Two summers have passed since I had last needed to use the hose to water my plot, and it was surprisingly cobweb free after spending such a length of time on top of the cupboard in my shed.

The hot and sunny weather has brought on crops, particularly the onions, chard, peas and beetroot and it is good to be eating them early in the summer. Courgettes are also now starting to grow, the sweet peas have suddenly come into blossom and the strawberries are already almost over. Only the beans have so far looked a little uncertain, but they too are now beginning to shoot up at great speed.

Cabbage White Butterflies drift amongst the foliage, bees are constantly on the move and small birds alight at intervals on the top of an arch made from dogwood branches as they fly to and fro. The heat has also brought out field grasshoppers, which might have been at risk of falling prey to frogs, but sadly these creatures have been remarkably scarce at the allotment for the past couple of years.

Now that the raised beds are up and running and the soil conditions are generally improved on my plot, I am aiming to grow a wider variety of crops.  Past attempts at growing celeriac have been unsuccessful but the seeds have germinated well and I have over half a dozen on my windowsill to plant out once they are a little bigger. Celeriac is derived from the wild celery plant and needs a growing season of about six months for the bulb to develop, with plenty of water if the conditions are dry.