#blackberries

Six On Saturday: Harvesting

/ n20gardener / 14 Comments

I’ve been enjoying produce from the garden over the last few weeks. Early battles with slugs were fought and my use of home-made compost as a mulch resulted in a generous supply of verbena bonariensis and alchemilla mollis seedlings. So many that I now classify these as weeds at this end of the garden. The hose was out even though we had a few showers of rain and there is a forecast for scorchio temperatures for Sunday and Monday. In other news, I decided to leave twitter and I have migrated to Bluesky. I will keep the weekly post here going. Here’s my six for this week.

One

Here’s my lovely haul of beans, cucumbers and courgettes. I should also have added in the red onions and some lovely Charlotte potatoes. The cucumbers are grown outside and are delivering regularly. The red onions were a little better than other years but there where still some that did not achieve a good size.

Two

Blackberry picking has commenced, a kilo picked last week and shared with friends. This week’s pickings will also be shared as family are staying.

Three

This low growing mallow happily seeds itself around the garden and is left to do it’s thing.

Four

The hibiscus ‘Red Heart’ came to the garden in August last year and is doing well. I’m hoping it will reach the top of the garden wall by next year when it will, I hope, look magnificent!

Five

Last year I moved the white phlox out from under the apple tree. It was not getting enough moisture there. I now have several dotted around the garden and they have flowered well with the benefit of a little more light and space.

Six

Lastly, a new plant for this year. Helichrysum italicum, or the curry plant. The silvery grey leaves are very curry scented. I’ve always liked the little yellow flower heads and when the opportunity arose to give one a new home I jumped at it. I’m not sure if I can get it through the winter but we shall see. It’s in a pot so I can shelter it.

I’ll definitely be watering again this weekend. I’ll be hoping that the sunshine helps to ripen my outdoor tomatoes and I’ll be having another go at the weeds. I hope to get over to Jim’s to read some more SOS posts. Happy gardening to all.

Six On Saturday: Hanging on to Summer

/ n20gardener / 23 Comments

It’s a long weekend in the UK, the last weekend of August, the last weekend of Summer. What a thought! Here the roses are pushing out their second wave of flowers and look fantastic. I have neglected to share photos of the veg plot produce but it’s safe to say the courgettes are producing well. The cucumbers are still going and the Charlotte new potatoes were delicious. Last week I was muttering that the birds do not eat enough slugs. I looked into this and it seems that pigeons are vegetarians and that I need a crowd of blackbirds or starlings in the garden. Unfortunately I think the magpies keep them away. But magpies, I believe, are carnivorous. However, they seem to be attracted more to the grubs in the lawn. Oh well. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

We have been picking blackberries for a few weeks now and I have to say the taste has not been great this year. Perhaps too much rain and not enough sun.

Two

I don’t think I’ve ever posted this one before. Potentilla ‘Abbotswood’. I have a note that it was planted in 2019. It is in an inhospitable place in the front garden and has been slow to fill out. This year it is just beginning to beef up.

Three

Now these roses often get a look in. ‘Natasha Richardson’. They smell wonderful and are so generous with their flowering. Just perfect.

Four

The eurybia divaricata is in flower. It copes well with shade, so much so that I planted some self-seeders out in the shady dry corner of the front garden and they have survived the situation.

Five

I have roses to deadhead: Madame Isaac Pereire is a lovely colour with a wonderful scent but is in need of some tidying up today.

Six

Hurrah, another scented leaf pellie is in flower. Perhaps Summer can be extended for a few more weeks.

Just time for a quick update on the path project in the veg beds. A good discussion was had, the paths will be a mixture of Indian sandstone and clay pavers. In the newly paved area, there will be six beds of approx 1.2m x 2.8m. Which should be plenty for me. Now I have to be patient for my turn to come up for the work to start.

Don’t forget to stop by Jim’s garden for more Six On Saturday chat. Happy gardening everyone.

Six On Saturday: Time for a rethink

/ n20gardener / 17 Comments

Finally rain arrived.  Great for the garden, less good for other plans.  I’m having family over for lunch on Sunday, and rain is forecast all day.  Outdoor entertaining will have to come inside and someone will be cooking in the rain!  This week has been very hot. The plants in the garden are scorched, the veg plot is desiccated but I managed to find six things in the garden:.

One

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The lawn.  Quite an interesting view at the moment.  The crispy dry stripe is where, long ago, there was a path. The middle section is a mixture of green weeds and brown grass and the far corner is the part of the lawn that is always waterlogged through the winter.  There is local talk of underground streams but I think even these have dried up this summer.  The grass hasn’t been mown in months but a close look showed the creeping buttercup is, of course, creeping very nicely and the little acorns planted by squirrels are growing into mighty oaks.  The clover is mostly going to seed and providing food for the birds.  Such biodiversity.

Two

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The hydrangea in the front garden is usually uniformly pink but this year it is pink on the side that gets the sun and shades of pink, purple and blue on the less sunny side.  Curiously it is doing well in the heat.  The front garden is watered very sparingly – and this plant hasn’t been watered once.  I hope last night’s rain will keep it in good health.  It will probably die of shock.

Three

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The first ripened chilli in the greenhouse.  It’s a cayenne – looks pretty hot to me but apparently not a knock your socks off chilli.  Picked now and soon to be added to a tomato salsa.  The tomato crop is also ripening you can see a few ‘Golden Crown’ tomatoes in the background. Note for John K – I’m only up to four trusses.

Four

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The combination of tithonia and blackberries looks so autumnal to me.  There are lots of berries to pick and I haven’t watered these at all. Maybe they do have their roots down in an underground stream.  The tithonias have now made it to six feet and with the help of the magic water I think they may well make eight feet.

Five

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The shallots have been harvested. They were planted out in late November and again I didn’t water them so they are on the small side.  I have been so mean due to a  combination of lack of time and a short hose! Some of these are heading into a potato salad this weekend.

Six

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And finishing on a sort of ta-daa!  Work on the ‘ugly end of the garden’ project started. Temperatures were in the 30s and all was going well until the imminent thunderstorms meant the electrical equipment had to be packed away.  Now I  want the rain to stay away today so that the job can be finished.  Then I need to start planning again.  The beds get afternoon sun and I have asparagus on my wish list.  I’ve grown beans against the fence for two summers but I think it is too shady for a really successful crop.  More thinking to be done.

Who else is suffering and who is winning the rainfall lottery?  Those down under speak of cold winters.  Find out more by visiting The Propagator’s blog for this week’s links.