Midsummer at the Allotment: The Chaotic Good Phase

July at the allotment is always the most intense month. Everything is growing at maximum speed, harvests are coming in faster than I can process them, and the weeds have decided that this is their moment too. I'm out there at least twice a week and it still feels like I'm barely keeping up.

The Brandywine Experiment

The Brandywine tomatoes are finally setting fruit after a slow start. They're noticeably different from the Sungolds — big, deeply ribbed, with a dark pinkish-red colour on the skin. They're supposed to be one of the best-tasting tomatoes you can grow. I've been warned they crack easily if watered inconsistently, so I've been paying more attention to moisture levels than I usually would. First taste will be the real test.

The Sungolds are doing what they always do: producing enormous quantities of intensely sweet cherry tomatoes with absolutely no effort on my part. Reliable to the point of being boring, but I mean that as a compliment.

The Borlotti Beans

The borlotti beans are the surprise hit of this year. The plants grew quickly, the flowers are pretty, and the pods are extraordinary — cream-coloured with bright red streaks, like something you'd see in a painting. I've been eating the young pods whole when they're small and tender. In a few more weeks the seeds inside will have swelled enough to eat as fresh beans. First-year verdict: absolutely growing these again.

The Red Currant Harvest

The red currant bush produced an enormous crop this year. I spent an afternoon picking them and ended up with enough to make several jars of jelly plus extra for the freezer. Red currant jelly with cheese in the winter is one of those small luxuries that feels completely disproportionate to how easy it is to make.