Did some tidying in Gemma’s garden this morning. It’s so dry that there’s hardly any green and we gave up on the veg patch weeks ago when the water butt dried.  She has two plum trees growing espalier style on a wire netting fence and the fruit has dried up and wizzened. They’re now prune trees! 

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Did some tidying in Gemma’s garden this morning. It’s so dry that there’s hardly any green and we gave up on the veg patch weeks ago when the water butt dried.  She has two plum trees growing espalier style on a wire netting fence and the fruit has dried up and wizzened. They’re now prune trees! 

Mowed the lawn today to take off any weeds that might be seeding and was surprised to get 3 loads for the green bin. Even more surprising was how green it looked afterwards - the grass has been growing. We could do with another "occasional soak" to give it a boost.

I wonder if your dried plums are tasty enough to make plum gin, Caz? Somehow I doubt it.

Roger

 

 

 

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Mowed the lawn today to take off any weeds that might be seeding and was surprised to get 3 loads for the green bin. Even more surprising was how green it looked afterwards - the grass has been growing. We could do with another "occasional soak" to give it a boost.

I wonder if your dried plums are tasty enough to make plum gin, Caz? Somehow I doubt it.

Roger

Yes, for the first time this summer, I mowed our lawn (and raspberry shoots) yesterday and I have to agree with you it has made it much greener!

No, I’ll give the prune gin a miss.  The plum tree in my garden is doing OK though as I’ve been watering the borders on a weekly basis, so I might just try making plum gin Roger!  Which reminds me, I made bramble brandy last year and the blackberries are ripe now too! 

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The lawn under the feeding station has been green the last few days. Due to germination of Niger Seed from the feeder for the goldfinches ..

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The lawn under the feeding station has been green the last few days. Due to germination of Niger Seed from the feeder for the goldfinches ..

 I have a five foot self set sunflower in the border under my bird feeder!  The flower has just opened and the bees love it and I’ll leave the seed head for the birds to enjoy!  

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On our return from jollies, I was pleased to see the garden is a riot of growth, colour and abundance. Dad looked after the house for us for the two weeks, and it's clear he's kept the pots watered.

We did ask him to harvest-as-it-grows but he hasn't, so runners have dried on the stem; but the peppers, chillies, tomatoes, courgettes, and butternut squash and all of Bess' flowers are doing beautifully. Top star- cucumbers; 5 big ones off the vine. Enjoyed 3 for lunch yesterday with the children.

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A rain day so no out with the watering cans.. Runner beans picked every day. Blanching and freezing for another day. Sugar snaps also picked daily. All tomatoes are green .. Will be going on the window sill soon. herbs are doing well. Mint picked every day for lemon and mint drinking water. Very refreshing.....

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Yay!  My chillis are turning red!  4 Apache chillis in a big pot outside in full sun and they’re laden with green fruits but just noticed some red one hiding underneath!  So I’ll be stringing some to dry and also freezing some.  I love chillis! 

We’ve been eating tumbling toms from the hanging baskets for a few weeks as they got a head start in the front porch.  My Alisa Craig toms are in tubs and are showing signs of ripening.  I had tomato seedling sprouting everywhere, (probably come from the compost bin again) so I transplanted some into tubs and they’ve already provided a few very tasty fruit with many more ripening. I think I’ll be making ketchup and of course, sauce to go with the chillis!   

My plums are ripening but our fruit bat daughter tried one today and didn’t pick any more - so they’re not ready!  

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The rain of today is good for the plans in tubs ,troughs and baskets. Ailsa Craig is still in the green . Hope for some color in them soon. "ELse they will all be used as fried green tomatoes.   

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My tallest sunflower is 7' 8" in old money. I'm sure that height could be dwarfed by others. The corn is very pleasing this year- grew a few plants last year and they did so well, I used half a bed for them this year. The weather has helped, of course.

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Garden is flush with tomatoes, on over 50 separate plants, all grown from seed, but only the hanging basket tomato fruits have ripened so far.

