I have a feeling the crops on my plot are all waiting to be ready at the same time. So many things are behind where they should be by now, but are neck and neck for winning the title of first harvest. I have so far harvested herbs (see previous post) a few spring onions which were tiny and don’t count for much, and a garlic that got accidentally pulled out before it’s time.

I have a good crop of blackcurrants this year, so I’ve thrown some netting over them as the birds usually get to them before I do. The bush can literally be stripped overnight.

Ditto the strawberries. I’ve had the odd one here and there, but not really a harvest, as they get eaten straight away. The jury is still out on the wool pellets, I’ve had one or two berries nibbled at, but they were resting on the fabric. I think I’d have to cover the entire bed with them to be properly effective. So I have added a small scattering of organic slug pellets as they’re under cover anyway.

The beetroot is doing well, but not quite golf ball sized yet, which I think is the smallest you can get away with harvesting it.

The broad beans are flowering profusely, and look beautiful, but no beans as yet. Lots of other people have beans, they must have planted theirs much earlier. This is a new variety for me – Bunyards Exhibition (or something like that). They’re so far quite stocky short plants, which means they cope fine with the wind, (important when you garden in the Fens), unlike the leggy Aquadulce I normally grow. And they are smothered in flowers, so I’m looking forward to a good crop when it finally comes.

I have a feeling the first harvest will be the autumn planted garlic. It’s hard to know when it’s ready for harvest, but common sense tells me it’s when it stops growing at the top. The tips of the outside leaves have gone yellow, but the central stems are still quite green, so I want to leave them for as long as I can for the bulbs to fatten up.

I’m just too eager, that’s my trouble.