Sunbathing in a fur coat

Pol flaked out in the sun and so hot to touch you could boil a pot on her!

I’m not a big fan of hot weather myself and in hot spells like this I am especially grateful to live on the coast where it is nearly always a bit cooler than inland. Thankfully we have no hose-pipe ban this year, so I’ve been able to give the raised beds a good soaking. It’s incredibly hard work handwatering them.

Raspberries are doing really well, runner beans are a bit behind, but I should have my first courgette in a day or two. The shallots look pretty fat and the leaves are dying down, so I expect they’ll be ready to harvest soon. The sunny weather will be good for drying them off and I hope I’ll be able to store them for a few months.

I pulled up a pathetic crop of beetroot yesterday which serves me right for letting them get overrun with chickweed. Still they are quite tasty and it’s not too late to sow some more. I shall put some more carrots in too. It’s probably too hot and dry for them to germinate well, but the variety (Berlicum) is delicious and I’d love some more.