After a wet spell the sun is beaming down on us. The garden is responding with new flowers and fresh crisp salads to enjoy.
I’ve sown tender vegetables now that the risk of frost is almost over. I have squashes, courgettes and cucumbers growing into nice little seedlings in the greenhouse but I have bought runner bean plants to save myself a bit of work. Sad in a way because I have grown “Scarlet Emperor” for many years and always saved my own seed from them. However, I’m not getting any younger. I need to find ways to manage the garden. These will all be planted outside once they’re ready to cope with weather. Last year I grew two squash plants in the top of a compost bin. It worked well and the plants trailed down the side and lapped up the warmth from the bin. The cucumbers are outdoor ones and I allow them to sprawl on the ground.
My celeriac seedlings are growing their true leaves which have a pleasant celery scent. I will allow them to develop a bit before planting them in the tunnel for a winter crop. They only grow to a small size in my soil but that’s fine as we don’t need big ones. They’re always tasty and tender when cooked.
The “Roma” plants in the new greenhouse are growing well and have flowers so I’m hopeful there will be a good crop of delicious plum tomatoes later in the summer.
Glorious flowers are unfolding their satin petals as the sun shines down. The roses are just beginning to peep out from their dainty buds. “Golden Showers” has some bright blooms and “Paul’s Scarlet” is scrambling among the apple tree branches. “Sharifa Asma” has only one delicate pink flower yet but so fabulous and it’s scented.
Hardy geraniums in blue and magenta are blooming. Allium “Purple Sensation” is living up to its name and my perennial Iberis is white with a delicate tinge of mauve. I found a purple aquilegia which I’m thrilled with as they’re my favourite colour for these delightful flowers.
The Lupins are standing proud. One of my favourite plants and so welcome in the garden. They do attract large aphids but I just squash them. If I do it carefully they don’t return and the problem is over for the year. I don’t use any sprays in my garden. Everything is grown organically. I find it actually works well once a biodiversity is established so that most pests are dealt with by natural predators like ladybirds and beetles.
As I was working I could hear the bees humming in the Deutzia and Ceanothus. The Ceanothus is an old shrub and losing some of it’s vigour but still has a few lovely flowers. My snowberry, whose Latin name I can never remember, is covered in tiny bell flowers and later will bear beautiful white berries.
The gorgeous little Welsh poppies, Meconopsis cambrica, have either bright yellow flowers or glowing orange but I found a really nice bicoloured one.
A few others which please me as I look around the garden.
A purple sage had grown into a large bush. The leaves are beautiful but it had to be cut back from the path. I enjoy using the leaves in cooking. They taste the same as the classic green sage.
Sage and onion stuffing is so easy to make. I strip the leaves from the stems and rinse them, pat them dry then mix with dry bread and sliced onion. I whizz them in the food processor with salt and pepper then add a little water to moisten the bread. It bakes very well in the oven or the air-fryer for about twenty minutes on a medium heat but can be done in the microwave for a few minutes. Really delicious with pork or chicken or even with cheese and apple.
Here’s a painting I did a while ago. Some of my Eric Leaper pottery painted here with acrylics.
With you again in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the beginning of Summer with all the sunlight, flowers and birdsong. Bye for now.
Living a contented creative life. 