raspberry harvest

Returned from my week's jaunt and everything is doing ok. Well, except the gooseberries - tiny caterpillars have managed to strip them more or less of all their leaves. However, it seemed to have rained enough that everything else looked lush.


It's amazing what difference a week can make. Before I went there were one or two raspberries that looked like they may be ripe soon but today I did my first substantial harvest. A good handful of nice big fruit. Which reminded me to get the last of the frozen raspberries out to use up before a new batch takes their place...

Definitely a month ahead...

A longish post before I go away for a week and everything shrivels up - it's going remarkably well and the garden is a full month ahead.

The evidence: the first raspberries. I checked back over the blog and the last two years the first few ripened end of June/beginning of July instead of beginning of June.

Strawberries also ripening in the pot and I picked a couple - so sweet! I fear however that the snails are getting to them before I will, even the copper tape doesn't seem to stop them.


The squashes, cucumbers and tomatoes are growing well, too, although they could do with more watering. I ended up with three different kinds of cucumbers (lemon, ridge and "Delta Star F1" mini cucumber) alongside my six varieties of tomatoes (the first ones are now flowering). Patty pan squashes are only two varieties, to keep it simple ;)




In the other bit of veg garden there are the curly kale (starting to curl), the beetroot, carrots and leafy lettuce mix (need to remember to pick before it bolts) and the pole beans (getting there but no Jack and the Beanstalk material).




Overall the garden is looking very nice. Very "orderly" - veg on the left, flowers on the right. The level beyond the curved path hides more veg and flowers. Now I do hope that it rains a bit over the next week so it doesn't all die...

May...or June?

This weather is crazy. It's been so warm and, especially, dry that everything is at least a month in advance. The kniphofia - Red Hot Poker - is already coming out and I have this feeling that all the flowers are going to be over and done with in a month. This is also bad news for the veg. I'm struggling to keep up with watering. One of the cucumber is really not looking happy. However, the germination of the lemon cucumbers was a bit hit-and-miss so there may be an underlying problem anyway. I also bought a ridge cucumber in the local shop today to see how that will do.


However, the gamble with the tomatoes and patty pan squash last month paid off. They are not that big yet but then again it's still early days. I spotted the first flower buds on one of the tomatoes today. I managed to mix them all up and didn't label them so it'll be a surprise when they ripen.



The herbs love this weather! The fennel, thyme, oregano and purple sage are nearly taking over!

The rest are also making progress. Kale (lost one to the snails), pole beans, and my rows of beetroot, carrots and salad mix are doing quite well. And just in case you are wondering - the bamboo BBQ sticks are cat defences.





So... all in all not bad but I wish it would rain now and again - overnight and then stop in the morning ;)

Glorious spring and early planting

I'm chancing it this year by planting out my tender plants early - a bit risky before "Cold Sophie" (May 15th) - but the weather has been really clement and they may actually do better in the ground than in pots. I still have some cloches on standby should it really get cold (and also to keep the snails at bay).

So I have six different kinds of tomatoes:


Two different kinds of patty pan squash:


And cucumbers:


I also have some kale starting up, another cucumber and some chilli plants:


I have also direct-sowed white beetroot, carrots and mixed salad leaves. The pole beans "Panthenon" have also been planted. Not bad going for Easter weekend!

First seedlings

All tomatoes and the patty pan squashes germinated nicely, although the seeds were a couple of years old at least. They are growing way too fast in the propagator so today I potted them on and they will be living in my mini-greenhouse from now on. It's going to be warm enough in there and much better light than on my windowsill. One of the cucumber seeds which is still in the propagator is already peeking through but potting them up will have to wait until next weekend.


I'm almost tempted to start sowing the carrots, rocket, beetroot, etc directly outside but previous years have taught me that I am a bit too overenthusiastic and they like it a touch warmer than I think it is. Even though we've had smashing spring weather recently, it still drops quite low overnight. (Just spotted a soil/compost thermometer on sale at Amazon for £2.85... may have to invest in that). The pelargoniums which overwintered inside have now moved outside for the summer (still have to watch for frost but they should be ok).

In preparation for the tomatoes this summer, I also investigated better canes. The tall bamboo canes are ok as a tripod for beans and cucumbers but they don't really work that well for holding up tomatoes. I saw some spirally metal ones in Germany some years ago but never spotted them here, until two weeks ago through Amazon. I ordered different sizes, two 1.8m ones, and four 1.2m. The beauty is that you can wind the tomatoes around as they grow and you shouldn't need any twine (in theory). Also, they are galvanised steel so should be able to prop up even a plant fully-laden with fruit (a major drawback of the bamboo which regularly bent over and snapped). And I think they look pretty, in a modern-industrial way :)

Keeping the bay tree at bay

Years and years ago I planted a cute little bay, barely knee-high. Since then it has grown into a colossus. Two years ago I lopped off the top so it was about my height. Recently I looked at it again and I estimated it to be about 2.5 metres! I don't want to get rid of it, just tall enough to supply me with its leaves and not take over valuable growing space. Making the most of the weather today I trimmed it down to probably about 1 metre and cut back some of the side branches. Instantly, there seemed more room, more light...and more clippings than I knew what to do with. The bigger branches now form a sort of barrier against the back wall, rest went onto a heap by the side of the compost. Keeping with the clear-up I also trimmed some ornamental bushes, swept the deck and hunted down rogue seedlings from surrounding sycamores and ivy that is trying to invade my garden from next door. And then I had a nap, followed by coffee and cake :)

More sowing

After last week's mega-sowing of tomatoes (Tomatoes 'Red Pear',‘Tigerella’, 'San Marzano', 'Costoluto','Orangeberry' and 'Ildi'), this week is was the turn of cucumbers ('Lemon'). For the tomatoes I used up some Suttons peat pellets whereas for the cucumbers I ordered some coir pellets. Let's see which does better but the peat pellets gave me some pretty good results last year. The handy windowsill propagator that the pellets go into keeps them warm enough and it's also pretty damn impossible to overwater them which usually encourages damping off. So hopefully really soon I should see the first signs of seedlings!