Well summer is here, according to the calendar at least !
All of the summer plants are now bedded in and hopefully stretching their wee roots and leaves out for the summer. The vegetable garden too is starting to come into its own. If you pop into the vegetable garden you will no doubt noticed the new pathways that have been put in during the spring. These were done with the help of our ever eager volunteers, including my son Michael, who got stuck in while down visiting from Scotland. The paths are mostly here to speed up access around the plot but they will also help with crop rotation.
This year we are growing our usual mixture of vegetables, soft fruit and flowers for cutting.
Our garlic collection which was planted with Lesley and Julia in November, is looking good for this year, but of course we will have to wait till July to see if things look as good as they seem! Once they have been allowed to dry out a bit, we hope to have garlics available for sale in early August. Although garlic may not do much for your social life, the garlics have proved very popular with our visitors here, with our stock selling out quite quickly. And it is a good revenue raiser for the gardens. If I am being really honest I really enjoy growing it. Garlic is up there with my pumpkins and Dahlias!
All the team will be carefully watching to see if last winter’s tree reduction work will create the big changes in the vegetable garden, that we are hoping for. The idea is that with increased amounts of light, we will have greater yields with the fruit and vegetables. And a higher quality of cut flowers too.
Meanwhile in another part of the garden, the conservatory is already looking fabby- do, with the walls inside looking splendid. And now the outside of the house along the terrace is getting a facelift too. With painting starting in a couple of weeks.
In the conservatory, Lesley has great plans for the coming season. Again she is growing melons, along with peppers, and for the first time here, kiwi fruits and cucamelons. What’s a cucamelon I hear you say, well you will have to pop in and ask Lesley won’t you !
So with all this fruit salad growing away perhaps summer is here after all!
Enjoy your garden.
