Nature Blog by Jenny Bourne

After an unprecedently dry summer we’ve at last had some rain, bringing out the silver trail evidence and the plotholder’s lament – slugs and snails! But I’m coming round to the view that these gastropods that cause such consternation also have their place in the ecosystems that support what we do on our plots.

It’s been quiet on the blog front and changeable on the weather front, at long last! The Autumn Show has taken up time – we’d all been checking the weather for Sunday 6 September but we were so lucky. Warm golden sun on the day, followed by a week of changeable weather,

I don’t think I’m the only one of my fellow plotholders who’re experiencing difficulties coping in these weeks of high temperatures and lack of rain – pumps running dry, watering an endurance test and daytime temperatures higher than parts of southern Europe.

I’m past talking about the relentless heat and lack of rain that’s now put most of England into drought conditions, so I’m talking about green manures today!

Another heatwave, with temperatures in the low 30os for the past week, no rain forecast for another week with strong breezes today, welcome for Wimbledon men’s finalists today perhaps but drying up the allotment beds even more. The recently planted cosmos, zinnia, sunflower and other annuals are wilting in Pollinator Patch and Crab Apple Corner and plans for next year’s planting scheme will definitely feature drought tolerant