Monday, July 29, 2019

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Friday, July 26, 2019

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Shredded survivor

The beautiful variegated green leaves of this hosta were shredded by snails a few weeks ago, but not before the plant had garnered enough energy to produce flower spikes.

Verbascum densifloram


Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Origanum vulgare

Wild Marjoram supposedly prefers limestone and chalky soils, yet it seems perfectly happy on a heavy clay soil and has self-sown in abundance this year.

Pink bliss


Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Plumtreeooze

      Resin on the plum tree, rich in terpenes, sealing an old injury.

Leek chafer

                           Rose chafer beetle on a leek flower.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Passiflora edulis

A transplanted passion flower vine, happy in a pot and looking to climb on anything to hand.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Late pea

Some of the pea crop has over matured and dried out, but they're easier to store like that and can be rehydrated in stews, or used as seed for later sowings.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Countdown tomato

     Not long now until the first hit. The leaves alone smell great.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Onions nearly done

Onions are swelling nicely, with regular watering in the final stages before the tops start dying back.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Vanilla whiff

The star jasmine's in bloom and giving off a delicate vanilla perfume every evening. It's in a pot, so outrageously thirsty, but as it's by the back door it can constantly ask for a drink.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Seedy intentions

Celery, if allowed to flower, provides a great source of interest for smaller flying insects. Later, when it sets seed, these can be harvested for the kitchen or left to self seed in the surrounding soil.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Helichrysum italicum

This Helichrysum, or curry plant, is a cutting from the original bush which was looking poorly a few years ago. Both are now doing fine thanks to the last two hot summers.

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Happy but thirsty

The french beans are happy but thirsty and in need a bit of a comfrey feed as they're in flower and about to set a crop.

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Lettuce relief

Earlier sowings of lettuce didn't survive a mollusc invasion during the early June downpours, but a later lot have made it through to provide more than enough for the present.

Bean season

The broad beans are cropping well, heralding the season of the bean.

Friday, July 12, 2019

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Thirsty corn

     The sweetcorn's romping away now and grateful of a daily drink.

Tuesday, July 09, 2019

First squash

                          Harvesting the first courgettes.

Monday, July 08, 2019

Red jelly berry

Although the blackcurrant season is fairly short, redcurrants hang around for ages. It's a constant reminder to make time to pick enough for a jar of jelly, or at least squirrel some away in the freezer.

Friday, July 05, 2019

Lily reliable

       The first week of July and right on time the lily buds open.

Thursday, July 04, 2019

Wednesday, July 03, 2019