Mid Summer Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

I do grow them but don't like them large enough to strip the flesh off through my teeth so take them small to try to get them with just a soft heart. Only problem is I have not mastered how to preserve them in the oil or brine like the ones you buy! Always end up with green/grey mush in the Kilner jars. Not even trying this year, the bees will have even more to enjoy!

[Shallot Man]

It's Peeing down outside.

[retropants]

yep. I think someone has hit the 'activate autumn' button by mistake.

[Monika]

We have had more than 100mm of rain in the last five days (not complaining, we needed it!), but to make up for it, today is a lovely dry sunny day with a brisk but warm southwesterly wind. Grand day for drying washing!

[Stephen]

I'm very happy to have some rain. That which we had was close to ideal, gentle, over an extended period and not blown about.

[robo]

I put another 227 litre water butt in line with my 3 existing ones it was filled overnight

[Westi]

Lottie Show on Saturday! Quite excited to see the tent up, not that I have much to enter, but the coffee shop will be open with bacon butties & home made cakes! Obvs with the precautions in place - did I mention the home made cakes???

[Stephen]

Yes, Westi, I think you did.

Meanwhile I'd like to ask about raspberries. Primocanes/autumn fruiting types.
In past years my raspberries have been prolific. So I added a second bed, using roots/canes from the first batch. Also, I put three dozen into the garden where I volunteer.

In all cases, the canes are taller than ever, the older bed, the newer bed and the set of brand new canes (in their second year). Mostly about 7ft tall but with far fewer fruit than usual and very few on the set in their second year. Is this just characteristic of this year's weather?

[Primrose]

I suspect the exceptional growth may be partly due to this year's excessive rainfall Stephen. On looking around most gardens virtually everything has sprouted excessive growth in the past few months as a consequence so it doesn,t necessarily mean this would be normal in an average year.

Perhaps as a result all the plants' energies have gone into growth rather than fruiting. I have noticed a similar thing with my blackberry plants. Next year may show a totally different growth pattern if the weather proves to be very different.
Oh the joys of being a gardener, trying to fathom out the answers to all these mysteries!
I suspect if climate change continues apace every year we will have new mysteries to try and resolve.

[Stephen]

Hi Primrose. that is rather what I thought, it is the weather's fault!

[Primrose]

I put another 227 litre water butt in line with my 3 existing ones it was filled overnight

Just difficult to know what to plan for in the time ahead with climate change threatening, isn,t it ?
We currently have four water butts - two in back garden, two in the front and they're all full too,

When You see all these wild fires blazing in Greece and elsewhere its still hard to visualise that these kinds of incidents could happen here but who knows. We,ve had small local blazes on heathland areas locally, often caused I suspect by cigarettes butts dropped which have not been stubbed out.

[Westi]

Re: the lottie show!

I was tardy to the cafe as couldn't make up my mind what to put in the show, as nothing as good as previous years. Procrastination is very time consuming! Anyway just made the registration, but no bacon butties left & cakes not out. My final selection was OK, but I could have put that slightly sun blushed cauliflower in as there were no other entries & deffo could have got a card for the little cherry tomatoes from the self sown ones that pop up every year & just ignore the blight as only one other entry in that thanks to blight all over the site.

Seven entries; 5 cards - a first (shallots), 3x seconds (cabbage, onion, squash) & a third for the blackberries so not bad at all. I was disappointed with my giant sunflower which was way, way tall, double my height at least, but it was well down the pecking order as the winner beat it by over 2 metres!

Remaining on the indecisive theme I had to buy 3 slices of cake when they were brought out after the judging - mind you can deduct one, as for Mr who has a thing about Bakewell tarts! No coffee & walnut though!

[Geoff]

Things you knew already

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/grow_your_own

[Shallot Man]

The only butterflies I have seen this year are the white cabbage ones.

[oldherbaceous]

Well done Westi, as much for entering, as getting placed….

We have quite a few kinds of butterflies about at the moment, especially on the new annual sweet williams I have grown.