Up at the Big House

The first Tomato plant has got to the top of its support rope in the greenhouse. Carrying 5 trusses of fruit and flowers. Five is about it for most plants, any fruit that sets later may never ripen as the weather gets colder.

On the way up all side shoots have been removed, now we take out the top shoot leaving 2 or 3 leaves above the last truss, so stopping the plant.

Now all that needs to be done is to watch for any more side shoots which manage to find a joint to branch from and wait for the fruit to ripen. Keep an eye out for the Tomato Moth Caterpillar, often the first thing you spot is a bit of pooh on a leaf.
If you are not growing in a deep bed like me make sure the water supply does not dry up.

So there we have it, we started at the beginning of the year with a few seeds and now we are eating peas, carrots, broad beans, beetroot spinach, salad stuff and strawberries daily. Cucumbers are climbing, Courgettes and French Beans are flowering, Runner Beans are 2.4m up the supports. Sweet Corn is getting going well. Winter greens and Leeks are loving this wet.

It has been an intense time with hardly a spare moment. Now is the ideal time for a gardener to take a break. Me I am going down hazgeoff's way to see if there is any Kelp washed up to use as fertilizer for next year. We may have to wait to get round near our Devon bloggers for that.

If I can get these old boots off I might even dip a toe in the sea.
We are not off instantly, there will be a lot of mowing to do and tidying up before we go.

I have met some great new friends recently, we will get to know you better later.
Happy growing all, old and new.

I knew we had had some rain, the wettest day since Noah, well since records began, quite something last Thursday.

Rain is great but it causes aggro when it is so much in a short time. It pans the surface of the soil. All my deep, then shallow, hoeing has been undone.
We hoe to put air in the soil, get rid of weed seedlings, let through normal showers of rain and put an insulating layer on top of the moist lower layers, which retards evaporation.

All hoeing at this time of year should be very shallow, particularly around shallow rooters like Onions. You can buy an Onion hoe for the job, an ordinary hoe will easily damage the foliage. Its a 'get down to it job', like hand weeding. Training as a Cossack dancer is very useful particularly if you work off a single plank as I do. Does the picture need any explanation, it's a decorators narrow scraper, I prefer it to a nunion noe.

After two failed sowings due to our tropical April the third lot of Parsnips germinated.
Normally the thinnings at this time are carrot size and a delicacy. This year they didn't even need a lot of thinning out and are darning needle size Never mind at least it looks as if there will be Roast Parsnips this winter.

This means Dick who resides in Charente will pay me a visit when he is over to see his family this Christmas. I seriously think, no Organic Parsnips to Roast, no visit.

After a few days of heavy rain, flooding for many, there is still rain forecast for today. Here it is dry and bright but we are all awaiting some sunshine.

Including the Lithops.

Between the black clouds and grey overcast skies, there was a burst of warm sunshine and the stones burst into flower.

The Lithops is a simple daisy like flower, to me it is special.

My small number of Red Currants do not warrant a cage or even the old net curtain game to keep the birds off. I just get in fist as they ripen. Initially today they will join a mixed fresh fruit salad.
Later when there are more they go into Summer Pudding. Hmm.

The ones at the House have a large cage, the whole team goes in with one mass picking and backache session. Those berries are boiled and sifted and sieved and squeezed and hung in bags to drip, finally producing jars of Red Currant Jelly with never a pip to find His Lordships cavities. Ahh.

This is the bunch of Grapes we adopted. Now hanging like a real one. It is a bit sparse, a lot of tiny unset fruit. It may not be a bad thing, the purist goes in with long pointed scissors and thins out the bunch.

There is still the need to remove side shoots that find somewhere to grow from, all the time.

With more heavy rain forecast, and it has started now. I wondered if I could do anything to help Mrs Bumble and her children. I have forked all round the nest to improve drainage. Also provided a bit of a moat to prevent flooding. I wondered about providing a larger arch of tile or pot but didn't want to interfere.

Then I hit on it, a triple wall polycarbonate canopy cantilevered on two steel legs at the rear.

They have got both entrances operating now.

It came a bit too heavy really but it will do a lot of good.

When I can get on the ground there will be a bit of 'stooding up' to do.

There was surface flooding as the rain could not get away quick enough, this silted up the Bumble Bee's entrance. They made their way out under a different arch in the bone they had covered the entrance with.

Now and again a returning Bee, like the one in the picture, decides to do a bit of earthwork before going in, clearing the original entrance on the right.

Are they going for an IN and OUT arch for rush hour traffic? Their bone arch lends itself to it.

Best
Waitrose, sad, expensive, plastic packet Organic range.

Better
Fresh Organic 20 mins from ground to plate.

