Am having a bit of a slow day today. Is it maybe related to the time of year? August is a month of relaxing holidays, balmy evenings and that niggling almost back-to-school feeling that summer is slipping through one’s fingers. Something about all of these things begets slowness. Luckily, from a gardening perspective, there’s still plenty going on with the veg harvests coming in thick … Continue reading August harvests and sowings (Six on Saturday)
It looks like this is going to go down as one of the driest summers in Europe – so far, I say with trepidation. Despite the lack of rain, the allotment harvests have been incredible. I can hardly keep up with processing all this food in the kitchen. It’s hard work, of the old-fashioned sort, but I haven’t had to go out and buy fruit … Continue reading Vegtastic Six on Saturday
The whoosh is what the plants are doing now after a few days of much, much appreciated rain. They are growing like the clappers, everything is fresh, the ground is soft, the colour green is dominant, pure and zingy, it’s all rather thrilling (after some rather shocking snow on April fool’s day, we hope that’s over and done with). There’s lots to do now: more … Continue reading Whoosh! Six on Saturday 09 Apr 22
The garden’s had a good drink, as it’s rained quite heavily over the last few days, and it looks much refreshed for it. The risk of frost is almost certainly past now, so there’s planting out to do. Larkspur and Coreopsis seedlings have gone out, sweet peppers have been potted up into big pots, and I’ve planted Calabrese broccoli in the veg patch, plus the … Continue reading Six on Saturday: 15 June 2021: busy as a bee
Mid January. At this time of year, I often feel like a participant in the Chinese communists’ famous 6,000 mile trek, the long march to freedom of the 1930’s, except that instead of the emergence of Chairman Mao as undisputed party leader, it’s the emergence of spring that we are marching towards (and perhaps freedom from the tyranny of Covid-19!). So let’s keep marching folks, … Continue reading Six on Saturday: 16 Jan 2021: let there be light!
This morning we woke up to the first frost of the year: a welcome change. All week, we’d had grey skies, cold and gloom, and in those circumstances what choice is there but to wait, to sit the month out? I’m waiting to sow all those seeds I mentioned last week, oh and a few more that just arrived in the post as an early birthday present for me. For my birthday tomorrow, my son promises to make me a chocolate cake (he has just recently learnt how).
Continue reading “Six on Saturday: Waiting: 09 Jan 2021”Bring some elven magic into your garden with borage (Borago officinalis, also known as Starflower). It seems to have walked right out of one of the flower fairy books I had as a child, with its bright blue star-shaped blooms perfectly displayed in a silvery haze of hirsute nodding flower heads. When you get up close, it really does look otherworldly, but even from afar … Continue reading Borage: bread for bees
