So, when I got back from my holiday...

In no particular order:

The inside of the Gertrude Franck bed - under the enviromesh things are cooking well, 

 Up - beetroot with some weeds which will be removed this weekend - just slipped the camera under for a quick shot. Down - Some parsnips amongst Long Red Florence onions. Wahoo!

From outside the mesh - looking good in there

 Some potato onions - all looking ready to harvest. I have 3 varieties and this is just 3 of the bunches. Looks like a fun packed potato onion weekend ahead. These are in a Hugelkultur bed and have a spot of Allium Leaf Miner so I might remove them all and once checked over, grow under netting next year.

 This is pretty much what I found on most cucurbits - bad slug damage including trails just to set me off on one. Little ****ers.

And the Hugelkultur bed; looking exceptionally healthy, those are 2 tomato plants in the nearside area - just left to their own devices once planted out. Next year, it will be just self sown toms only - sort of...I'm just going to sprinkle seeds over the bed and leave them to germinate when they are good and ready. They usually catch up ok. 

And to the Beetroot - this is Dobbie's Purple from a packet I got from the HSL people, which was due to be chucked as it was in the 'old stash' - so more than 10 years old. It grew well, so well that I decided to save from it and my lottie neighbour cadged one off me and is also saving it. I'll strip it with enough for me and several seed circles and give the rest back to the HSL. The tops of those stalks are over 6ft. So you can see how big the beets actually get. HOOGE!

And the Chokeberry - Aronia. Bought from a little nursery in between Oxford and Banbury for a knock down price, mine finally turned red this week. Haven't tried it yet.

Without photos - I have harvested some tomatoes, beetroot, more rasps and even though the potatoes got blight last week, the Heritage tomatoes haven't. Some are looking a little 'worse for wear' in the 'water and food' stakes but as I've seen any dodgy looking leaves, they have been quietly and calmly removed and disposed of without a fuss. So if we keep schtum then they may never know. You haven't seen me, blight?