Which will taste like real carrots. Note for youngsters. The brown almost black stuff is soil, (dirt) it is what vegetables grow in.

The ground has not been dry but Peas do seem to wait for some rain before really filling up. The Kelvedon Wonder were the first to pod up, short pods not very good as manges-tu and a bit dry even straight from the pod for my liking.

Hursts Greenshaft are filling now, they have produced superb raw salad pods.

Straight from the pod the peas are sweet, delicious, 10 or 12 to a pod. What me, standing in the row dreaming, remembering childhood days with dad down the allotment.

Sorry am I resorting to tabloid headlines to get readers, how low can I get?

'Frogs are good for the garden because they eat slugs and snails'. Fine you can imagine a frog gobbling up a slug but just how does he tackle a snail?

Well I have seen it once, it took a warm evening a garden chair and a very long glass of lemonade. On the top of the wall edging my small pond was a snail, tucked into his shell. Some 150mm away was a frog, he watched the snail and I watched him. Not wanting to disturb what may happen I sat perfectly still, hardly daring to blink or to sip the lemonade.
I wish I had the video camera with me although there would have been a lot of uninteresting footage. My patience was rewarded. The snail came out of his shell, his horns were extended, he started to move. The frog pounced, one foot on top of the shell, tongue seized the body, over in a flash, shell empty.

Photograph is a re construction of the actual scene. For illustration purposes only. Only one snail was injured (well killed actually), in the production of the photograph. Rapidly despatched by *Marvo (c) Patent Slug and Snail killer No.9* also known as *Doc Martens Size 9*. Available in all good High Street stores

I must admit to not being too happy standing astride the bees nest in my shorts picking caterpillars and Gooseberries. No nasties to report though.

The 'goosegogs' are growing rapidly, I pick the biggest and leave the others to grow, this is the first big batch for the freezer.

It looks to me as though there has been a new hatch of Bumble Bees in our nest. The new brood are huge 2 if not 3 times the size of the originals.

I think I may have been witnessing their first forage sessions. The 'smalls' come in to land on a straight flight path, direct to the landing pad. The big boys find the ship no problem, then circle or search back and forth about 5 meters before coming in to land.
This chap is just on his way out. B.lucorum as far as I can tell.

I have mentioned the ex Military guy in the village before, when we meet it is who can get the first quip in. From then on it is a quick fire leg pull session often.

Yesterday I missed a fine opportunity for a dig at his, wipe them all out mentality. Pointing to the roadside verges outside the estate which I was about to mow he said, you are growing weeds. Yes I said, they are growing well, so is the grass.

The subject then changed. It wasn't until this morning that I realised, he was trying to say that I should be treating the verge with selective weed killer.
Then I remembered his verge. When a pipe was laid, the verge made good and re-seeded, the new grass grew well with the odd weed. Soon of course he was out with his weapons of destruction, used without consulting the small print, his weed and feed killed the weeds, and the new grass.

Hang on, several times when he has passed by and seen me he has asked, "why are the leaves on my tomatoes curled lengthwise". Not having had selectives near for many years I didn't think. Next time I shall ask. "Where do you keep your weapons of mass destruction". In the green house maybe.
Oops, I am sure he talks about composting too, I bet he puts his 'radioactive'
grass cuttings on there.

Which brings me to another seminar and a rep from a famous compost manufacturer. They had big trouble with a large batch of compost which had brought complaints from widely spread users. Plants were twisted and stunted once planted into their stuff.
The quantity involved was consistent with it being one bulk batch of peat contaminated when tipped into a factory yard where they had nice weed free grass areas.

This was different to our usual complaint he said, where the contamination is traced back to one retailer. Then the compost is usually contaminated by being stood fully wrapped, next to a display of fully wrapped, selective weed killer.
A problem which escalated when the screwdriver shop and the bread shop started playing at being garden centres.

Almost up to the top bench shelf and producing fruit, tendrils hanging on to support canes, the Burpless Tender Green Cucumber is doing well.

Some flowers just beg to be photographed. This poppy takes me to France and the Cancan dancers. So bright it is almost gaudy.

The previous slug pellets mentioned were 3% Metaldehyde which sends slugs and snails down laughing and salivating. So they stop out all day telling jokes, swearing, getting violent and womanising, so ending up dehydrated.

Not all blue slug pellets are happy hour stuff. Some contain Methiocarb which is an altogether different chemical. Very effective against Molluscs and also Leather Jackets. This one is a nerve poison. the critters and you may wind up twitching whilst suffocating to death.

My small Metaldehyde pellet usage does not seem to be of any detriment to my Frog population.

Twice when taking photo's I have spotted what I think maybe adult Gooseberry Moths sunning them selves on the bushes. They are very wary and are off before the camera shutter operates.

