It's a windy day!

Firstly a bit of sad allotment news! My one and only surviving Jeruselem Artichoke has been snapped in two :o(. I don't know if it was the wind, over zealous clearance of the community plot next door or on purpose (doubtful!). I've put the branches over the top of the JA as a mulch which my magazine told me to do and hopefully it will survive to be eaten (or is big enough, we never had any flowers :o( ).

Below is another pic of my beans drying. I don't know why, but I really like them - all shrivelled! We shelled these ones last night - they're called Mr Fearn's Purple Podded and have black beans in them. We also shelled Corona D'ora which have white beans in and some Borlotti (Heirloom) and True Red Cranberry for eating undried.

Left - Corona D'ora; Right- Mr Fearn's; Front - immature True Red Cranberry; Back - Borlotti.

Two of the sunflower heads got the chop today. One is going to be used to collect the seeds for saving and using next year and for eating, and one was put upside-down on the shed roof for the birdies (who are already starting to feast on the ones in the ground, what a mess of seed cases!).

We had a brilliant tidy up of the fruit beds. We've still the starwberry beds to do, but the four we've done already look SOOO much better. The fruit must be breathing a sigh of relief too!

When we cleared the currant bed I'd also chucked some Little White Rabbit/White Currant Tomato plants in. These produced loads of tiny toms but did not ripen. I've saved some seeds of the few ripened ones and will sow them next year (very, very sweet!) but grow them in the green house.

With the mass of green toms on the bushes though I made Spicy Green Tomato Chutney.

And lastly, my little brother came to visit us and the plot while on his jollies from the States. He made all the right sort of appreciative noises - even though I suspect he doesn't rreally get the whole grow your own scene ;oD!