Lots of yummy stuff!

Well, it's the middle of June already and things are growing really well. We've eaten virtually all of the salad leaves from the first sowing and I have more to come but the seedlings have only just come through. We've also had some rhubarb and the first strawberry.

This is the rhubarb that was split. We really shouldn't be picking any of this as the goodness needs to go back into the plant for next year but we're sorely tempted as there are two or three very thick sticks just begging to be cooked and eaten. If we do pick them I'll have to promise myself they'll be the only ones, don't want to risk weakening the plant for future years.

The borders are really filling up now and I've realised that I have crammed too much into too small a space. Never mind, I am a novice and you only learn by your mistakes.

The camelia is just showing on the left, right at the back I've planted some sweet peas to climb the rusty old fence between us and next door. This was concreted in by the previous owner so not sure if we can get it out and replace it so for now we'll try to hide it. The oriental poppies at the back are just coming into bud, the corkscrew hazel is getting bigger (must give it more room next year!), dwarf sunflowers are in bud and the poor little gooseberry bush next to it must be wondering how on earth it's supposed to get any bigger! There's something unidentifiable but quite big to the right of the gooseberry bush but I'm curious so I'll leave it there for now (it's probably a weed!) then there are some of the onions.

Either side of the urn are gladioli and some dwarf lupins which are just coming into flower. The two cherry tomato plants in the black pots have trusses now and the aptenia, cranesbill geranium and paeony are flowering nicely. It would be nice if next door would move the old dustbin but he seems to be digging up the whole of his garden for some reason - still it's better than his overgrown plants growing over ours and bringing loads of snails with them.

Here's a closer shot of the cranesbill geranium, paeony, pinks and the tall lobelia in the corner which wont reach their full height until later in the summer.



The alpine border again has some plants which have grown very vigorously and some slower growing ones are virtually buried underneath them. This will get reorganised later in the year.




Paul's Blue Moon rose looking and smelling lovely! We're thinking this might be transferred from pot to garden next year as if we forget to water it during a dry spell it suffers and we don't want to risk losing it.




The other top border is looking colourful. This fuschia is really lovely and loaded with flowers but they all seem to be at the bottom and lots of them are resting on the soil. We want to keep it but will have to think about what to do so that it will look it's best for displaying the flowers next year.You can just about see one of the small orange poppy flowers on the right hand side.

Wow! Look at the leaves on the primroses underneath the camelia! They seem very happy there so hopefully another beautiful display next year. The Salvia Hot Lips has suddenly developed lots of red and white flowers, I think this is such a cheerful plant. To the right you can just about make out the dark burgundy coloured leaves of the tall lobelia and whatever is at the front hasn't done very well there. If anyone knows what that shrub is with the pink and white flowers that is peeping over from next door, please let me know as I think it's lovely and I want one. Our neighbour can't remember what it is.




Better view of the shrub!







Hostas, begonias, rose, lillies, sprout plant and some of my washing which I thought I'd tucked up out of the way!



The sprout is bigger than I thought! Miniature rhodedendron, miniature fushcia. The white plant labels are to remind me where the allium bulbs have been planted now that they've finished and the leaves died down. I want to plant some more in the autumn to make the group a bit bigger. The clump of montbretia is coming along nicely and the Christmas rose is looking quite healthy.

The arum lily has, thankfully, recovered from it's frost damage really well and is looking wonderful. The rhubarb plant next to it was new last year so we can only pick a few sticks this year - mmmm, they were very tasty! The hydrangea belongs to our neighbour and it's going to look stunning, we're very lucky that we've got such a lovely view of it.

This is the only runner bean we can pick at the moment! Because they were at the top of the sticks and already in full flower before we could put them out, not many flowers were pollinated. There are a few other beans on but only about an inch long at the moment. We wont be getting a very big meal of this one!




Potatoes, onions and the later sowing of carrots.









Strawberries, parsnips, carrots, radishes, leeks (well, two or three!).




Well, the tomato plants are looking very shabby but there's quite a lot of fruit on them. I've picked the ripest to go with our salad tonight and there'll be a few more ready in a couple of days.


I'm thrilled with the number of peppers on these plants. Can't wait for them to go red. It's a good job I can eat them like apples otherwise I think I'd be giving quite a few away.



Tomorrow I'll be sowing some more radish seeds plus the last tub of carrots, some more salad leaves and some rocket seeds my neighbour gave me today.