Celebrating an allotment award

Ok, so it's not an RHS Gold award, but this morning when I arrived at the allotment site I was greeted with a sign on the reverse of the gate announcing that I had won first prize in the plot/compost competition. One of the criteria for any plot being entered was that there was a working compost system (and regular readers will know I'm a bit of a compost fanatic!)

(Of course the first thing I do is post a picture to facebook and tweet about it!!)

According to a fellow plot holder my win hasnt been greeted with the same joy as I had by others. I expect my gender and my being under 40 have gone against me, and that I pipped someone who has had his plot around 40 years to the post by 4 points (me being a mere novice having only had mine 5 years!)

But I care not for the griping of these people. I WON *skips*

My prize is £25 of garden centre vouchers which I am thrilled about, though the kudos really was enough in itself.

Anyway, the lovely tweeps have been asking for pics, so I shall show you around what is currently happening.

 Rhubarb - can probably have one more cut before the crowns need dividing

The raspberries are producing beautifully - see further down 

Strawberries are done for this year and have done well to say they were all new plants 

Red onions and shallots cleared and ready for planting leeks 

White onions are nearly ready for lifting 

Sweetcorn will hopefully produce well 

Purple sprouting broccoli is nearly big enough to be uncovered 

After a very slow start the butternut squash have finally got going, but maybe too late for this year 

Hiding among this lot are 5 really good size pumpkins that look like they will still get even larger 

Where the blight ridden tomatoes came out from a late sowing of peas went in

Beet looking good, carrots looking fly infested 

Parnsips doing really well, and some salsify 

Main crop will get lifted when I return from my holiday 

My little flower garden which I love

Aubergines, chillies and peppers not doing as well as their greenhouse counterparts, but making progress

Bird seed growing! 

So pleased these came true with their colour - self seeded from last year

Bees enjoying last years leek which I purposely left to go to seed

Hoverfly on a fennel flower

More bees enjoying the leeks

A view down the plot

The biggest raspberries I've ever grown

1 of 4 bowls of peas picked and frozen today