Nematodes nemesis; never!

The nemaslug nematodes seem to be working.  Both the brassicas and potatoes appear healthy and slug free, making a lovely change this warm and wet season.

Gooseberries agogo

What a season! 

Everything's growing with vigour this year (including the weeds) and our gooseberries are large already,  a promising sign for the iminent jam frenzy.

A bounty of Brassicas expected, really...

This year should be a good one for brassicas, I know I've said that before but really this year is the year.

We've planted purple sprouting broccoli,  red cabbage,  green cabbage,  white cauliflower,  red cauliflower, brussel sprouts and a few roots such as golden beetroot, swedes and potatoes;  many potatoes in fact!

Its slow on the alium front so far with only a few leeks and a mix of red and white onions around the end potato bed. The garlic will go in next week along with some salad leaves.

Baby birds and rhubarb

As the title suggests we have fledglings in the big shed, the same shed that housed a wasp nest last year.

We've been in and out of that shed for a few weeks now and hadn't noticed the cute little scruffies until one flew out and plopped on top of a potato mound in front of us. Thankfully it knew where to go and promptly flew back into the shed where we've left him ever since.

Rhubarb is taking over since we removed the forcing rings, I feel a rhubarb and ginger preserve coming on...

Scorching summer...

...now that's a phrase I didn't think I'd use ever again - what a fabulous summer we have now, inconsistent with our predicted summer of woe, we're very grateful!

The above post should have been published on 16th July 2013.

The Comfrey keeps on coming

Comfrey is a wonderful plant with many uses in the garden or herbalist kitchen.  Our tiny bulb acquired from a neighbors plot 4 years ago in now a huge hedge of comfrey.  We moved it last year to it's current spot and by the looks of it was grateful for the move.

The lawnmower definitely works

After taking the decision last year to purchase a lawn mower we've used it on the plot 3 times since February this year.  It makes a nice change mowing the walkways instead of weeding them!

To prove it's usefulness, before and after images: