June 2008 Diary

On the plot

• The plot is filling up nicely now. Every year we go through the stage of thinking we need to plant more seeds or we will not fill the beds and end up struggling to find room for some later crops.
• Directly into the ground (well into a trench of compost actually) sowed more carrot seeds – Yellowstone and Autumn King, beetroot – Boltardy and Blankoma (Chioggia was left out as we couldn’t find the seeds but they have now turned up!), swede – Invitation and Ruby, spring onions – Ishikuro and Lilia and radish – French Breakfast. The earlier sown radish is nearly ready to harvest so more have been sown for succession.
• Planted out some very small leeks – Oarsman, courgettes – Clarita, Zucchini and Goldrush, squash – Crown Prince, various varieties of tomato plants and lettuce, broccoli – Olympia. Also planted sunflowers – Bees Knees.
• In the herb bed planted an angelica and evening primrose plant, recycled from Alastair and Karen’s plot and also a couple of varieties of mint and some rosemary.
• Sowed foxgloves – Excelsior Mixed (this year’s look stunning). Also sowed French beans – Purple Teepee,
• Strimmed most of the grass paths but not enough time to do any edging.
• The dahlias are now growing well and are green rather than the insipid yellow that was revealed when we first took off the polythene. We don’t seem to have had many losses – no more than we would have had, if we had dug up the tubers to overwinter then.
• The shrub roses are looking good. They were chosen for scent as well as colour. It makes weeding them a very pleasant experience. I cut one or two buds to see how long they would last in a vase and so far so good! In the same beds as the roses we planted a couple of the Sambucus Nigra - Black Lace. These were from cuttings taken when I cut back the one in the garden at the end of last year. The shrub belongs to the elder family so if it was left to its own devices it would grow huge. Incredibly they were using them for bedding at Gardeners’ World Live last year. I could end up with quite a cottage industry as I now will have three plants needing cutting back each year. I’ll have to try and resist making cuttings from the prunings. Also planted in the bed were four dahlias which we paid 99p each for in a garden centre sell-off.
• The cardoons are huge and just beginning to flower – we have never tried to eat cardoon stems – apparently they need blanching first – has anyone tried? We really grow them as sort of statement plants.
• We noticed some funny little holes in some or the cabbage and radish leaves but at first couldn’t see anything on the plants – now we know that it is the caterpillar of the Small While butterfly.
• I only just noticed this week how much the comfrey has grown – it’s now actually on flower too! The bees will be pleased.
• The blueberries have set fruit although the bushes are still only small so we can’t expect a bumper harvest. The cranberries are flowering – they have such strange little flowers (The small pink flowers on the bottom right of the photo below are cranberry flowers).. The tayberries have set fruit – now they do usually provide us with masses of fruit. If you are a regular reader you may remember that I usually can’t make up my mind whether they are loganberries or tayberries. Well I have now decided they are tayberries (I think!) I read that loganberries are sour and these aren’t. The strawberries are loaded so please, please, please let us manage to harvest them this year!  Still on the subject of fruit – it looks as though our plum and greengage trees are going to be a bit of a disappointment this year. Has it been a bad year?

In the garden

• The last of the banana plants has been freed from its straw blanket.
• Although the hostas are still looking fantastic, there are signs that the slugs and/or snails are managing to find their way to them. The problem is that as the leaves grow (and some are huge), they bump into surrounding plants and I think the marauding molluscs tight- rope across thus avoiding the copper bands!
• Quite a few young birds about – who needs Springwatch? The blackbirds will probably sprout prickles rather than feathers as mum just loves the hedgehog food! She looks through the window at us in disgust if the dish is empty.
• One of the irises that I planted last year is in flower – they were shredded by slugs or snails last year as were the lilies which also seem to be growing well.

In the greenhouse

Garden greenhouse:

• It’s incredible to think that we have planted so much already as the greenhouse just doesn’t seem to get any emptier. Hopefully we will soon be able to plant out the beddings plants as they have been a little slow to get off the mark. I call them bedding plants as they are typically those used for bedding schemes but we use them in among the perennials to fill gaps and just add a little more seasonal colour. Some will also get on to the allotment.
• The blackcurrant cuttings that I took at completely the wrong time and probably in completely the wrong way have rooted!
• The grapes have set on the grapevine - it was cut back hard this year as each summer it took over the entire greenhouse leaving little room for anythng else.

