The Beauty of Nature

I also checked on the growth of the cabbages I planted a while back. As you can see they have variable growth, but they are growing. The netting seems to have saved them from the same fate as the sprouts. Which leads me to think it probably was birds that ate the sprouts. Hopefully my new method of staggering the stakes and tape will work.

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You can also see the onions I planted. They are doing well which is good as I do like a good onion in my food.

At the weekend I also checked the growth of the early potatoes I put in. After filming this I built them up some more.

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I’m not very happy at the moment. My sprouts are not doing very well. Quite apart from the variable weather causing havoc with their growth, they have been lunch for the pests. In this case either slugs or pigeons.

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As you can see there is not a lot left. However, on the bright side, there is some green shoots in the middle of the eaten leaves, so we might get some sprouts later on, if we are lucky.

I had put up some tape to ward off the birds, but in case it isn’t working I was advised to move the stakes holding the tape into a zig-zag pattern along the line. This way the birds can’t crane their necks in and nibble. I would net them, but I don’t have enough of it to go round this year. Maybe if I ‘mug’ a fisherman?

Today I checked on the strawberries and netted them. They seem to be growing well and there is quite a lot of fruit on them.

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I nipped off the trailing shoots as well. This stops the plant from getting too focused on sharing its growth with a ‘sibling’. With this done it will focus on growing its fruit and making them juicy and big.

I have put mulch mats round them to soften the ground for the fruit. You can use straw – this also reflects the heat – which helps to grow the fruit. I don’t have access to any fruit at the moment, but will be getting some shortly.

Well, although it has been raining a lot of late, it has not done the early potatoes I put in, any harm. They are starting to push their way through as you can see in the picture below

I built them up on Sunday, just before heavens opened and I had to retreat home.

Looking good though.

These are the same potatoes on the 25th May, 2007.

My garden is looking good at the moment. there are some great plants coming out. I decided to share them with you in the pictures below (click on them to enlarge).

A clematis:

A hosta:

A lilly:

A lilly:

A foxglove:

A catoneaster:

An azalia:

It’s mostly raining today and I have been caught in a few showers.

I’m trying to mow the grass before I go away for a few days, but the rain seems to seek me out and the heavy downpours are making it difficult going. I have had to stop four times so far.

Oh well, hopefully I will get it done soon. Then I am going to sow some more seeds.

This morning I weeded the plot and will do some more on it tomorrow.

Must get on, the rain has stopped so I want to have a go at the grass before the heavens open again.

I had to borrow another plot holders hosepipe yesterday to fill my water butt.

As you can see I got soaked due to the hosepipe having holes in it. I think I watered myself more than the butt.

I finally decided to plant out the Asters yesterday, but I am not sure that anything will survive in this wind.

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Once I had planted them, I watered them in. You should always water plants you have just put in to give them the chance to bed properly.

I’m also not sure if the slugs like Asters. There are plenty up there – I must be feeding them.

Still I will put some slug pellets down and see.

You know those courgettes and pumpkins I put out last week? Well, they have not been doing too well in the wind.

From the video below you can see the windburn has got to them. I think I will reset the pumpkins as they are a lost cause, but the courgettes have faired better so I will give them time and see if they recover.

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I’m glad I grew at least two of each this time, not that it helped the pumpkins. I will stagger the planting next time just in case. But you can bet that next year the weather will be totally different again and I will encounter yet another, but different, problem.

Oh well, that’s the fun of gardening.