Flighty's plot

In view of the mostly dry and warm weather we’ve had over the past couple of months I won’t be surprised if the size and yield of the potatoes is smaller than usual.  However I’ll be satisfied if they’re as good as these few first earlies Pentland Javelin I lifted yesterday to eat today.

The climbing beans, mostly runners (variety not known) and a few French Algarve, are doing really well with plants growing up all twelve canes.  I even had a few spares so I put more canes up and replanted them.  I wish that I could say the same about the dwarf French beans Nassau and Sprite both of which have erratic and slow to germinate then grow. That’s despite sowing several lots and resowing in the gaps but I should eventually end up with enough.

Although I didn’t sow any Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) this year a lot have appeared, which I certainly don’t mind.  They’re nearly all blue flowers with some white ones, but none pink or rose which always have been rather elusive.

Have a good week, and take care!

on the plot this morning just some necessary watering, and I didn’t do any dead-heading or weeding.  I had a leisurely look all round, and given the dry, warm weather we’ve had I’m generally satisfied as we head into July and towards mid-summer.

I couldn’t resist lifting two good sized first early Pentland Javelin potatoes for dinner today. I will lift more as I need them, just a couple of days a week initially until I’ve finished the shop bought ones I’ve still got to use.

It’s a lazy post as well  being somewhat shorter than usual, and only one picture, a rose Pretty Lady.

Have a good week, and take care!

I’ve had a good week on the plot in the cooler weather although the one job that I was going to do, dead-heading the rose Pretty Lady, hasn’t progressed very far.

I hand weeded through the onions and removed the dead leaves.  They are now beginning to bulk up but given the weather so far this year I think that many will be nearer the size of a golf ball rather than  a tennis ball.  The runner beans are doing well with most of the seeds I sowed recently having germinated and appeared.  The two plants which have already reached the tops of the canes, and been pinched out, are starting to form flowers.

These Candytuft Fairy Mixed flowers are attracting plenty of bees and butterflies.

It’s damp and dull here this morning following some much needed overnight rain.

Take care, and have a good weekend!

 

(Regular readers will know that I post here every Thursday and Sunday but don’t be surprised if none appear at some point over the next couple of weeks as I’m changing internet providers.  Hopefully it will all go okay and there won’t be any problems.)

I’m pleased to have seen various butterflies, including Small Skippers and Large Whites, on the lavender flowers over the past few days as prior to that I’d only seen a few so far this year.

I’ve had these lavender plants almost as long as I’ve had the plot and they now perhaps need replacing, so maybe next year I’ll do that.

 

The backberry bush is covered with flowers, and buzzing with bees, which hopefully means that there’ll be a bumper crop of berries later in the year.

It’s been a warm weekend and this morning I was on the plot by about 7 am. I watered where needed then picked some strawberries before coming home a couple of hours later when it was already in the low 20’s C, and set to reach 30 C later.  Thankfully tomorrow and through next week will see temperatures dropping to around 20 C.

Have a good week, and take care!

the last of the vegetable seeds for this year comprising beans, climbing and dwarf, another short double row of carrots Short n Sweet and some more sweet corn Golden Bantam.

Some of the climbing beans I sowed some weeks ago are heading for the tops of the canes, and the first lot of sweet corn is also doing well.

I mentioned recently that I’d only got one poached egg plant, but I was pleased to see that a few more have since appeared,  including one of the white flowering ones Meringue. I’ll leave them all to self-seed as they’re usually quite prolific.

The collomia grandiflora (seen right) have also finished flowering and I’ll leave them to self-seed as well.

Most of the roses Pretty Lady have now shed their petals so I’ll spending a few days dead-heading them.

Have a good weekend, and take care!

It’s always good to hear about pot marigolds Flighty’s Favourites friends have grown from seeds I’ve sent them over the years.  Last Monday I received an email from Liz in Lexington, Kentucky showing her prize winning flower which she showed last weekend and the awarded blue ribbon.

There are now plenty of pot marigolds on the flower patch to enjoy.  These yellow ones are next to the rhubarb at the top of the plot. I’m pleased to see that the dwarf cosmos in cosmos corner are starting to flower including this delightful pink and white one.

Recently I noticed this plant growing on the plot which I didn’t recognise and I hadn’t planted or sown.  It has ferny foliage and small daisy like white and yellow flowers.

I identified it as Corn Chamomile (Anthemis arvensis), an annual wildflower which grows to 12 in/3o cm. As seeds are available I’ll be buying some to grow next year.

 

On Friday I watered all round, and yesterday I cut the comfrey back to ground level then added it to the compost heap.

There’s still been no rain but it’s dull this morning with some heavy showers due later.

Have a good week, and take care!

has arrived with the temperature set to reach 30 C/85 F  later today, and  for the first time in ages there’s no cooling wind.  I went to the plot early today, around  7 am, and pottered for a couple of hours before coming home for a welcome cup of tea.

Earlier in the week I planted out three tomatoes,  two being Golden Sunrise and the other one either the same or possibly a Gardener’s Delight.  I was intending to grow five plants but didn’t, then forgot to go to the horticultural society’s plant sale where I could have bought a couple of plants.  Never mind if these fruit well they should suffice.

The white spots all over the ground are fallen rose petals.  I’m collecting a bucket full a day which I’m adding to the compost heap.  It looks like I’ll be doing that for a while as both roses are still covered in flowers.

It looks like staying warm, above 25 C/77 F, all week. The only likelihood of rain being a thunderstorm later today or tomorrow.

Have a good week, and take care!