Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

Well, I did promise an update, and here it is:

My polytunnel isn't just "no more", it is a crumpled pile of depressing tubes! Not quite sure what we can do with them. My brother, Alex, has an idea that we use it as a kind of template and build our own. Given the price of polytunnels and greenhouses, I'm inclined to think this is the best option.

But it isn't all bad!

The tomatoes that had been left in the polytunnel, all of them ending up on their sides, were abandoned when I thought it was a lost hope. But somehow, with no water, and no support, they are still flourishing and the flowers are still in tact. Actually, the plants look really healthy! We've now taken the plastic away from the polytunnel so the tomato plants went in a sheltered place. As we're having our allotted summer at the moment, I'm hoping they will be ok. I've been surprised at what we can actually grow here!

In other news, we harvested the shallots and some of the garlic. As the weeds had taken over, this was a case of digging up everything and looking for the bulbs as if we were finding treasure. It was very successful and I'm looking forward to pickling them soon (the shallots - not the garlic!) Dad harvested most of the onions. Our red onions' stalks seem so much stronger than the normal ones. Why is that?

We don't have the luxury of an allotment shed so the onions were taken home to dry. We can't guarantee the good weather for long so we couldn't just leave them on the ground. They are hung up in various places all around the garden, ready to be whisked away inside at the first sign of rain.

There is so much to update you on, but I will leave some of it for another day! Everything seems to happen at once on the allotment! Even though it is really hard work getting started, my plot is one of my most prized possessions!!

But for now, I will leave you with this mish-mash of colour. A while ago I planted poppies, corn marigolds and sweet peas and left them. They all look really strong now, although the poppies have bent in the wind, and the sweet peas don't actually have any flowers. But I still love this little corner! And so do the insects!