Vivi's Kitchen Garden

It is time to start harvesting the lavender – one of the most heavenly jobs to do in the garden……a time to go slowly and indulge in the moment. The herb bed was planted a little over a year ago and has done really well……most of the plants are happily established now……some of them too well so it’s time for a rethink and a rejig….

I’m always on the hunt for material to mulch with…….I have used up all the grass clippings I made from the communal mowing so it’s time to look elsewhere…..I head to the compost bins. I also make the most of a tiny bit of free soil space to sow some more seeds…..

After days of torrential rain and some hail…..plus some very strong winds it’s time to get back to the garden to assess and fix any damage…….a lot of my plot friends had the same idea. Did my bean arches survive?

As the summer crops come out of the ground I make the most of the space it creates to plant dozens of brassicas which will give me beautiful fresh food to compliment my stored produce over winter.

Never compost your pea pods again with this super simple soup recipe…..it really is a beautiful, light soup, perfect for the summer…..try it to believe it.

It’s that time of year when the harvests start to come in fast…..and when I need to harvest to make room for the next crops…..but new to me this year is harvesting the lentils…….how will I get on with them?

At the beginning of August the garden is looking at it’s most lush with new veggies popping up all over.

A warm sunny day is the perfect time to lift my onion harvest. It also gives me a chance to see how well the deep mulch has worked at looking after my soil.

It has been another hectic month with lots of time out for family and friends……which has meant a bit more pressure on my time but it’s all do-able which makes me think I have a good balance.

Following a week of scorching temperatures we finally had 24 hours of rain and a break from the hot, stale air…..the kitchen garden has had a bit of a growth spurt which means the vining beds need some attention….and the first harvest.