The summer solstice is one of my favourite days of the year…….so I made sure I was free to enjoy the first sunshine of the day with some time in the garden…….pottering and simply being, taking time to appreciate my little quiet haven and reflect on happy memories.
As soon as one crop finishes I can make space to put another one in…….today it was time to get the gorgeous Coco de Paimpol beans planted out. They are one of the harvests I most look forward to each year so it feels great to get them in the soil…..even on a scorching hot day………watering is beginning to take up the majority of the time spent in the garden……
With elderflowers in abundance in our hedgerows at the moment and having a fondness for drinks with bubbles in them I decided it was time to have a go at making my own ‘champagne’. It could not be more simple………waiting to drink it will be the difficult part.
Another good session in the garden allowed me to get the last of the plants and seeds thrown into the soil. It has certainly been a tricky year so far so I feel like I have nothing to lose by just getting things in…….and now I can relax a bit and enjoy some tinker-time amongst the greenery.
After so many fails this year already I decided it was time to get on with things other than the garden so I’m spending a few days chucking seed and plants into the soil and letting them decide whether or not they want to grow. At this stage I feel like there’s nothing to lose……and possibly a few veg to gain…….and I am simply enjoying the garden again for the peace and tranquility rather than worrying about the food…..
As a vegetable grower it is rare that I get any kind of instant gratification from the kitchen garden…….potting up my geraniums grown from seed last year and over-wintered at home gave me a bit of that….it is lovely to see an instant splash of colour and healthy growth.
June is suddenly here……….the garden is still a little behind compared with previous years but it is finally starting to grow a little. Despite all the recent failures I feel optimistic about the plants the are growing……and loving every minute I get to spend in my special place. I always have a little cat shaped shadow as I potter about amongst the green stuff……..
I had plans for planting up and sowing in the ‘cathedral’ bed……..I checked the weather forecast (checked it twice) and off I trotted to the garden……….
On another scorching day I make a start on planting up the vine bed. Donated ‘spares’ of tomatoes have saved the day plus the squash, cuces and peppers which were all started indoors weeks ago……….it finally feels like the garden is taking shape. A huge thank you to all my plot friends who gave me their spare tomato plants – the girls came good!
The first harvest is in! It’s always such an exciting time to lift the first harvest of the new season……today it was the garlic and boy-oh-boy did it smell good as I was lifting it. It was also a day for getting the last structure up and a final bit of bed prep……..and my fork prong found some buried treasure…..
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