The weather is very dry at the moment. We had a week forecast to be full of rain a couple of weeks ago, but with the exception of one day of very wet weather indeed, that was it, & it has been warm & sunny since. Sunday was a lovely day – it was a pleasure to be at the Hill.
I love the raised beds – despite the rain & not having been in weeding mode for a couple of weeks, it only took an hour to whip round the whole plot (the messy edge at the back by David-other-half excepted) & get the whole lot – including the flower border at the front – looking spic & span.
Sunday lunchtimes are surprisingly quiet at the site, & I had the birdsong almost to myself – just Richard three plots doing some weeding. He wandered up for a chat & said that he’d harvested his garlic, & he was very pleased with it – which made me immediately fork up one of mine to see how it is getting on.
I must stop listening to him – it took forever to find a few potatoes last week when he said he’d had the first of his, & the garlic I dug up was not particularly impressive yet either (although tasty when I cooked it with some lamb later).
I planted out all five of the germinated sweetcorn plants, making a very modest block in one of the not-yet-used fruit beds, & half a dozen dwarf French beans (talisman) on the basis that any plants are better off being planted out at the Hill rather than being stuck in pots on the bench at home, however poor the plants look.
It was rather dry to be sowing seed (something that I didn’t think about until after I had the seeds thinly sown in drills) but nonetheless I sowed a row of LETTUCE (arctic king), RADISH 9fresh breakfast), BEETROOT (bolthardy) & CARROT (early nantes 5)
I suspect that I’m going to get caught out with successional owing (again!) this year – I haven’t got any winter brassica sown yet, so I must sort that out very soon – although later at home I did at least, pot the peppers on to their final pots in the mini greenhouse at home.
Lastly (but bestly), on to the booty! I picked a bag of BROAD BEAN (saved) pods – no longer than 6”, filled with sweet baby broad beans (you don’t get those in the shops!), a big handful of immature peas to eat as mange tout, a LETTUCE (dazzle), POTATOES (international kidney & mona lisa) & a huge bunch of sweetpeas – magnificent!
I love the raised beds – despite the rain & not having been in weeding mode for a couple of weeks, it only took an hour to whip round the whole plot (the messy edge at the back by David-other-half excepted) & get the whole lot – including the flower border at the front – looking spic & span.Sunday lunchtimes are surprisingly quiet at the site, & I had the birdsong almost to myself – just Richard three plots doing some weeding. He wandered up for a chat & said that he’d harvested his garlic, & he was very pleased with it – which made me immediately fork up one of mine to see how it is getting on.
I must stop listening to him – it took forever to find a few potatoes last week when he said he’d had the first of his, & the garlic I dug up was not particularly impressive yet either (although tasty when I cooked it with some lamb later).
I planted out all five of the germinated sweetcorn plants, making a very modest block in one of the not-yet-used fruit beds, & half a dozen dwarf French beans (talisman) on the basis that any plants are better off being planted out at the Hill rather than being stuck in pots on the bench at home, however poor the plants look.It was rather dry to be sowing seed (something that I didn’t think about until after I had the seeds thinly sown in drills) but nonetheless I sowed a row of LETTUCE (arctic king), RADISH 9fresh breakfast), BEETROOT (bolthardy) & CARROT (early nantes 5)
I suspect that I’m going to get caught out with successional owing (again!) this year – I haven’t got any winter brassica sown yet, so I must sort that out very soon – although later at home I did at least, pot the peppers on to their final pots in the mini greenhouse at home.Lastly (but bestly), on to the booty! I picked a bag of BROAD BEAN (saved) pods – no longer than 6”, filled with sweet baby broad beans (you don’t get those in the shops!), a big handful of immature peas to eat as mange tout, a LETTUCE (dazzle), POTATOES (international kidney & mona lisa) & a huge bunch of sweetpeas – magnificent!
It all looks splendid Hazel. Must pick some more of my speat peas. I don't want them to stop flowering!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love the pic of the whole plot. The flower border looks great - I spy Ollie's Sunflower! The poppies are rather gorgeous, looks like a papaver somniferum over on the left. If you remember, please can I have a seed head at the end of the year?
ReplyDeleteYour plot looks lovely and it sounds like there is a lot going on. I wish I could grow cauliflowers that look as good as yours.
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening
You're right, you can never buy broad beans like you can grow them. Most people have those huge, overcooked beans then hate them for the rest of their lives. They don't know what they are missing! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMy sweet peas are flowering on shorter and shorter stems, Flum - must sow a second batch next year to keep them going.
ReplyDeleteOf course I'll save a poppy head for you, Bilbo - they pop up each year & I haven't the heart to grub them out - the colours have been gorgeous!
Thank you for dropping by, Tracy - I suspect the caulis were a fluke, they were a surprise to me!
The small broad beans have been fabulous, Matron - and now they are coming to an end, the french beans are kicking in - brilliant!