Kitchen Garden Forum

Not often OH is slower than me on his timely seasonal threads, but can I beat him to the post this morning to kick off this early summer one. Lovely sunshine here, and only about 21 days to the longest day!

Warm but cloudy here rain forecast later, might go to the cliffs to see the Peregrines and the Puffins if it's dry.

Glorious day here so far. Going to Tynham lost village later on. http://www.tynehamopc.org.uk

I think OH's posts are rather akin to hearing the first cuckoo, or the leaves dropping off the trees. They are a sign of seasonal change that one uses as a benchmark and looks forward to.

Too damn warm to be up the plot.
went up just before 10am, Temp rose on north facing side of shed to 23 degrees. Gave up at 11.45 & returned home have planted a few bits and pieces.

In the ongoing bean non. germination farce here I,ve sown a few direct into the soil now it's warming up in the hope that a different environment will encourage the little perishers to go forth and multiply but as they're all from the same packet I may just have a duff batch.

Having had little success with Cobra French bean we sowed 24 Velvet Podded and all bar 3 came up. we then went out and purchased 24 Blue Lake This in turn must have upset the Cobra as 8 decided to sprout. I therefore had to put up a wigwam to accommodate the Cobra.

No question now that our failures on germination is down to not keeping the surface moist, not soaking just moist.
In three places I have kept half a patch constantly moist and half less so, with it drying out some days.

The difference proves the point for us I think.

Importance is, soil just moist not soaking

Everything eventually has germinated except for some chillies(I will try again and see if I can over winter them), only loss so far is a Melon in the greenhouse border.

Another lovely sunny day here BUT we desperately need the rain. The May total was just 35mm, following 20mm in April, so, after a relatively dry winter, we have had just 55mm = just over 2 inches of rain for more than two months which is not good at this time of the year.

Most of the beds are now planted up on the allotment - the dwarf beans and courgettes went in yesterday, all well puddled in and hoping for the rains to come ......

Managed a bit more than you in May at 51mm. What surprised me was my solar was slightly down on last May, 794 vs. 798, I thought it would be more.
Everything planted here too, about 4 square yards left for later odds and ends and space for 6 Calabrese and 6 Cauliflowers still in modules then a late experiment of 6 more Calabrese all outside. Eating Calabrese from the cold greenhouse with Cauliflowers and Cabbage almost ready in there. Mangetout, Courgettes and Onions from the tunnel, only 4 of 10 roots of early Potatoes left wondering if the Charlotte outside will be ready in time, Cobra beans setting nicely.
Trying to knock the neglected flower garden back into shape!

Geoff wrote:Trying to knock the neglected flower garden back into shape!

Yes, there's so much to do with all the veg at this time of year that the flowers tend to take a back seat.

I have so many foxgloves in flower at the moment that the eye tends to look upwards at all the blooms thankfully rather than downwards at all the weeds on the ground. Think I may have to try this diversion technique more regularly !

Pa Snip wrote:I think OH's posts are rather akin to hearing the first cuckoo, or the leaves dropping off the trees. They are a sign of seasonal change that one uses as a benchmark and looks forward to.

Too damn warm to be up the plot.
went up just before 10am, Temp rose on north facing side of shed to 23 degrees. Gave up at 11.45 & returned home have planted a few bits and pieces.

Can't remember the last time I heard a cuckoo.

Woke up this morning to heavy rain ,I checked three different forecasts when down the plot yesterday afternoon none forecast rain for the next three days so I watered everything , they never get it right, it was that muggy last night I said to my wife " I wouldn't be surprised if it rained" I should have gone off my instincts

That,s annoying when you have to lug water in watering cans, and probably equally annoying if you water on a plot at home and you're on a water meter. Still at least you can consolute yourself your plants have now had a good soaking.

i can here a cuckoo as im typing this, heard it a couple of days ago awell

Lucky you ! We lost our local one several years ago and since they and their youngsters are reputed to return to the same location to breed every year, I have little hope that we will hear another one any time soon. Another piece of little Spring magic lost!
Like the first arrivals of swifts and swallows it's one of the regular signs of nature that you look for every year and when they don't happen you know for sure that something has gone awry with the ecosystem.