FOR 11 years I’ve been trying to grow honeyberries. I bought a sad old twig, you know the story, last plant in the shop type of thing.

I cared for it and it grew albeit slowly, but never flowered and certainly never produced fruit - until last year when I got a handful of honeyberries and I was over the moon.

Well this week I just thought I’d have a little look to see if any of those flowers had been pollinated and Wow there was fruit hiding among the leaves and branches.

I grabbed a plastic tub and filled it, I was jumping for joy!

We all tried one but decided they were a bit tart for eating uncooked but jam would be perfect.

I only collected one tub so I only made one jar of jam but it was superb.

It was well worth the wait, it tasted a bit like a cross between a blueberry and a blackcurrant.

Growing your own certainly teaches you patience and for that patience, you are rewarded with little goodies you’d never find in a shop.

If we aren’t learning patience we are certainly learning how heavy a watering can feels at the moment.

July is all about the watering isn’t it?

Obviously if it’s been raining your plot won’t need it but your greenhouse will and every day now. Even a dry week can cause your veggies stress.

Try to give each plant in there a proper drink, not a trickle but a good soaking. The best time to water is in the evening or early morning or you will lose it through evaporation.

One thing is sure, it builds up your muscles doesn’t it?

My allotment to do list:

Feed aubergine, courgettes, tomatoes, peppers and legumes with a high potash feed such as tomato feed

Check around pots for slugs and snails they hide from the sun in any dark spot and do with them what you will I put mine on the compost heap.

Water those raspberries they are very busy swelling up and getting nice and red so help them out a bit.

Give that compost heap a turn over but watch out for toads they love hiding in them.

If you have an allotment query, you can email: vixlot@outlook.com