October

I wrote last month that the beans were nearly finished, that wasn't true, I continue to have beans, I have eaten some and managed to freeze another bag. My peppers continue to do well as do the tomatoes and courgettes.
I have picked quite a few parasol mushrooms, they grew without any rain, but it has rained for the last couple of days so I will start looking for field mushrooms. It has been a good season for almost everything, only the onions were a disappointment and I reckon that that was my fault, next year I will drench them regularly.
I am now clearing some of my top plot that I didn't clear properly originally, I cleared a bit and then hid it behind a 'plum' hedge, this time it will be done properly. I am also going to clear some of the surrounding area as I am fed up of being attacked by ferns and brambles from the surrounding plots.
My garden looks great, it has really flourished this year and looks very green and colourful.


The back of my orchard, now clear of nettles and brambles



September

What a difference a year makes, I have just read what I wrote last year but none of it applies this year. Everyone has harvested everything much earlier.
We have just had 2 days of something called, I think, 'cyclonogenesis'. 2 days of heavy rain and winds, but now the weather is warming up again. I have no lettuces left this year, on the whole my lettuce have behaved very badly but I did have some, enough to provide salads through June and July.
The tomatoes have been great, nearly all have already ripened and I have managed to freeze plenty. I think I have probably just picked the last of the beans and I have plenty in the freezer. Both trees had apples, I have loads of pears and the raspberries are producing a few regularly.
This years courgette has been really good, it has produced consistently without absolutely overwhelming me, it is so hit and miss when buying a courgette plant. My veg are all looking healthy and I will probably be able to harvest tomatoes, peppers and courgettes for a few weeks more and my leeks are growing steadily, ready for the winter.

August

2nd August
Everything is early this year. The plums are already ripe, as are the blackberries. With a bit of luck I will manage to pick all my plums before my neighbour realises they are ripe!
I have had my first tomato though it is the only one to have turned red yet, and everything else is flourishing. My freezer is almost full. A good year :)
16th August
It feels like autumn! After months of very hot weather and no rain it rained all day on Thursday and remains cloudy. The pears seem to be ripening and are falling off the trees
I managed to eat all my plums, in any case the plum thief left last week, I still have neighbours but I don't dislike them so they are no bother.
I have picked nearly all my beans, the mange-tout have nearly finished, even the second sowing is not really producing. The tomatoes are now ripening well, the peppers are good this year. The leeks are growing but the cabbage don't seem to have taken. In general it has been, and still is, a good season. 

July

7th July
It really is salad time! Some of my earlier sowings have produced, plus I bought 3 lettuce in the market but my nth sowing is just producing so I should have salads for the rest of summer. There are lots of flowers on my tomatoes, plus my first green tomatoes. The peppers are doing well and I have 'Mange-tout'.
My onions are pathetic again and they are drying off so they will get no bigger. I thought I watered more this year but I think I only watered the top soil, next year I must soak the ground more often.
The potatoes are really good, I still have gooseberries, the raspberries have almost finished now but I have had loads. The cherry season has been poor but there are a few plums and the pears and apples look promising.
I continue to learn, but, for a non-gardener, I think I don't do too badly. This year is hard as we have had so little rain and there have been some very hot times.

June

8th June
This Spring has been very warm and there has been very little rain so everything needs watering all the time.
My vegetables have been fairly unproductive so far, the carrots have done nothing, I won't try again, the second sowing of leeks has done nothing either, usually they do well; the second sowing of beans has produced 1 shoot so far. The last sowing of lettuce has produced a couple of plants and I have sown again, I have had a couple of salads now. the strawberries are doing well and the raspberries have produced the first ripe fruit today, the cherries will not be far behind and I have had gooseberries for a couple of weeks now, so all in all things are doing well. I will sow more leeks and probably buy some plants as they are useful in winter.

19th June
It is nearly summer. Finally I have leeks and beans sprouting. The tomatoes have their first flowers, the peppers are flowering, and I have a couple of small courgettes that, for some reason, seem to want to stay as small courgettes! The 'mange-tout' are growing well, so hopefully I will have some to eat soon. I have had my first potatoes, to eat with my lettuce, and I have plenty of fruit.
The weather continues to be warm, last week got a bit cooler but, apparently this has been the hottest Spring since the 19th Century, everything needs watering every day

May

So, it's 15th May, that magical day after which there should not be a frost! Everything is now in. I have sown carrots and lettuce for the 3rd time, no sign of germination, so sowing early was not such a good idea, on the other hand the Spring onions did germinate so I got that right. I have bought 3 lettuce plants and put them in today so I will have some lettuce and hopefully the last lot will do OK.

A beautiful lizard

 

March 2015

Time to start again. The winter has been variable, although it has rained and snowed we have also had some dry, sunny days.  I have been away again and I sowed some carrot seeds before I went. I think I let the ground get too dry usually so I thought it would be good to sow whilst it was still sure to rain, unfortunately it has hardly rained, it has been cold with very cold winds so I don't know if it was such a good idea, now I must remember to water regularly.
Today I have sown lettuce and Spring onions, I think I left it too late last year. I have also planted the onions sets.
I have sown tomatoes indoors and they are doing well.