Amazing growing conditions today with showers and Sun combining to make warm wet soil. I took this opportunity to plant out the corn. (This is the second batch with fresh seed, only one of the first batch germinated.)
I'm guessing we'll struggle to get full cobs as we were late planting, but I remain optimistic!
The story of this year is the complete lack of rain. I've been told that before today we've had 10mm in three months, and the parched earth has made the Today programme.
Today, we finally got rain. A big thunderstorm threw about 20mm down. The garden looks wet for the first time in ages.
How long will it last?
We've not had great success with our seeds, but some are on their way. We have a cunning plan of growing squash on vines where the jasmine used to live. Large pots have been bought and squash transplanted (with a courgette for luck). Once the vines are long enough, we'll pop the pots behind the hedge and hope to get a hanging garden effect. I thought the pots would allow our plastic cloches to sit inside but they are a couple of cm too big. Elephant tape has since been deployed. We've also planted some ancient sweet peas where the jasmine lived in the hope of some one-off Summer colour.
The root was pretty easy to get out in the end. 10 minutes of carefully cutting round and through with my pick axe.
I love that shredder. Mountains of debris in to just three buckets of mulch.
Next, the root. No rush, since the rose will probably go in at the end of the year.
It looks lop sided (too much at the top, and we want a red rambling rose instead.
We've had no rain for weeks. If we don't water every day the new plants look very sad.
Our other problem is that the dryness then wetness when watered, together with very old seed has made for very odor germination rates. One corn in eight, almost no carrots. All quite depressing.
The weather has been beautiful, but so hot and dry. Much against my instincts I have been forced to water like crazy to keep things alive. There are so many new plantings and re-plantings. My aquaduct is empty (sabotaged whilst we were away) so a hosing I go. Nearly everything has survived. One plant I forgot and it is now a stick.
We have a lot more plants that we bought, but are sitting in pots. I worry about them drying out so plonked them in the new border (in their pots) so they won't be forgotten. I can't remember their colours so need Tamsin's guidance before planting them permanently.
I've been running out of steam on the compost so forcing myself to do five barrows each night. One more set and it should be done. 3 cubes is the perfect volume. A lucky guess.
Leeks, peas, dwarf beans, carrots and salads all sown today.
I also mowed the front and made little beds for some flowers to brighten the front.
