Tango'd!!!

Well you know when you've been Tango'd!       Oh boy have I this year,  it must be a bad year when even the broad beans given up the ghost!   I usually get some chocolate spotting on them but this year it has decimated the crop and in fact they looked like they'd had potato blight.  This picture shows a mild case - I'm too ashamed to show you what mine actually looked like!

   Kept giving them an extra day but today decided that was it............pulled them all up and only had enough beans to make a couple of servings.    I still have beans in the freezer from last years crop.   I'm afraid the undergardener (who loves broad beans) will be disappointed  this year.  

However, as per usual, courgettes are doing well and trying a new varity this year for us Stiato D'Italia.   Nice stripey courgettes should look good in a stir fry.  Must remember to look out my courgette recipies again...........

Picked my first crop of beetroot too today, bit small but thought I'd better get them before the voles or slugs do. 

 Missed the Robins today, in fact there didn't seem to be much life in evidence on the plots - just a few hardy souls and several big fat green catapillars.   Shame my friend the Robin wasn't around he could have had a free lunch! 

Almost come to the end of the rhubarb season and have found some new recipies for using rhubarb so I'll probably put then on the cookery page later this week,   I love rhubarb pies and crumbles but with 7 mature plants I have had to find other things to do with it.   Changed two of the plants this year for Champagne Rhubarb ( used to be Pink Champagne)  had the first cutting and, after being told it was the 'bees knees' as far as taste was concerned,  wasn't too impressed with it, nice but nothing special.   Maybe it will get tastier as it matures.   Hope the weather is good on saturday - planning to turn the compost bin.  Had some good stuff last year but have been offered a pair of Newcastle bins, the undergardener has offered to make them for me bless his cotton socks!   Wonder if I'll find a family of voles like I did last year?  Had to relocate them but they didn't seem too impressed with my choice of field accomodation.  I don't mind sharing my plot with the wildlife but sometimes they just get greedy!

 As I'm writing this the sun is shining outside and the temp is soaring.............well we can all hope can't we?