Almost back to normal

The results of the best plots in Birmingham are in, and I'd like to congratulate fellow plotholders at Hill Allotments - Haydn (3rd) and Julie (13th). According to our Newsletter, there are about 7,000 plots in all. So well done you two! We are now awaiting the results of the Best Allotments.

The only advantage of having a bad back is that I have had more time to sit (which hasn't been that comfortable) and watch the bird and bees. As far as the bees are concerned, the garden has been a hive of activity and is positively buzzing with happy bees, especially around the bottlebrushes. I have four of these in all, grown from seed about 25 years ago, and by now they are fairly substantial. The bees are also enjoying the lavender, heleniums and buddleia, which is now in full flower and attracting butterflies too. I can't miss out the hoverflies, all around the fennel flowers. Strangely enough, I only managed to catch one bee (and that is a bit hard to find) between the two photos.

As for the birds, well I can only blame the tree rats for the fact that we have had to move the bird feeders from their previous position, where they were demolishing everything we put out, due to easy access from the fence. Now the seed feeder is actually closer to, and in full view from the conservatory, and as a result we can sit in comfort and watch the comings and goings of green and goldfinches, among others. Yesterday my favourites, the long-tailed tits, arrived en masse. For a few entertaining minutes they fly from tree to bush, from bush to tree, hanging upside down, feeding from insects on the leaves. One young bird did land on the fence and take a fleeting interest in the feeder, but instantly joined the others as they flew off elsewhere.

The back is improving slowly. (What a bunch we are at the bottom of the Hill. There's Eric with his foot and John with his leg!) Still, I was just about fit enough to dig up a few more potatoes for our evening meal. This time I decided to try some Vales Emerald instead of Rocket. I also harvested the remainder of the 'Stereo' broadbeans. I haven't been to sure about these, as the pods are quite small (and grow upright) and not as easy to pod as 'Aquadulce Claudia', but the beans themselves are of a far superior taste - very sweet, almost like peas. The young pods are, in fact, mange-tout. However, I'd ignored this fact as I had earlier been using up the 'Aquadulce', by which time the 'Stereo' pods had gone past the mange-tout stage. As for the mange-tout peas 'Sugar Ann', I don't think I'll bother next year. As sweet as they were, they weren't as productive as the regular peas 'Rondo' (which are just about over too). To accompany last night's meal (chicken cooked in a creamy sauce) we had cabbage 'Golden Acre/Primo', climbing 'Yardlong' and purple-podded (Ian) beans, along with Vales Emerald potatoes, which are far superior to 'Rocket', with a really good flavour. The sauce contained one of last year's shallots (I've still got a few left) and a couple of cloves of 'Marco' garlic. This year's shallots have been a failure, but the garlic (and I've yet to harvest the 'Solent White') is an outstanding success - fat, juicy and tasty cloves. The very last of the redcurrants and tayberries were collected yesterday too. From now on it will be beans with everything! As well as the previously mentioned varieties there are two types of runners, 'Red Rum' and some grown from Brian's saved seed (don't know the name, but they were very long), dwarf French and yellow Brittlewax. I can't see the point of growing too many runners as, in my opinion, they do not freeze well. However, I do enjoy them fresh (as long as it's not for every meal) and they do look very pretty!

I would like to be 100% fit again asap, so if anyone spots me lifting heavy weights (such as bags of horse muck!) please tell me off.