Pam on a Hot Welsh Garden

Well now, I wouldn't be on a tin roof in this heat even if I could find one.

I have spent the majority of the day outside, weeds have been ruthlessly eradicated, plants have been fed, strawberries have been mulched and some sorely needed potting on and planting out has taken place.

It was overcast here this morning so the front garden beds had a thorough soaking and selected plants were fed.

I still need to tackle the remainder of the side bed, there is another day tomorrow not even touched yet.

The foxglove growing with my gooseberry looks as though it will be white or very pale cream. WOOP WOOP. I will be carefully planting it out once the flowering has finished and I will collect seed.

I had a delivery of fabric today, 3 lots of 6 metre lengths for quilt backs. Pictures tomorrow, I am too hot to think about it right now. I have ordered a 25m roll of wadding from Barnyarns of Ripon. They had the best price that I could find and they sell Aurifil thread, winner winner. They don't want you to spend loadsa dosh to get free delivery either.

My roses are slowly showing more colour in the buds, all of them are scented and I look forward to breathing them in.
 I do not know quite where but next year I intend to have some more clematis. I saw the slow growing white one at Chelsea, it is recommended to grow in a tall pot and let it cascade down. I am sure that I can find space for one of those, and it is scented.

I have planted 4 purple sprouting broccoli plants out, and put their support canes in place. They look a bit silly now but once they get going it would damage the roots to cane them.
Lots of black kale has gone in and some greyhound cabbage. 

My beetroot has been a disaster this year, 4 lots have been sown and I have had about 10 germinate, the parsnips were the same. I just hoed them out and set something else.
The leeks are doing well and I will soon be dibbing out the planting holes for them. I know that lots of gardeners trim the roots and leaves but I never have, mine have never let me down. Oops that may be tempting fate.

2 of the apple trees have a good show of fruit but the third has a very poor set, last year I had to prop the branches up so it deserves a rest.

The rhubarb that I grew from seed is growing like mad, I may risk  taking 2 stalks from each plant to try it, if it is not good it can come out before taking up space for a further year.

I set a row of radish for the seed pods and they are just starting to run up to seed. The pods are glorious in a stir fry and as long as you use them young make for crisp explosions of flavour in a salad.
There is a variety to grow just for the pods but French Breakfast work fine for me.

My black lilies are growing away, for some reason 1 in each pot is much smaller than the other 2. They were set at the same time, in the same compost and at the same level. Hey Ho as long as they flower I will not worry about it.

I think I am up to date now and my tummy thinks my throat's been cut so I am off to the kitchen to forage. Something with salad and a ciabatta roll I think will do nicely.

                          TTFN                                          Pam