It's not been a good start to the Summer months, the weather is really mixed up and I know that a lot of you in other countries are experiencing the same sort of thing. It turned so cold one day this week that I gave in and turned the heating on for a couple of hours, very unlike me to be that cold.
The garden is confused too, plants that shot up quickly in May when we had a rainy spell followed by sunshine, now seem to have come to a stand still. I think I've lost my cucumber plants and my pepper plants have hardly grown at all. The tomato and courgette plants seem to be doing ok, although they are smaller than I thought they would be by now and I'm not sure my peas are doing so well, there are flowers and even a few pods but the leaves are turning yellow, no idea if this is normal or not.
The potatoes look to be doing alright, although the leaves still look green and healthy so are not ready yet
Strawberries have been very good, I've not had more than two or three at a time, but that's ok, there are still plenty to come.
Plants in an around my wildlife pond are growing well but there is a sorry tale to tell. Although I have been checking to see if we have a frog I hadn't seen one, then, last Wednesday me and Jacob were sitting in the conservatory having breakfast and watching the comings and goings of the birds on the feeders when Mr crow came, he comes every morning for something to eat and drink and I never thought anything of it when he hopped over to the pond and sat on the edge, next thing I saw was him dropping a frog on the grass! Before I could get out there he picked the poor frog up and carried it off. I know it's nature, but I felt so sorry for the little frog that I didn't even know was there.
I had to stake the foxgloves because of the wind and rain, they are almost over now, does anyone know what I do with them once they finish flowering?
I sowed lots of lupin seeds but they just weren't big enough to plant out this year. I've potted them up into larger pots and hopefully they will survive for next year. This in one of a few I planted last year and they have done well.
I have had one surprising success this year. I accidently broke some some pieces when I was deadheading my hydrangea this Spring so I just stuck them in some compost, never really thinking they would take as I'd tried it before and nothing came of them. But this time all five are doing really well.
Not sure when I should plant them on their own, I'm assuming I should leave them for this year and pot them in their own pots or in the garden next Spring. If you know please leave a comment.
Hopefully the weather will start to settle down a bit in the next couple of weeks. We have plans to re-vamp the summer house, I say we, I really mean me, but Mark will be doing the work 😁 He has already made a start by fixing the doors and putting new perspex in them, the rest of the work will have to be done as and when he has time at the weekends, at the moment he is laying a patio for Stevie and Darren on his days off. There's no rest for the wicked😂
Have a good weekend
-X-
9 comments:
What a beautiful garden you have Maggie. It must take a lot of time to keep looking so pretty.
Your garden is lovely, the weather us playing havoc with so many plants, some things are thriving most are not. Marlene, Poppypatchwork
Your garden looks beautiful. I normally leave my foxgloves to die off and hope they drop some 'babies' and you get little plantlets popping up, well I seem too. Then I cut back and any plants that pop up I transplant elsewhere. Have a good weekend - its raining here AGAIN! Gill Xx
We wanted rain but we've had enough today for a while! Lovely garden Maggie.
Yes June, so far, has seen a mix of weather hasn't it.
Your garden does look very nice in your photographs, although a shame to read about the frogs, but as you say it is nature.
Enjoy your weekend.
All the best Jan
The weather was the same as here, rain and sunshine made the plants sprout quickly, what is missing now is a bit of warmth.
We have already been able to harvest a few strawberries, but they are small. But very sweet.
With the cuttings you can try to grow some in a bucket and some in the garden, if they have good roots and are put in the garden in the autumn, they can still grow well before winter. Good luck.
Have a nice weekend,
Martina
Yes, we find we've jobs in three houses rather than one now the kids have left home, haha. Your garden is looking fabulous, though there'll definitely be some things which do better than others with the weather we've had this year. Awww, the poor froggie, nature is so cruel. I didn't realise that a crow would take a frog. I planted a lupin last year, it's done brilliantly this year so I've planted out another couple. The new ones haven't done much yet, we may have to wait till next year for them to put on a show. Glad your strawberries have done well, I haven't had any off mine yet but there's lots of fruit ripening.
What a mixed bag of weather we have had so far this year. I think even the plants don't know what they are supposed to be doing. My courgette and tomato plants are all smaller than they were this time last year.
Poor little frog. I hope you get more frogs moving in to make a home in your wildlife pond and they find a spot to hide from the crow.
I'm usually quite slow deadheading my foxgloves so they tend to seed themselves freely all over the garden. I then lift them and replant them where I want them.
Well done with the hydrangea cuttings. It's always worth giving it a go to get free plants. Happy gardening :-)
You have a lovely and inviting garden. Not sure when you should plant those hydrangeas but boy are you every lucky in getting the bits to grow.
God bless.
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