After a few days away last weekend in Devon and a day at Woodfest yesterday, this morning was the first time I got a chance to pop over to the allotment and check on how things were doing. The sun was out, so armed with a supply of paper bags and my pen knife off we went.

And look what's happened while we've been away.

Yes we have a cauliflower!

It's only about the size of my fist at the moment but it looks like a proper cauliflower. It's also the only one, so far. Of the other plants, one looks like it might follow suit, another has snapped most likely caused by an over-enthusiastic fox running past and the final plant is still behaving as I'd expect purple sprouting broccoli to behave... Maybe I could start a new thing?!

The feeling of satisfaction when the veg you grow looks like it should, and like veg in the shop is indescribable and such a good feeling!

Our continuing harvest

The tomatoes are still ripening and we left with another 700g of mainly small, but very eatable tomatoes. The courgettes are still going, although at a much slower rate, today I picked a on-the-way-to-being-a-marrow courgette and a smaller yellow one which are destined for a chocolate cake later today.

I also picked our mystery squash so by next weekend, the mystery should be solved. My money's on it being a spaghetti squash, but dad thinks it's a round courgette. We'll see.

We left the butternut squash there but picked the two munchkin pumpkins. We've some venison chops for tea tonight and I'm planning to cook some red cabbage so I think these little beauties could also end up on our plate quite quickly. That's another thing that gives me immense satisfaction about growing our own veg, being able to eat it so quickly after picking.

There were also a lot more crab apples down than we've seen before, and those on the tree were looking quite rosy so we started to pick those. Four bags later and I have 3.2kg, so some more crab apple jelly could be on the cards.

Elsewhere on the plot

The spring onions I'd sown between the cauliflowers are now being crowded out and it's unlikely they'll grow much more.
The turnips look to be doing well - both those I started in a seed tray and those sown direct. The seed tray ones are much further ahead, as I'd expect with such a head start.
I spotted some more borlotti beans clambering up the canes from my second sowing, which is good news because my crop so far is a solitary bean!
The chard is having another burst of life, which I'm pleased about, MOH less so. With the sweet peas cleared from nearby it's clearly getting a lot more space, and light, and liking it.
The sunflowers are still going strong, I'm leaving the seedheads there for the time being and plan to keep at least a couple for seeds while letting the birds feed on the rest.
The red cabbage plants have done well and have grown significantly, the kale and cavolo nero have fared less well and seem to have been nibbled, so I'll need to do something about that.
The rhubarb has died back already, and we need to clear the space next to it where the sweetcorn was.
The leeks are still thin, but doing well despite MOH's size 9s. If I get any leeks that don't get trodden on I'll be surprised.
The small apple tree which we moved last November has a single apple on it. Just one. And we're grateful for that. And hopeful that next year it'll be back to producing more. Meanwhile though we are planning carefully when and how to enjoy this singular fruit. We want to make the most of it...

It feels like it's been a productive growing season this year. Over the coming months our focus will change to clearing some more of the plot so it's ready for more crops next year. But that's for another day.