Plot Greenhouse:

• Now fully planted with tomatoes, melons and cucumber – we may add some marigolds and some salad leaves not sure yet.

Out and about

• It’s really good to welcome back the English countryside. Those horrid acid yellow fields have now disappeared and we have the gentler yellow of fields of buttercups. Did I ever mention that I don’t like oil-seed rape?
• The clover is beginning to flower.
• After last week’s close encounters of the buzzing kind, we are still coming across queen wasps – one was mooching around inside our porch but was despatched outdoors before it could set up residence.

Weekend 15 June

On the plot

• Anyone any idea what happened to summer – last weekend was lovely but this week has been a disappointment to us and no doubt to the plants too. We have managed to get some work done outside though.
• Planted lots and lots of French marigolds. If the aphids really don’t like the smell then our site will be aphid free. Pat on the next plot has planted some as well.
• Also planted cosmos, achillea and sunflowers which will be used as cut flowers. Found a new dahlia that had somehow escaped planting and so that went off to the plot too. Last year’s dahlias are growing well now and I think all have survived the winter as there doesn’t seem to be any gaps in the beds.
• Some plots on the site have noticed strange growth on potatoes that were planted in ground where manure was added last year. On our plot we have a little damage but not as much as on some other plots. We are trying to find out what the problem is so if anyone has any ideas let us know. Pictures are on the blog.
• Continued dead-heading the shrub roses which are looking good and smell lovely. As mentioned last week we specially selected varieties with perfume. Many nowadays are just grown for the look of the flower, however, when people first see a rose their instinct is to sniff. We decided to pick one or two buds to see if they were worth having in a vase. Decision is that they are, even if they only last a few days in water the scent in the house is lovely – no need for pot pourri! Pat on the next plot even used some of the petals when rinsing her hair. Earlier in the year the rose buds were being attacked by greenfly but having left their removal to the birds they are now almost totally clear. We also have plenty of Sweet Williams to use in vases.
• Had our first proper full dish of strawberries – delicious! Just hope we get lots more and the rain doesn’t damage them (or frost - low temperatures have been predicted for next week – can someone please tell the weatherman that it is June!)
• Into beds outside planted tomatoes – Roma, Red Alert and Supermarmande
• Planted out Flat Leafed parsley.
• Sowed seed of beetroot – Chioggia, this time in compost trenches directly in a bed on the plot rather than in cells.
• The bed for our apple trees was dug over revealing some gladioli bulbs that had been missed so they have been planted elsewhere.

Photos of our plot below

In the garden

• Had a mistle thrush visit our bird bath which was a treat as we haven’t seen one in the garden for ages.
• Planted French marigolds, mesembryanthemum, nemesia, petunias and asters to fill some gaps not yet adopted by the perennials that we planted last year. We pulled up the centranthus planted  last year as it was becoming too dominant and threatening to spoil the more choice plants.  Cut back the berberis Darwinii which in spite of being chopped to the ground a year or two ago is now growing strongly and threatening nearby plants.
• The climbing hydrangea is now in full flower as are pyrancantha and the heuchera – Plum Pudding. The flowers on the heuchera are not particularly spectacular individually but we have a whole row of them and they look very effective. We hadn’t intended having a whole row – having bought just one plant but the problem with plants is that they grow and it’s difficult to throw away the new plants that result after division. Goodness knows what happens when I divide that lot!
• I had to cut out one of the bottom branches of the magnolia soulangiana as it was growing much too near to the ground. The tree has been incredible really – when fairly young, it survived a battering by workmen when we had work done on the house. It has a sort of oriental shape as a result of that and the fact that I have continued to chop out the bottom branches. I even managed to get a cutting from it which developed into a large tree now living in my sister’s garden. That too now is about the height of her house.

