Garden Nooz from the Izdom of Iz...

Phew, almost unbearably hot. Slowed me down a bit.  Remembering , steady unhurried nose breathing cools the brain on the intake,expelling the heated breath through the mouth, gentle outward breathing cools the body. Works for me...  I have been harvesting more plums , mostly good for immediate consumption, tomorrow's batch I hope will get bottled, we'll see. The Mirabelles are just starting to fall, this is the season of the plum. The neighbours older trees are breaking with the weight of fruit. The ground around our tree is now covered with a cloth to catch fallen fruit. We will pick as many as possible by hand the difficult to reach ones will be shaken off, A fun day with the assistance of friends and their kids. That should give my strawberries a chance.  I am allowing the runner beans some uninterupted growing time. A lot happens in  a week.. Encouraging the beans to grow to full term , they will go in the freezer. Succulent immature pods will be sliced and frozen as a green vegetable, a favourite of mine. The best full pods will be preserved for seeding next years crop. Stored in dark dry cool conditions the seed will remain viable for several years.Add pepperdust to the storage jars to discourage bean weavel. Never worry about having too much? Even the dry seed stock, if there is too much, may be used in cooking. The older beans can be hard, assist the softening before cooking by steeping overnight in water with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.
I have just lifted the onions, rather than leaving them on the surface to dry, they are housed in a barrow with the remaining leaf drying in the sun? The vacated ground is now being manured with well rotted horse and donkey  leavings. More brassicas next I think. Winter and spring cabbage? A row of swede perhaps? Seed saved from this seasons broad beans can go in come November. October will see more garlic planted. I have been learning a bit about Japanese onions. Sown from seed. Seed from my experimental patch will I am sure further their good results. Whats next? lifting the schallots I reckon. I will fill the space with a variety of lettuce. That's all for now. Pretty pictures later...