Pumpkin with coffee garnish

I went up to the allotment early, before a swift dash up town for some coffee and a fruitless discussion at the Orange shop. Think I'll await the opening of the Apple shop.... ;-) There followed much more writing up of notes and reports and correcting of drafts.

I took the photo of the pumpkin so that Mr H could see its progress -it's about the size of a.....haggis? The black stuff around it is coffee grounds, which are supposed to be distasteful to slugs.