Raised bed edge

Put some more tiles in to retain the soil where it slopes, eventually I'd like to terrace everything. Did lots of weeding yesterday too.

Lucifer

Said Lucifer flower, crocosmia (re: July up the Plot), looking exquisite!

Gourd frame

Thought I should give an update on the gourd frame. Oh my gourd it's gone crazy! Check it out and its only July...

Also setting fruit like this pumpkin...

July up the plot

Pond is thriving...

George grows the best figs, here's a sample of how luscious they are...

In between the showers I get to take photos of the july flowers, the crocosmia (kindly donated by our friends in bonny Scotland) dotted around the place is stunning as are the nasturtiums, geums and sunflowers. The echinops below are lovely too, grew from seed last year.

Watercress

What with all this wet weather we're having thought it appropriate to plant out some watercress. Decided it should do quite well in and around the pond, which has a constant supply of water form one of the East Finchley Allotment brooks.

Black hollyhock

Look at how beautiful this is, taken on the 11th July 2007, the flowers are just beginning to open up, amazing.

8th July Rainbow

As we were leaving on Sunday, it started to rain but the sun was still shining thus creating the wonder that is a rainbow. This is a view of East Finchley Allotments at about 7.30pm, in the approximate direction of the south east.

Make your own Calendula cream

Made some calendula cream yesterday using my own ingredients, so much fun, tried it last year after watching Sarah Raven make it on a Gardener's World special and it has kept in the fridge all this time.



This year I tried two different creams, bit of an experiment really but here's what I did:

• 100 grams of English Marigold flowers which is approximately 70 flower heads, I didn't quite have enough so I added some scented roses.


• 150 grams of emulsifying ointment


• 70 ml glycerine


• 80 ml water - I used rose water last year which gave it a lovely scent.


• Stir together using a ban marie (this is just a pot with simmering water and a bowl of ingredients sitting in that so it just heats and not boils)


• Simmer for about an hour


• Add a few drops of lavender oil to help preserve it


• Then filter out all the flowers and pour into small sterile pots quickly before it sets

I made a second cream using evening primrose flowers, scented geranium leaves and flowers, rose petals and a little lemon balm roughly 100 grams.