Butternut Squash update

A couple of days ago I dug up the squash plants. I had thought that they produced no fruit, but I discovered these, which had been growing in a depression in the soil. Golf ball for comparison.

I planted a Winter Cherry.

Crocus and Tulip bulbs planted

I planted some tulip and crocus bulbs in a container - pic above shows the bulbs before the final layer of compost.

Spinach and Spring Onion Update

I'm waiting for the first proper leaves to develop on the spinach seedlings before I plant them out. I'll probably plant the onions out at the same time.

Spinach and Spring Onion update

I put the Spinach and Spring Onion seedlings (sowed on 13 October) outside for a while today.

Spinach nearest the camera.

Spinach and Spring Onions sowed in containers.

There is no sign of the spinach I sowed in the garden on 22 September, so I decided to sow some in a container. I also container-sowed some spring onion seeds. I put the containers in the porch.

Spinach seed sown

I sowed some Spinach seed today.

Spinach and Spring Onion seeds

I bought some spinach and spring onion seeds to plant for spring harvesting.

Pelargonium cuttings taken

I took 60 pelargonium cuttings, 6 to each 4 inch pot.

I found a good instructional video...

Wet

It's no surprise to learn that this summer has been the wettest since 1912. The French Beans, tomatoes, morning glory, spring onions and potatoes have all been adversely affected in one way or other by the atrocious weather. The courgettes loved it, though.

First tomatoes of the year

Picked four toms from a Gardener's Delight plant.

More spuds harvested

I dug up two rows of spuds from the old tomato bed. These spuds are considerably bigger than those I dug up on 15 July.

Morning Glory update

All the Morning Glory from the second batch off seed got eaten. There have been a lot of slugs/snails this year due to all the rain. Maybe next year I'll plant them in containers rather than directly into the ground.

Courgette update

The courgettes have been cropping well - they probably liked all the rain.

French Beans and Squash update

The French Beans didn't do very well - on Gardeners' World they suggested this was due to the lack of sun in the early summer. I have had one batch of beans, which were nice.

One squash died due to the buffeting by wind and rain. The others are ok and at least one has flowered. I really need to clear the ground around the plants.

Tomatoes ripening

Some of the Gardeners Delight and Moneymaker toms are beginning to ripen.

I have pulled out 4 plants which appeared to be showing signs of tomato blight. I think all the plants I pulled out were Marmande, so maybe I won't bother with those next year.

Tomato blight again?

It's looking like some of the tomato plants are affected by blight. I'm reluctant to pull them up, although I know I really should. Maybe tomorrow.

More spuds planted

I dug up the remaining spuds from the old strawberry bed, then planted 2 more rows of spuds in addition to the row I planted on 23 July. The spuds I planted were again baby new potatoes from the supermarket, showing no signs of sprouting.

I put some netting over the top of the plastic mesh, to stop the sparrows using the bed for their dust baths.

Pelargonium update

Flowers are opening on one of the pelargoniums, they're forming on the others.

Houttuynia Cordata update

One pot of Houttuynia is still more advanced than the other - it's now flowering. Hope the other one will flower eventually.

More spuds planted

Today I planted a row of spuds in the space where I dug up the first of the April spuds a few days ago. The spuds I planted were ones I bought from the supermarket (just identified as baby new potatoes), and despite having left them around for a week or two, there is no sign of sprouting.

These were the spuds that I have had for a couple of weeks.
I also planted a couple more straight from a bag I bought at
the supermarket today.

Summer has arrived

Summer has arrived today after what seems like months of cool, wet and windy weather. The forecast is good for the next few days.

Tomato and Courgette updates

I have been harvesting courgettes for a couple of weeks. Tomatoes are starting to form on some of the plants.

First spuds of season harvested

I harvested one of the rows of spuds from the old strawberry bed, which I sowed on 07 April. A couple of the plants on this row had been battered and killed by the heavy rain and wind, and those provided only tiny spuds.

Wallflowers potted up

Wind damage

The highly unseasonal windy and rainy weather continues. A couple of the potato plants are ailing - I presume they have been battered by the wind.

Updates

In the last couple of days we've had a respite from the heavy rain which seems to have been falling since April. The hosepipe ban has now been lifted in view of the amount of rain we've had.

Heavy rain is forecast for tonight.

A couple of the plants in the first batch of spuds to be planted (on the left above) are flowering. On last week's Gardeners' World, Monty Don said you only need to water spuds while they're in flower.

Tomatoes and courgettes.

French beans

Squash (one of which has been damaged in the wind)

Lawn bed planted up

This year I bought some begonias and pelargoniums (sold as geraniums), as I couldn't get any phlox or asters to germinate. I also planted out rudbeckia, antirrhinum and cornflowers which I grew from seed.

French Beans planted out

These are from the seeds I sowed on 18 May.

Squash planted out

Wonder what type of fruit, if any, they'll produce?

Wallflower seed sown

Morning Glories planted out

The first batch died as I think it was too cold when I planted them out on 14 April. These plants are from the batch I sowed on 01 May.

Houttuynia Cordata update

It's strange that one pot of Houttuynia is more advanced than the other, since they both came out of the same pot I bought last year. One died back before the other last winter, as well. Anyway, I'm glad that the less advanced plant is showing more signs of life now.

Another attempt at onions

The spring onion seed I sowed earlier failed to come up, possibly due to it being the wettest April for 100 years. I sowed another batch today.

Courgettes planted out

Tomatoes planted out

A little later than usual this year due to the very cold, wet weather. Today is the first nice day this spring.

The plants nearest the camera are from the second sowing, so they're a bit smaller.