Making a pumpkin patch.

Our main task in the veggie field last week (aside from coping with an explosion of weeds) was making this year's pumpkin patch. We still had four beds of potatoes left in the ground from last year, some of which were still good enough for roasting or mashing (delicious!), and the rest went to our pigs.

Tuesday morning, just getting started.

We started on Tuesday morning, finished the digging on Thursday afternoon, erected the cloche and planted the pumpkins and squashes on the following Monday (just in time for today's strong gales!).

Tuesday afternoon, Jim and Morgane motoring on.

Last year's pumpkins and squashes were planted out mid-May, without protection, and were hammered by strong cold easterly winds coupled with slugs, which only a few hardy "jack be little" squashes survived, ready for harvesting in October/November. This year we're hoping to do better.

Thursday afternoon - finishing the digging with Adam, Willow, Jim and Anne.

So we erected a cloche of 63 square metres, being a wall of greenhouse glass and old windows staked into place around the four squash beds. We're hoping this will reduce wind-blast, slugs, rabbits, and couch-root encroachment. And we planted them out early June, two weeks later than last year. Time will tell.

Monday afternoon - cloche erected and plants ready to go in.

This year we have planted "blue ballet", "uchiki kuri", "jack be little", "jack o' lantern", and "turk's turban" squashes. Fingers crossed for a good harvest.

Job well done - Alice putting the last plant in the ground.