It all looked simple on my lesson plan. Sow Giant Winter Spinach (18th June 2013) in fertile soil. We sowed the spinach. My friend and I anticipated a late autumn harvest.
Unfortunately this Tuesday I had to draw her attention to it. The spinach, struggling with the heat, had opted to flower. It was at best three inches high and ready to reproduce and die.
So now we sit out the hot spell, watering in the cool of the evening. Our broccoli is also ready to harvest, far too early; our cauliflowers gave up the ghost, our ruby chard seedlings are hanging on...
Meanwhile the stuff we nursed through the cold spell - the marrows we put in a sheltered bed, the kale that will survive extremes, the squashes we planted in an old open-sided compost area are now romping away. Outdoor tomatoes begin to flower, our apple trees are laden (at present), blackcurrants are magnificent, indoor and outdoor grapes show promise.
I wonder if it will go on like this - devoting more and more meticulous attention, where we can, to plots and patches where we can protect against cold and heat. Decisions. We cannot water everything. Raspberries have gone dry, tayberries are getting stressed. We are not able to rescue all, but we can select. This may become our life's pattern. Meanwhile, with the patience of the farmer, we once again consider when to re-sow.
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