Perfect weather – not too hot, not too cold; just right for pottering and doing all the little things that needed to be done this weekend. Mowing, trimming, shredding cardboard for the compost heap, deadheading, weeding, sowing coriander (‘cruiser’), radish & spinach seeds – and, of course, harvesting. With restful pauses for nibbling and gratitude…
It’s another world. Very warm and somehow comforting; I think because of the smell, which reminds me of my grandfathers’ greenhouses, one in Scotland growing tomatoes and carnations and the other in Yorkshire, growing tomatoes and more tomatoes! Both my Grandpas would, I fear, have mildly disapproved of the exuberant (over) planting, but at least it’s more orderly than last year when the achocha completely took over!
Varieties growing (all from seed) are: Tomatoes Sungold, Noir de Crimee, Gardener’s Delight, Red Brandy Wine, Green Zebra, Caro Rich and Sweet Aperitif; Pepper Hungarian Hot Wax; Chilli Aji Delight; Melon Prescott Fond Blanc Musk (this is not doing very well) and marigold tagetes that have grown monstrously from unpromising beginnings.
Strange to think back to the waterlogged days of winter, when the cloggy mud made it almost impossible to push the wheelbarrow along the path. That same path is now hard and the grass pale brown straw. Daily watering, at least of the greenhouse, is necessary.
The flower bed is doing well, the tiny little honeywort (Cerinthe major ‘purpurascens’) seedlings that I was so concerned about have turned into giants, beloved of bees. The roses have been marvellous, no black spot in evidence, and the new ‘Boscobel’ standard has flowered with stately generosity since early June. Cosmos and lavender also.
The outdoor tomatoes are doing well, with lots of fruit to come. Self-seeded borage too, where I have allowed it to develop, though it is a thug and I too indulgent. My (very tidy) neighbour tuts quietly about it.
The zinnias have now got into their stride, though they were jolly hard to germinate during the very cold spring. I’m so glad there is one pale one among the riot of hot pink and orange. And the ‘rose de Roscoff’ onions are now drying on the apple rack I bought at a vintage sale. Spanish onions still growing. Early ‘Sungold’ tomatoes cropping already; delicately scented and delicious. The bulbous green tomatoes alongside are ‘Noir de Crimee’ and I’m looking forward to them developing their stripey crimson juiciness.
Bean ‘Czar’ has now taken off, with its ethereal white flowers. And below is the butternut squash which is looking great – I’m so pleased as in previous years the fruits have been weedy and often withered. This plant alone has 7 fruits, already quite large. And below that the courgette ‘Soleil’ is providing a constant supply of sunny delights. Its friend ‘Romanesco’ is completely out of control and seems to produce marrows overnight – the less said about that the better… luckily the compost needs greenery 🙂
Time to get out my wonderful Finnish steam juicer…
The currants this year have suddenly ripened and are threatening to go over in the heat so I picked them all and will make jelly and jam tomorrow. The gooseberries are lovely and sweet and destined to be lightly poached with elderflower syrup. Lots more are still ripening…
Despite my annual vow never to grow peas again, (fighting the predations of mice before germination and pigeons when growing is a wearisome process – especially as they are so cheap and easy to buy frozen), yet again I succumbed to the notion and this year I’m pleased I did. The purple podded peas, especially, are looking lovely and healthy.
And harvesting has started in earnest, today with courgettes (varieties romanesco and soleil), golden sweet mange tout, radishes, baby broad beans and red cos lettuce as well as daily sweet peas and roses (these are James Galway, chosen for the heavenly colour growing against the blue of the shed).
While at home the garden is blooming, the lilies particularly splendid this year with a happy absence of lily beetles.
Arriving at the huerto at 06.30 this morning, the light was magical. As was this beautiful visitor; I was heading for a raspberry snack so had quite a surprise!
Flowers now in abundance, the roses especially beautiful in their velvety morning dew:
Everything growing on happily in the warmth of midsummer…
Some dismal surprises today on a flying visit to the huerto; pigeons have demolished my beautiful Golden Sweet mange tout, along with most of the chard, lettuces and much of the spinach. Asparagus beetles have been beetling away, and a swarm of blackfly taken up residence in the tender tops of the broad beans. Booooo!
However, a bit of fast squishing, pinching out, cloching and netting before the heavens opened has, I trust, provided some respite. And just time for a photo of the standard rose ‘Boscobel’ coming into flower, along with peony Sarah Bernhardt still holding onto bud but blooming imminent.
… and a quick pick of coriander ‘Cruiser’ and spinach from the little bed that is also home to surprisingly easily germinated salsoli, catch crop radishes and some bolthardy beetroot.
