Pond Life



Now that's what I call A Pond!



Re-jigged the pond area, moving a couple of Iris clogged bins to a clearer spot away from pear tree; and dropping the Iris (yellow flag) back into the holes - should be enough moisture for them to survive.

Three toads didn't like the move much and after peeking out of their new home, legged it in every direction.  Sure once the waters settle they will be back and enjoying their new sunnier spot.

Pulled the Irises filling half the main pond out in one chunk - and after checking for life - buried behind two new ponds.

Bit more planting with Kale, Cabbage, Savoy and Broccoli all now in - Cauli's to follow in a week or so.

Weeded onions - suspect fluctuating weather will again play havoc as not many bulbs forming and some wide necks.  Garlic looking strong from late planting.

After the birds got all the first two batches of carrots, another lot planted out - under a net.

Birds already raiding redcurrants so roughly draped a net over even though only a handful going pinkish.

Cherries sweet enough to eat but not quite ready yet.

Autumn

Brief late afternoon visit after weeks of neglect - surprisingly busy on the site, with quite a few around getting in last minute jobs before it gets too cold.

Still not planted garlic and getting a bit late unless we get a mild spell - or I cloche them to get them going (but plastic does not survive well in winter).  Corn never quite made it and a few frosts have seen them off - will have to plant earlier next year.

Cut down the remaining sunflower heads to extract seeds and cropped more (gigantic) sprouts, cabbage, sweded, beetroot and salad leaves.

Remaining pears had mostly been blown off trees but still good to eat and very juicy - mainly from Conference tree.

Weed!

After probably the wettest week for months, weeds have gone crazy... and a sign posted on board says judging is next week!!! Even worse weather forecast for tomorrow includes strong winds.

Spent a few hours weeding and tidying up before replanning layout key so that F bed is now A and E is B, etc...

Cropped remainder of mustards from brassica bed to allow space for kale nero and more mustards and radish. Interplanted autumn cabbage between turnips.

Strawberries cropping large and well, along with another lettuce and a few more new potatoes for tea!

Here come the slugs again

Daffodils and Tulips going strong...

After nearly a hot sunny day today (actually a hazy day with an cool east wind nothing like what the met office predicted again) , the forecast for what it's worth is for showers and warm nights so expecting a slug population explosion.

Saturday
Sown peas and carrots in pots outdoors, plus full trays of cabbage(hispi) and kale (nero di toscana) and half trays of parsnip (white gem), leek (carantan), celeriac (monarch) and some aubretia. Scattered a few old watercress seeds into ponds.

Friday
Sowed packet (100+) of peas in attic.

It can't rain all the time

A day of wildlife...

Cropped about a quarter of the charlotte potatoes, not too much damage but a couple had gone yellow and few more starting, so will have to get rest out soon.

Also cabbage, cauliflowers, a couple of huge courgettes, beetroot, peas and broad beans.

Here comes the rain again

Not much going on with all the wet weather, but Saturday's respite allowed the late redcurrants, gooseberries and the remaining jersey potatoes to be cropped before slugs, wireworms, etc cause too much damage. Couple of the Charlotte's had gone yellow and wilted, but didn't have time to dig up so hopefully nothing that will spread too quick.

Carrots have been decimated - carrot root fly the most likely culprit, as we didn't put nets up around them this year.

Early peas deliciously ready with 2nd batch not far off. Yesterday's haul also included lettuce, cabbage and caulis.

Blueberries just starting to ripen, so will have to get nets over next visit before the birds spot them.


Last week, in between heavy showers, managed to get all the blackcurrants picked, exactly 5 pounds (after a pound or so were bartered away in the pub!) - washed and frozen pending next jam making session.

Speaking of the weather, I was highly sceptical in Spring - (primarily because the general conditions were the same as the previous couple of years suggesting a similar North Atlantic Oscillation situation, but also because of the exceptional sunspot shortage) - when the Met Office predicted a much hotter drier summer this year and sadly it has turned out much worse than last year, and almost as bad as the year before.

Today, I am mainly eating Red

Quick visit to crop the early and middle redcurrants - with late bush fruits just starting to turn redish now. Net had blown off so birds got a bonus feed and estimate they had at least half from first two bushes.
Also got the first courgette of the year, a handful of strawberries and raspberries and another cauliflower.

One of the sprouts has a lot of grey fluffy bugs and is a bit eaten, doubt it will recover?
Nipped a couple of green catapillars off a cabbage along with a few sporadic eggs, so may have to start checking all brassica leaves again.

Catching Up

June was a warm month and everything has been growing well so now seems an appropriate time to review where everything is at.

Bed A1 (Alliums)
- 2 salsify (2008) grown on for seed - has beautiful seed heads (hundreds collected already)
- Parsley (2008) also grown on - still edible if a little tougher
- 6 clumps of red spring onions
- Leeks, still very small so it may be baby leeks for Christmas dinner.
Bed A2
- Around 60 Stutgarter white onions
- 2 surviving garlic (2008)
- patch of sunflowers (giant russian)
- side row of Little Gem Lettuce

Bed B1 (Legumes)
- Broad Beans (had first early crop for tea last night)
- patch of sunflowers (giant russian)
- row of leeks (2008) - bit tough to eat but fine for flavouring stocks and hopefully will flower for seed
Bed B2
- Peas
- Dwarf French Beans
- Sweet peas for a splash of late colour and food for bees

Bed C1 (Brassicas)
- Khol Rabi - now swelling fast, still no idea what they taste like or what to do with them! Originally intercropped with oriental mustards for salads but now all eaten.
- Swedes (originally intercropped with radish, now eaten)
- Turnips (originally intercropped with radish, now eaten)
- Summer/Autumn Cabbage (with 1 last spring cabbage remaining)
Bed C2
- Brussel Sprouts (intercropped with summer cabbage)
- Red Cabbage (intercropped as above, and 1 savoy)
- Cauliflowers (eaten half so far, and intercropped with radish)
Bed F1
- radish
- oriental mustards
- little gem lettuce
these will all be eaten over the summer to leave just:
- broccoli
- kale nero

Bed D1 (Roots)
- Carrots
- Beetroot
Bed D2
- Charlotte 2nd early potatoes (first taste laste week!)
Bed E1
- Jersey Royal 1st early (about half plants eaten so far and absolutely delicious)

Bed E2

Sweetcorn (growing strongly, but not quite so good as last year as July has been so much cooler)
- a border of dwarf sunflowers on 3 sides
- side row of Little Gem lettuce (under a cloche to keep tender)