Hooligan

These are the mini pumpkin - Hooligan which my eleven year old daughter is growing on her patch. There are half a dozen pumpkins on the plant and they only grow to about three inch in diameter. Apparently they can be microwaved by slicing off the top, scooping out the seeds, replacing the top, and then microwave for four minutes. Alternatively they can be baked or stuffed. Aren't they cute? I'm sure my daughter will want to carve a mini pumpkin for halloween.

Now that the kids are back at school I've found that I've got some spare time back during the day, and I've spent quite a bit of time at the allotment this week. My main task has been clearing the strawberry bed, which really should have been done earlier, but I've left it so late that the runners are trying to escape into next doors plot. I had pegged some of the runners down into pots filled with compost and these have taken well, but many of the runners have rooted themselves into the bed, so I have lifted these and they will be potted up too. I want to increase the number of plants I have as you can never have too many strawberries.

The huge courgette which I found on my return from holiday seems to have slowed down the production of more courgettes. The plant is still producing the odd one here and there, and still has some flowers on it, but I think it's really on it's last legs now. I had one courgette plant in the garden, which got powdery mildew and had to be disposed of a while ago, and one plant at the allotment. Next year I will plant more at the allotment, and maybe still have one in the garden.

The parsnips seem to be doing well, but one can never tell what's going on underground. I don't want to rush winter upon us all, but I'm really looking forward to lifting and tasting them.

The weather has been wonderful this week. The sun has been shining and the temperatures have risen. Perhaps we're still a while away from autumn afterall.