup where you cut off the top, scoop out the middle and fill with cream and cheese. Sounds delicious but very fattening. I will give it a try and let you know.

There is a strange thing happening to the peppers. There are loads of them on the plant some really big green ones and some that are turning red but staying small. These red ones are really dry and completely different to the green ones which are plump and juice. It is hard to tell what they are going to do and it is too late by the time I spot them. Curious!