Early Greek

Harvested some garlic early, as sometimes it can develop white rot in damp conditions but this, from a bulb brought back from Greece, despite being a bit small, is fine. It'll benefit from a few days drying in the sun, although with rain around, that's best done under glass if possible.

Onion angst

They might look great, but perhaps they're all top and no bottom, as the actress didn't say to Cardinal Wolsey. The tops are great, chopped up in salads, but there are signs that some of them are bolting - running to seed - before the base swells properly, even though they've been watered and the soil's been pampered with wood ash and potash.

Late Sweet

A little late with getting the sweetcorn underway this year, but both the shop bought and saved seed have germinated well inside on window ledges now that it's warmed up a bit.

Last Lion

The last, almost, dandelion of the season, which my neighbour has been cultivating magnificently.

Early Goose

Gooseberries do fantastically well here. Almost too well. Not only are the first fruit developing, but they're putting on lots of new growth - and thorns - too. It's a job to keep them pruned and even more difficult to deal with the needle sharp prunings.

Architectural Flavour

 

Angelica's one of those plants that looks great all the time, even when it's dead and its skeleton stands defiantly through the winter. In May, it often attracts large iridescent beetles, but it's starting to look like a poor year for insects. It's worth making crystallised angelica at least once, mostly for cake decoration and it might be an idea to use it to flavour gin.

Green Fatigue

it's not all chilled and peaceful in the garden. It's that time of year when everything demands attention, everything needs repotting or planting out or sowing again, weeds grow out of control, slugs and snails munch through everything precious, the sun can dry out pots and seed trays, the wind plays havoc with tender things and downpours waterboard seedlings into submission. Important to sit and do nothing sometimes and not want the moon on a stick.

Flowers AAB

'A' is for Alyssum and Aquilegea.
'B' is for Blackcurrant.

Broccoli end

That's it for another year: the purple sprouting broccoli season comes to and end, just as the spinach harvest begins.

Rich pickings

Outdoor Floral

A few days of fine weather, allowing verbascum and irises to bloom.