GARDEN: The Growing Update

I can't say I haven't enjoyed my time during lockdown and the opportunity to spend so much time in the garden:  May is always the most colourful month as this is when the garden explodes with blooms.

May's Riot of Roses

There's always plenty to do (as well as chill out with a book & a glass of wine, or alfresco BBQ).  But this year so far, has been about having the time to sit down with the gardening books and learn a little about growing vegetables from seed.

This area by the side of the Summerhouse has been designated as a vegetable bed. It is a nice sunny spot and sheltered from winds. I have still to lay the paving slabs from the patio to the Summerhouse, leaving a grassy spot around the apple tree.

Bamboo canes make an excellent deterrant from the neighbourhood cats seeing it as one huge litter tray until it is planted.

Grow Me!

 

It is almost ten years since the pergola was put up, so another project I have been working on is filling splits in the wood, using a flexible filler, in preparation for a fresh coat of paint.  

Couldn't be done without the obligatory cup of Tea

From the back

 A month or so later, using advice on the moon cycles from my parents, the French beans go into the ground and the vine tomato seedlings into pots.

 

Test ground for Experiment One

I have potted up 8 x vine tomato plants with bamboo cane pyramids to grow up.  The rest of the seedlings were swapped with my next door neighbour for Chilli pepper plants.  I hope I didn't plant them too late.

I thought this was a very interesting tip from a gardening book: Tomatoes are prone to whitefly.  Paint a board or cane bright yellow and then smear it with vaseline.  The whiteflies are attracted to the yellow and will become stuck in the grease.  I will be trying this.

Climb, baby, climb!

I've heard that my French Beans may be prone to be ravaged by slugs, but read that coffee grounds are a good deterrant. 

 

A French Bean: Oooo La La!

Sadly I only have five of these plants but will be planting many more next year.  These are fast workers and if you look closely you'll see that they already have small beans!

 

Cherchez les trois

The bed as it is at the moment, the vine tomatoes are on the left but once I have finished the painting of the pergola, I'll probably move them out onto the patio so they have more space. There are also three bell peppers in pots, dotted among the bean plants.

Cat crap proof cane fence.

In the Summerhouse, I have Chilli Peppers and smaller bell pepper seedlings on the plant shelf.

Peppers!

Last but not least, elsewhere in the garden, it looks like it might be a good year for pears.  The pear tree is now four years old and has never had so many pears.

Conference Pears