I hope you've all had a good week. The weather started off lukewarm and has ended on a high, quite hot in the garden this afternoon. It's been a busy one:-
Monday - cloudy, windy and 52F 11C and only reaching a high of 65F 18C (greenhouse 80F 26C). I potted up the next batch of fennel seedlings and planted the larger ones in the garden, sowed more leeks and carrots and put the plants I bought from the garden centre last week into the cottage garden. The flower that was growing at an odd angle has now flowered (still no idea what it as something ate holes in my cottage garden plan but it looks great)
The baby's breath (gypsophilia) has started to grow again this year (thank you) but I'll leave it in the pot for a couple more weeks and the same with one of the dahlia bulbs. The blue tit parents were busy today, in and out from dawn until dusk.
Tuesday - a warm start at 58F 14C, sunny and windy. Went to the garden centre to buy more winter flowering heathers as ground cover for the cottage garden plus they will give it some colour in the winter months. I also put a few out the front. I saw the owner of the spider webs in the pottering shed this morning. It has the whole of the shed to reside and where does it sit...on my hand towel that's hanging up. I'm glad I've seen it, I shudder at the thought of reaching out to wipe my hands and.....no!
No sign of the blue tit parents today and the nesting box is silent, so the chicks must have fledged early this morning. Just like last year (3rd June), they chose one of the windiest days. I feel quite sad they've gone, I enjoyed watching them. I picked more radishes (they're growing big this year) and the first of the courgettes
We had some rain this evening, not enough to wash the seagull poo off the car, but it was enough not to have to water the garden.
Wednesday - 55F 11C windy and cloudy and only a maximum of 60F 15C. I potted more fennel seedlings (think I may have overdone it with these as well!). Still no sign of the parsnips, there's not many growing this year. I replaced the ornamental grass I pruned in error with another one and have potted up the pruned one. There seems to be a bit of life so hopefully, fingers crossed, it might recover. I won't make that mistake again. Seems strange not to have the blue tits flying around, the garden feels empty without them. We still have the fat pigeons waddling around though.
Thursday - 52F 11C and drizzling at 6.30 this morning. I was woken by the seagulls screeching, when I looked outside the heron was back and sitting on top of the back shed, The seagulls kept dive bombing until it had enough and flew off. I will have to keep an eye on the netting over the pond just in case. I planted out the next batch of radishes and the few fennel seedlings that are big enough. The honeysuckle and clematis have come into flower on the arch
I was away from Friday morning until lunchtime today (Friday morning a chilly 49F 9C). The first thing I did when I arrived back was, as usual, feed the fish and check the garden. This is what has appeared since Friday morning:
For your Eyes Only buds opening
poppies and sweet peas at the top of the garden
lupin bud
The week has ended with a gorgeous day, 82F 27C in the greenhouse this afternoon and 75F 23C in the garden. I belatedly watched Gardeners' World for jobs to do this weekend and one of them was to plant out courgettes (did that weeks ago) and squash (did that last week). I also need to remove raspberry suckers. I have fed the fish three times today and each time they were pouncing on it like piranhas - I think they were hungry.
The weather for the coming week is, and I quote "warm and humid, some heavy thundery showers"...sounds like perfect growing weather to me although I'm not too keen on the thunder bit. I hope you all have a good gardening week and the weather is warming up where you are. Catch up next Sunday.
Regards,
DD
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