Runner beans are dying and I don't know why. We had a harvest yesterday, which we ate, but there are numerous unfertilized flower stems. I am not a runners expert by any means- help. Could it be the drought?

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Garden is flush with tomatoes, on over 50 separate plants, all grown from seed, but only the hanging basket tomato fruits have ripened so far.

Runner beans are dying and I don't know why. We had a harvest yesterday, which we ate, but there are numerous unfertilized flower stems. I am not a runners expert by any means- help. Could it be the drought?

That's a lot of plants, Bert! We only have a few and can barely cope with the output of that.

The Memsahib has been making and freezing tomato pulp.

The beans have been great but are well over now.

We are almost at the winding up stage. Lack of water could well have been the critical factor.

Several of that weird Boletus on the lawn - not edible I fear, a "cracking" species with an odd off-putting aroma.

The lawn has recovered and the place looks positively tidy!!!!

Roger

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That's a lot of plants, Bert! We only have a few and can barely cope with the output of that.

The Memsahib has been making and freezing tomato pulp.

The beans have been great but are well over now.

We are almost at the winding up stage. Lack of water could well have been the critical factor.

Several of that weird Boletus on the lawn - not edible I fear, a "cracking" species with an odd off-putting aroma.

The lawn has recovered and the place looks positively tidy!!!!

Roger

Seriously, Roger, I am finding it more tiring each year and yet...and yet I find myself growing more and more as increasing gifts from others include seeds- no strategic forethought for my ability to pot them all on etc- in the case of seed tomatoes, an average of 4 times per seed. Bess does the flowers (except the wildflowers & cornfield stuff- my dept.) and I do the veg. It's been a productive year, but these toms! At least we have the space. 

Went for a first ff today with the three youngest, into the New Forest; lots of Russula species, a few Boletes, but my favourite chanterelle sites were sterile. Try again next month.

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My hanging basket toms have been producing for a while and we’ve had ripe Alisa Craig since the weekend as well as transplanted self sets.  They’ve suddenly gone mad with dozens of tiny sweet ones, some plum toms and another larger variety.  I haven’t a clue what they are but they’re tasty!  

Gemma has instructions to pick them while we’re away and make sauce if she can’t eat them all.  

The fuchsias in my borders haven’t done too well and a few have died off, I suspect it’s been too hot and dry for them. Lobelia put on a nice show to start but has also died back now. Just as well geraniums suit long hot summers though as they’ve really done well and filled the gaps. 

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My hanging basket toms have been producing for a while and we’ve had ripe Alisa Craig since the weekend as well as transplanted self sets.  They’ve suddenly gone mad with dozens of tiny sweet ones, some plum toms and another larger variety.  I haven’t a clue what they are but they’re tasty!  

Gemma has instructions to pick them while we’re away and make sauce if she can’t eat them all.  

The fuchsias in my borders haven’t done too well and a few have died off, I suspect it’s been too hot and dry for them. Lobelia put on a nice show to start but has also died back now. Just as well geraniums suit long hot summers though as they’ve really done well and filled the gaps. 

Same Caz; lobelias have suffered especially in baskets but geraniums have done well.

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Same Caz; lobelias have suffered especially in baskets but geraniums have done well.

My lobelia tactics actually worked a treat this year!  I didn’t put any in my baskets because it always turns to straw just as everything else is at its best.  I did put some in the borders and it provided good ground cover and stopped moisture loss while everything else got going!  

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Back to lawnmowing - grass growing double fast to make up time!

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Back to lawnmowing - grass growing double fast to make up time!

yes- our grass looks surprisingly green. 

Two walnuts have fallen, ripe and ready. A month early and they are a little smaller than in a more balanced year.

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Back to lawnmowing - grass growing double fast to make up time!

Pain in the ass.

Roll on October.

The only new growth on all of my pathetic-looking runners is a few clumps of black aphids, ever-tended by the caresses of ants.

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