In the greenhouse

Garden greenhouse

• Moved all the pepper plants into their final containers – we haven’t had a lot of success with peppers for the past few years so are hoping for a result this year and we are also growing chillies for the first time.
• Sowed cauliflower – Autumn Giant 3, and lettuce – Yugoslavian Red and Mixed Leaves
• Pricked out cabbage – Christmas Drumhead, Red Jewel and Kalibos, Broccoli – White Eye, Sweet William - Forerunner Mixed and Sorrel – Blood Veined.
• The banana plant – Ice Cream, that has been cosseted in the house over winter has now been moved to its new home in the greenhouse.

Plot greenhouse

• The tomatoes and tamarillos (acquired from Joe so they could be something altogether different) are growing well and the tomatoes are flowering but the melons are much slower – they need some warmth

Out and about

• Wherever I have been this week, garden, plot or just out and about, I have been serenaded by a greenfinch. Well I suppose serenade is a bit strong really as its song is hardly tuneful but no doubt it is music to the ears of other greenfinches.
• The elderflower is now beginning to bloom – almost time to start collecting the flowers for making jam, jellies or drinks.  Not that I have ever tried doing any of that but I know others who have.
• Lots of clover and wild poppies.
• We gave ourselves a day off all the toil and paid a visit to Doddington Hall and Gardens near Lincoln this week. If you are interested there are some photos on the web site. Click here to view

Weekend 22 June

On the plot

• Well the poor plot has really gone through the wars this week. Visitors will be aware of our contaminated manure problem (dealing with this has meant that my diary update for this week is a bit late!) On top of all that we have had gale force winds that has left things battered and bruised. The cardoons that were huge have probably suffered more than most plants but berries have been blown off fruit bushes and panes of glass out of the greenhouse. We also have been rained off on some days but at least we have had the watering done for us.
• Planted out lots of flowers this week – some are interspersed among the vegetable to give a sort of potager effect.
• Planted wigwams of runner beans – Celebration & Galaxy.
• Spent time mowing grass and making sure that the edges were well trimmed.
• Levelled the area outside the greenhouse to create a space for relaxation – that is if we ever have the time to use it. We also bought a pop-up gazebo that we can pop up to shade us from the intense sunshine (or maybe rain).  Couldn’t resist it as it was a bargain at a local store. Good job that we had consulted some gazebo experts on the plot next to us or we wouldn’t have had a clue about the differences between pop-up and non pop-up.
• We have revelled in the luxury of fresh strawberries this week – just hope they continue to keep on coming for a while. As well as the large red berries we have started to harvest alpine ones too.
• We have also harvested mange-tout peas and baby turnips and had one of Pat and Joe’s ninja mutant cabbages.

In the garden

• We (the royal we really) have constructed a min-deck around the garden pond. Another sitting area – we just need the time and weather to be able to enjoy them now.
• The annuals and perennials are growing well and we look forward to a good show soon.
• I have been watching a couple of fritillaries by our mini-pond (it’s more like a big puddle but does have its own resident frog and the birds like it), as I wanted to harvest the seeds. One is white and the other a snakeshead. The seeds that self sowed last year don’t appear to have survived hoeing weeding etc. so I wanted to plant some in trays or pots.  During the rainy weather they all have ‘self-sown’ again – well all except one pod on the white plant and another on the snakeshead – I think. It’s hard to say when they are not in flower. Anyway they will be popped in pots and we’ll see what happens.
• Our crab apple trees have suffered a severe buffeting by the wind and the Malus Profusion in particular looks worse for wear. The banana plants too have shredded leaves – the huge new leaves had just started to unfurl. Hostas are still looking good (first year every that they haven’t been shredded by now) and they are sending up flower spikes.
• We seemed to have acquire a couple of pet blackbirds. Happy to tuck in just outside our patio window regardless of how near we are.

In the greenhouse

Garden greenhouse

• Everything is growing well – not much else to report really

Plot greenhouse:

• Crops continue to grow well in this greenhouse too in spite of the excessive ventilation caused by missing panes or maybe it’s because of it.

Out and about

• This week has been a sort of green autumn. The winds have blown branches and leaves from the trees. The roads and paths have been carpeted with green tree debris.

