Early summer bits and bobs

[alan refail]

It's raining

[Shallot Man]

My sweet peas are looking very sorry for themselves.

[Monika]

Lucky Alan. Still waiting for rain, it just drizzled a bit this morning, but now it's dry again - more watering tomorrow.

[vegpatchmum]

We've had some much needed rain over the last 36 hours and it looks like we may get some more today but the sun keeps trying to peep through. I could do with the rain holding off for another hour so that I can get my washing dry

VPM
x

[vegpatchmum]

I have a runner bean!!! It's only about 1cm long (I took the flower off to have a look ) but it is definitely a runner bean

VPM
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[Primrose]

VPM - stop boasting ! You're making the rest of us feel jealous ! I don't have every the early sightings of any flowers, let alone beans. My climbers look like being a complete disaster this year.

[vegpatchmum]

VPM - stop boasting ! You're making the rest of us feel jealous !

Sorry Primrose, I'll take myself off to the corner and hang my head in shame

Seriously though, don't give up hope. My climbing beans were looking very sorry for themselves but I have noticed signs of increased growth and the beginnings of more side shoots and remember that I started my runners off, in doors, way back on the 2nd April and so they flipping well should be, at the very least, showing flowers by now

VPM
x

[Monika]

Still no rain. After a little bit last night (2mm), we were supposed to get heavy showers today but we did not have a drop, in fact, my two lots of washing, including jeans and heavy shirts, dried beautifully in the wind and sunshine. So, more watering tomorrow.

[peter]

Out for twelve miles, intended more, with the dogs todsy and we got caught by a torrential downpour, cloudburst even.
We had followed the canal/river Stort intending to go to where it joins the River Lea and follow that to Hertford, then catch a bus back home through the villages.
The rain caught us in the edge of Harlow park behind the railway station, so getting wetter by the yard we made our way to the shelter of the station, where we caught the train back home, where we caught up with the rain a mile short of the station and got wetter on the platform. As the rain got heavier we used the bus shelter then the bus past the end of our road, which ploughed through enormous puddles and past our stop which was submerged in nearly a foot of water, we got wetter still on the last hslf mile.
Towelled the dogs, shed my boots and the rain stopped, twenty minutes later the sun came out.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Peter, sounds as if you had quite an adventure......

At last, first harvest of new potatoes and broad beans, i was starting to wonder if it was ever going to happen.

[Geoff]

Well my camera started playing silly buggers - took photos and saved them with a file name, date and time but zero size and predictably no picture. So I bought a new memory card and had to try it out even though it is a bit dull today so I've littered the forum with photographs. Here is my cottage style garden (I'll have to rip it up, they are getting too fashionable and I am anything but!) and a blue poppy at Holehird today (garden near Ambleside, this is the deepest blue poppy of this type I've seen but it had no label), one of my favourite plants).

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[Primrose]

Beautiful garden and please don't rip it up! The bees must love it!.

[Bren]

Geoff what a lovely lush garden, lots of perennial geraniums,poppies and I think I see Siberium Iris's in the back. I bought a blue poppy (betonicifolia ) at Malvern show last year (2012) its in flower at the moment but not as blue as the one in your photo or on the label that came with it. Before it opens its a mauve shade and then blue when its fully open.
Bren

[Monika]

Still no rain here. The last "proper" rain we had were 23mm on 15 May. Since then there have been drips and dribbles but certainly not enough ever to get to the roots of plants. Since 1 June there has been 10mm altogether, including 1mm last night. So, unless the forecast for heavy rain this weekend is correct, it means lugging watering cans again! Last Tuesday we carried 48 2-gallon cans just to water all the vegetables. The first broad beans are now forming and could really do with a good downpour! Wish us luck!

About the Himalayan poppies: at the RHS garden at Harlow Carr there are many more Himalayan poppies than in previous year and they looked very impressive yesterday. Overall, the garden was a delight to see, including the vegetable garden.

[peter]

Cloudburst at work in North London, brief sharp showers since getting home.