The quince tree is appreciating the extra light afforded by the tree felling early in the year, with a more symmetrical form and healthy blossom which I hope will not be blighted by frost as they were last year. 
Grown from seed, I am proud of the heartsease, happy little faces which smile from their dappled basket, with the ‘insect hotel’ behind. If I were a bee, I would like to live here.
And the plot is starting to come to life, late compared to previous years, but promising; overseen by the majestic copper beech, colour delicious in the early summer sun. I may be fanciful, but biodynamic preparation 500 does seem to make it all shine more….
‘Golden Sweet’ mange tout peas on the far right above- hope the pigeons don’t get them!
How naive I was, taking so much care when planting and nurturing those first little stachys affinis rhizomes! Now I find that it is in fact a thug of a plant, a member of the mint family and ferociously invasive. So yesterday I spent several hours grovelling on my knees forking out the spreading plague. I plan to replant some of them in a container as they can create a nice gastronomic flourish, although very fiddly to prepare. I guess some of the little devils will have escaped, but the bed is now looking clear and the elephant garlic it was suffocating now free to grow on unimpeded.
This photo from inside the greenhouse says it all … I was drenched from planting out leeks and spinach. But there were some friendly faces inside:
And a nice view of the apple starting to show life. Note my car keys hanging on the shed door getting very wet! I love those hooks; trowel and fork kitch from Wilco 🙂
Grappling painfully to put together a new steel potting bench (of course I didn’t have the correct size of spanner), I found myself drawn into a frenzy of displacement activity; clearing the back of the shed area. It had become a sort of general dumping ground and looked thoroughly disreputable, not helped by all the old autumn leaves lying about and debris left from the tree work some weeks ago.
I tend to go at such things like a bull at a gate. Some hours later I emerged, filthy and exhausted, but it was worth it!
I have also finally completed the new big plot, the final touch being to top the paths with beautiful beech leaf mould from the garden at home.
I’ve also managed to get the onion sets planted: Rose de Roscoff and Snowball. The Faulds parsley seems to be coming back but not growing on so I suspect Mr Pigeon has been enjoying a treat. Not any more, thanks to my lovely glass cloches, washed today.
Not a bad haul for ‘the hungry gap’! But what a lot of mud…
It took me all day to remove a further infestation of willowherb from around the fruit cage. It’s a devil of a job as the little rosettes of green are underpinned by a dense network of tiny fibrous roots which also have to be dealt with. It was not ideal timing as the ground is still claggy from all the recent rain, but I wanted to plant some new bare root raspberries (Tulameen & Joan J) and a jostaberry so needed to clear the ground first.
Awkward work, and required some pretty agile activity around the gooseberry prickles – but all done now and I’ve instated a pathway through the area that should make it easier to pick the autumn raspberries which become a bit of a jungle. The standard gooseberry is doing fine, despite its rather unbecoming support system necessitated some years ago by its collapse due to a massive load of fruit.
My Christmas presents happily included the services of a tree surgeon to remove the overhanging tangle of trees, mostly goat willow overgrown with ivy. They have long overshadowed the shed end of the plot and meant the greenhouse was nearly always in shade and everything thick with drifting fluff from spring catkins. The council have kindly given permission to have these lopped, leaving the cuttings for wildlife habitat. Today was the day!
Here is the scene this morning, before and then after:
In the highest tree we found a squirrel’s drey, thankfully not yet occupied by young. So beautifully built, snug and dry inside.
My old wellington boots, much loved and at least 20 years old, had been leaking for some time, despite bicycle tyre repairs. They were standard old-fashioned Hunter Argylls so simple enough, you would think, to replace. Not if you have small feet! For some reason I cannot fathom, ‘they’ stopped making them in a size 4 some time ago. I searched for ages for a suitable replacement to no avail, reluctant to go for boots I liked less than my old ones (fussy about wellies? yes, I am :0) Eventually I had a brainwave and scoured the internet for traditional rural shops that might have some old stock hidden away and sent off many supplicatory emails. Bingo! A dear man called Neil at Totally Wellies in north Yorkshire came to my rescue and we’re back in business.
Raining as it has been for so long, wellies were certainly required for the annual delivery of compost, this year by a nice cheerful chap. Several more journeys up and down with my wheelbarrow will be needed but it should all be done this weekend.
As I was pondering how to fit in more planting this year, I realised that consolidating all the raised beds on one side into one large plot would not only create more growing space but also reduce the amount of path mowing. I’m very pleased and have been collecting lots of cardboard to put on the now redundant grass paths before mulching well – in true no-dig manner. It will make quite a difference and, I hope, avoid the unhappy dilemma of what to leave out.
Then before heading home, I felt rather smug to be able to harvest a good handful of salad leaves from the greenhouse for my lunch.
Huerto 
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