[Christine]

I was getting downhearted till I took out the elephant garlic yesterday evening and drew the attention of every plot holder in the area due to size and smell.  They are good.

Likewise the broad beans are good, marrows too. Could be good for pattypan squash and courgettes on the one plant I have. Raspberries great but strawberries sad due to lack of care and attention. Herbs such as thyme, mint, oregano and tarragon good. The chives have been happy too. The runner beans look to be good if the weather behaves itself at all well for a few weeks. The early sowing of lettuce has been good but so far later sowings have not appeared. Oh well. And the chard is very half hearted but there is some.

I do early peas which were a disaster due to poor germination and a patch of soil that obviously needs some attention. Onions patchy but quite successful - well 50% so. I'm going to try from seed next year and only do shallots from sets.

We won't mention the beetroot and fennel that barely germinated then, nor the radishes which didn't develop, nor the coriander that never germinated and two lots of rocket that went straight to seed nor the salad leaves that have done nothing at all. Nor the slug attack on the dwarf beans (though some seem to be flowering) and the mid season carrots that were washed out (early Paris Market did well though).

So there are some positives amongst the failures - onwards to preparing for next season which might be better.

[littlejohn]

My first post on the forum so here goes.Has been a funny old year for sure. Potatoes are exceptional best ever huge crop. Brassica's also very good dispite the atenttion of an army of slugs and snails. Peas also very good (Alderman and Early Onward). As for the rest best forgotten I think. Carrots took 51 days to germinate. Onion from seed at least 3months behind , onion from sets even worse. Yet show onion in pots  (13 litre) very good may even get a 10lber (Kelsea). Early beetroot very uniform and tasty later sowings abismal. Runner Beans at least a month behind as are French Beans. Leeks resemble spring onions. Parsnips wouldn't germinate even under cloches. Herbs refuse to grow. Tomatoes and cucumbers will be poor at best. But we need bad years like this to make the good years we have.