Garden disaster

Last year my veg garden was an absolute triumph. I had more tomatoes that I knew what to do with. I was giving chillies away left, right and centre. Pepper were coming out of my ears, and potatoes, well the Desirees lasted until March this year.

What of the bounty of natural produce this year? The tomatoes rotted away along with the peppers, the peas taste lovely but have got a bit of mildew on them, the onions have vanished, the mage tout are doing well, but we are sick of mange tout with every meal. The potatoes, my wonderful potatoes that I was so proud of last year, well the Desirees have been ok, we though we had blight but I think the haulms just rotted with all the wet weather. The crop itself hasn't been anywhere near as bountiful as last year, with some plants only producing 2 spuds. The new potatoes have gone a bit manky and I now cannot find them, as the tops have died down completely. The runner beans are still showing some promise, I am only getting enough of them the one person at a time.

I have grown sweetcorn for the first time this year and it is looking magnificent. I can't wait to try it. The leeks are looking really good. The plants that are the most productive? The sweet peas - and I can't eat those!! I am picking them every other day and have a jug of them on the table all the time. They smell and look lovely, but they don't last for long.

It has been really disheartening this year. The weather in May and June was abyssmal - really wet, with no sun. I can't even summon the enthusiasm to go out and work in the garden. The weeds are taking over, and as it is only me who does the gardening I'll leave it til it all dies down in the winter, then cover it with black plastic, hopefully this will make it easier for weeding next year. Mind you, we may have moved by then!