Weekend 29 June

On the plot

• Lots of weeding – it’s a full time occupation at the moment as the recent rain has provided ideal weed growing conditions. At least looking on the bright side they are easier to pull out of damp soil.
• Planted out climbing French beans – Rob Splash (they should have speckled bean pods) & Cobra.
• Also planted French beans – Purple Teepee, lettuce – Yugoslavian Red , Oriental Mustard and  Giant Red Mustard (we are trying to add a bit of interest to our salads). Planted pumpkin – Mars, mixed varieties of squash, cucumber – Burpless tasty Green, Swedes – Invitation & Ruby, turnips –Aramis and cauliflower – Autumn Giant
• Beetroot – Boltardy & Blankoma  was planted out in fits and starts avoiding rain showers.
• Completed the planting out of nemesia to add a bit of floweriness to the plots.
• Watering at the beginning of the week gave way to trying to keep dry towards the end.
• Harvested lots of strawberries (large and alpine varieties) – Pat even made us a Strawberry Pavlova using some of them. They really do put the waterbags available at the supermarket to shame. It’s a struggle to get them home as the car is filled with such a delicious smell. We also harvested salad leaves of various sorts, some mangetout and ordinary peas (ordinary isn’t really an appropriate word when it comes to homegrown peas) and some baby turnips.
• Pat emailed me asking if I wanted a cucumber – really impressed by her ability to crop so early I said yes please. It arrived complete with cellophane wrapping – apparently she had bought 3 for 2 at the supermarket (well something like that) so my admiration was short lived.
• Netted over the redcurrants but blackbirds were still finding a way in (in spite of us leaving a bush unnetted specially for them – they just liked our bushes better). After a few adaptations we hope we can now keep them out!
• Weeded the carrots which are growing well – at least the tops are.  The blackbird was hanging around whilst we were doing this too, inspecting our work and tidying up the odd creepy crawly before we covered everything back up with environmesh.
• Some of the cardoons were flattened again – this happened at exactly the same time last year!!

In the garden

• Harvested some raspberries. We have had them in the garden prior to allotment days and they are still going strong.
• Cut back some climbers that were on the pergola. We are going to move our garden bench under here to provide a shady seating area for those long hot summer’s days. Really wanted to stain the new area of decking but it hasn’t really dried out since it was built!!
• Our fish are becoming very demanding – we only need to pass the pond and they are up with gaping mouths. The blackbirds are also getting the hang of the idea of begging and as soon as their bowl of assorted goodies is empty they are giving us appealing sideways glances. The dunnocks just make the most of whatever is left.
• Perennials are looking good and growing well but the slugs and snails are making the most of the damp conditions to stalk out the small newly planted annuals. I planted some tagetes to fill the gaps left by their victims but no doubt they will struggle to survive as hungry molluscs seem to adore them. The hostas are still hanging on in there but I have a feeling that it is only a matter of time before they become lacy!
• Our Sambucus Nigra is flowering now but hasn’t enough flowers to make the pretty elderflower cordial that Alys Fowler (of Gardeners’ World) recommends on her blog.

In the greenhouse

Garden greenhouse

• Lots of general tidying up.
• Also constructed some supports for the tomatoes growing in grow bags. Bought versions are really expensive! The tomatoes are at various stages but growing well
• The baby grapes are starting to swell.
• Foxgloves are ready to be picked out – incredible to think that we were pricking out tiny seedlings last year at this time from which the huge plants flowering in the allotment developed.
• Sowed the seeds that I managed to save from the two fritillaries. The pods held loads of seed so I needn’t have worried that most of the seeds pods had burst before I got to them. Just have to wait now and see what happens

Plot greenhouse

• Tomatoes are also growing well in the plot greenhouse – as are the tamarillos that Joe gave us – apparently they are a purple fruited variety.
• Planted a sweet potato in the greenhouse border. IT probably should be outside but it seemed so delicate that we felt it needed a bit of TLC.

Out and about

• Elder bushes are flowering. Then I supposed the main event this week has been dodging the rain showers.