The Veg Patch

28th June 2007

Grow Garden Grow

The Garden has been caught at a good time because the rains have been very heavy over the past few days. So much that Gardening Club had to be cancelled yesterday evening. However, after a lot of dry, it's just what the garden needs. See the Blog site for a more detailed update.

Home And Garden

Seen with a rare patch of blue sky, the (stately) home of Mr. S. can be seen looking out over his grounds.

Survival Of The Quickest

All plants, perhaps because of the very wet weather we are having, have been viciously attacked by slugs and snails who seem to be very hungry this year. The beans were attacked as soon as they went in and a number didn't have a chance to grow. However, some managed to grow more than they were eaten and have started to climb their way up the canes.

The vivid scarlet red of the runner beans have started to decorate the Garden like tiny Christmas lights (in summertime!) Provided that the bees are happy and there are lots of them, these should start turning into beans over the next few weeks. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a huge number of bees yet.

Grow Sweetly

The Sweetcorn has started to take off. They were also ravaged by the slugs and snails but they seem to have come through the worst.

Potatoes!

The Garden has never planted any potatoes, and in some years they are never seen in the garden apart from when it is being dug, yet they are growing here looking very healthy.

Guess The Flower

In addition to never having planted any potatoes in the Garden, we have also never planted any parsnips. Yet we found one when digging so we, being gardeners, decided to plant it. It grew some big leaves and is now in flower. Perhaps we could save the seeds and grow our own?

Cornflower

The colour of the Cornflower, a native British plant, is one of the most vivid blues you can find in the garden. Complementing the scarlet reds of the Runner Beans and the yellows of the Calendulas, they brighten the garden up.

Calendula

These Calendulas are relatives of the ones sown back in 2003. They produce so much seed that there is no need to sow them ever again after the first year.

Mr. S.'s Favourites

Another plant that comes back year after year is the Nasturtium, much to the annoyance of Mr. S. They grow very fast and wil take over the garden given the chance. It has two main predators - the Cabbage White Caterpillar and Mr. S.!

Young Honesty

Again, surviving from seeds sown in 2004, the Honesty keeps coming back. Being a bi-annual, one year it will grow a rosette of leaves and the next year it will flower.

Stinky Weed

Looking a bit like a Nettle but looking very much like a Dead-Nettle (they are very closely related), this Hedge Woundwort is a smelly suprise when you get near it. The smell is indescribeable, but believe me, it stinks! It's not the favourite plant for people to weed.