Sunday 19 June

Am a little behind with posting my weekly pics so two sets in one.  Everything seems to be flowering and fruiting.  Am finding it a bit hard to keep on top of everything and there are lots of weeds.

 First tiny runner beans are appearing

 And spinach has finally put in an appearance - not sure why it came up so much later than everything else. Well, apart from the parsnips that is, and they didn't come up at all

Carrots are looking good but getting hidden by the beetroot

 Mangetout are flowering

And lots more strawberries are ripening

 Even the potatoes are about to flower

Have planted some lettuces in between the sweetcorn

 And our potential glut of brassicas grows bigger

 Broad beans now tied up as they blew over in the week

 Lovely yellow courgette flowers - not tried battering and frying them yet

 Tomatoes have one truss each - is this right?

 And the good old brambles are continuing to flower and set fruit even though they are hidden behind the trailer and the dustbin

 This rather sad specimen in this Tumbling Tom I bought to see how it does.  A bit disappointing, and not much like the photo which is, as the names suggests, tumbling down the side of the pot and full of tomatoes.  I don't think this basket (which it came in) has enough soil so it gets waterlogged/dries out really quickly.  Have been thinking of planting it on into something bigger but not got round to it yet.

And now for next week......

A very wet day!

Was grateful for the waterproof coat George bought me last week, couldn't believe how wet and windy it was.  What happened to all our lovely weather?

The smaller tomatoes had taken a bit of a battering as when I planted them out they weren't tall enough to be tied to the canes.

But they were soon tied up and no damage done.

After last week's early try of a turnip was keen to have some more this week and these two were ready for pulling.

I fed the tops to the chickens

but couldn't be cruel enough to feed them the snail I found feasting on the turnip tops so I just put it at the bottom of the garden - will probably live to regret this.

Fruit is doing well with raspberries, strawberries and blackcurrants all ripening...

and the blackberries which are growing between the trailer and the fence have lots of flowers although I'm sure they must get very little light.

The potatoes are growing nicely despite a late start

The salad tub I planted up a couple of weeks ago has lots of radishes doing well

and the carrots seedlings have germinated too

Having braved the weather we are now going to do some baking.

Visit to the Garden Centre

A visit to Blooms has given an idea for growing tomatoes in more style next year (George has some better photos).  We love these wooden grow bag holders with their neat top with holes to hold the canes in place but we would need 10 to hold all our tomatoes.  At £35 each this isn't going to happen but we think we could make our own so are going to give it a try.

Didn't discover Tumbling Toms until it was too late to sow my own so have bought this one in a hanging basket.  If it does well I will sow them next year to hang along the fence.

Finally we have been thinking about vegetables to keep us going through the winter so have bought yet more seeds (and cabbages).

30 May - 6 weeks (and a day) after sowing

What's changed in the garden this week?

We built some protection from the cats who are loving all the freshly dug soil and keep digging up my plants.  This idea is taken from a reader's letter to Grow Your Own last year.  We bought a woggle, float or whatever you might call it from the leisure centre and cut it into 3 inch pieces, then used it to hold canes to make a frame for the netting.  The best thing (other than the minimal cost) is that once the cabbages etc are big enough it can be taken down and stored in a small space.  The cabbages, broccoli, sprouts and kale have all been planted out now.  Had to dig another 12 ft of garden to fit them all in.  Also planted out the sweetcorn.

This picture was taken to show that we plant  out the blackcurrant yesterday  but it can't really be seen as it's hiding in the ivy.  We should have a handful of fruit this year, not enough to make our own Ribena though!

Potatoes are doing well and were "earthed up" on Saturday.

 Not been good at successional sowing - so this week I have planted half a tub of carrots (large and small) so I can sow the other halves in a couple of weeks.  Also made a new salad tub with rocket, lettuce, salad leaves and radishes.  Just hoping today's rain hasn't washed all the seed away.

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Planted out the courgettes and they seem to be doing well

Tomatoes have also been planted out - we will have more than 30 plants - good job we have lots of ideas for a tomato glut: slow roasting in the oven; chutneys and pizza sauce so none will go to waste.

Waste not, want not

I am trying really hard to be less wasteful and the chickens are a great help with this.   Today I pulled up some radishes for lunch tomorrow, together lettuce, rocket and salad leaves.

I love the cycle of reducing waste.  The leaves from the radishes were given to the chickens who really enjoyed them.  They then provide us with lovely fresh eggs and lots of chicken manure which can be left to dry out and then in the autumn put into the garden to help next year’s crops grow.

22 May - 5 weeks after planting

Going to have a very busy week as lots of things need planting out urgently and we don't have any more space. But I have a plan.

In my usual disorganised fashion I'm not entirely sure what sort of beans I planted here but I think they are dwarf french ones. Time will tell.

Mange tout making good progress

Extra beans - yellow beans, broad beans and french beans - just in case the ones planted outside don't grow. Together with a couple of squashes and yet more courgettes. All planted about 10 days ago.

Courgettes need to be planted in their final spot.

Turnips have progressed a bit since the beginning of the month. Shame they are starting to cover up the carrots though.

It's amazing how much the red cabbages have grown - and the cauliflowers after a rather shaky start when they were first planted out. The mange tout are starting to climb the netting at the back.

These cabbages desperately need planting out, as do the tomatoes behind them but where?

Broad beans planted about 10 days ago.

Strawberries starting to ripen

Pictures from 1 May - (2 weeks after planting seeds)

Am aiming to keep a weekly diary of my garden but have been out of action for a couple of weeks so have this from the beginning of May and then a gap until today.

Eggs from our gorgeous girls

Greenhouse - including runner beans in need of planting out

Herbs coming on nicely

Red onion sets

Beetroot (hundreds sown by Boo) and turnips after thinning

Sweetcorn in the greenhouse

Early planting of strawberries already in flower

Later planting of strawberries

Cauliflower plants which George bought at Countrywide.

Red cabbage plants bought by Emily at a car boot and tiny mange tout planted from seed.