The second hatch has taken place and it is hand picking time for the little green caterpillars. Several dropped to the ground and were dragged off rapidly by ants.

Spurred on by a comment from joebangles I looked up the moths as opposed to flies that attack gooseberries. The Goose or Magpie Moth and the V moth use the gooseberry as a food plant. Mine is not either of those and may even be innocent.

I am as guilty as the next man of calling all munchers of my bushes Sawfly. I think many illustrations of Sawfly Larvae may well be wrong, they are showing attacks by moth caterpillars.

Caterpillars characteristically eat round the edge of a leaf making it smaller and smaller. Sawfly start eating from a hole which they elongate and enlarge.

We have had Strawberries but not good fat well shaped ones until now.

If you spot a blue slug pellet anywhere in the picture, it is there because I want them for us to eat not for slugs and snails over night.

I use a few pellets in such circumstances. For me the jury is still out on how harmful they can be. Blue pellets that contain Metaldehyde at 3% are not I think too hard on the environment. Why?

Well what is Metaldehyde? It is a solid form of Methalated Spirit, Methyl Alcohol. If you brew and it goes wrong you can produce Wood Alcohol and Methyl Alcohol as I understand it, so it is not a noxious substance. Wino's drink it neat, I bet we all consume some in wines and beers.

What quantity of Metaldehyde is in a dead snail that died from a nibble of a 3% pellet that might get eaten by a bird or frog I don't know. Fruit that falls and rots ferments and produces far more concentration of some alcohol or other.

Who is out in the garden today.

Just another couple of adapted web ideas for bee housing.

Illustrations show boxes with a brood chamber and entrance chamber. An American site uses a 'coffee can' as a box. By joining two cans with aluminium tape I produced a two chamber can.

The rear brood chamber is lined with corrugated cardboard and is vented below to prevent condensation and assist cooling. Once filled 2/3 full with sphagnum moss the lid with entrance hole was fitted and the next can added, which is lined with paper.

Placed in position it soon blended in with the surroundings.

Finally another entrance porch idea for an underground teracotta pot nest. A Coconut shell with 14mm hole.

There are many tricks used by Organic gardeners to help keep a garden free of the need for chemicals and help with pollination.

To deter Aphids, grow a French Marigold in the greenhouse and among crops. Plant Chives among the Rose trees, grow Onions next to Carrots to confuse the smells.

You can also mask the natural smell of plants with Evil Brews, that is what I call my concoctions. Some have natural insecticide properties as a bonus. Rhubarb leaves steeped in boiling water and left over night, Fig leaves, Crushed Garlic bulbs, cloves leaves and pips. It is the Garlic brew that gives the concoctions my name, stored for a time the smell really is Evil.

Diluted solutions of these sprayed along rows of Carrots and around Cabbages has got to confuse pests as much as it does visitors to the plot.

We must not forget Urine in this category, sprayed around seed beds the territory so marked is no longer a cats toilet but has been claimed by a bigger species.

Finally, so evil it is dangerous is the only good use for Tobacco. Cigarette ends, again steeped in boiling water and left for a good few hours, produces a Nicotine based liquid nerve poison. I don't use it any more as it will kill friendly predators too. Used as a 10% solution Caterpillars smell it from several feet away and leap from the Cabbages they are munching. Clearly care needs to be taken when spraying and handling this stuff.

Any flowering plants that attract Bees can be sown at the end of the vegetable plot to attract the pollinators.

Hey pal just pop over to the Broad Beans behind now.

In the interest of not overcrowding the grapes and so getting mould set in I have been taking out some bunches. Better to give the ones we keep ample room and air flow than be greedy.

I was unaware of a recent plea to provide habitats for our native Bumble Bees. No doubt there are some natural spots which they use which I don't notice. I don't think the short pieces of cane I provide have ever been used by bees, the ladybirds definitely over winter in them.

A check on the web is well worth it, apparently some species are in danger.

Bumble Stinger and Wax - Estate Agents.

New purpose built properties with immediate occupation available.

A bungalow style property in Local Pine suitable for single parent families.

Local Pine Lodge several storeys south facing location.

A well proportioned home in Holly Wood,executive accommodation.

Another Pine multi storey property. South facing.

A super Terracotta dwelling with separate entrance vestibule.

A view inside the porch. The property is underground with a stone layer for drainage. Fully furnished with wood shavings and sphagnum.

We can all do our bit to help ensure there are bees to pollinate the crops.

We have a lot of Apple trees here, Plums and one Pear. All have blossomed and set fruit well this year. It is true that some times a tree just has a year off. Even the usually prolific Conference Pear had a rest last year.

This season it is making up for it.

Just checking in on our adopted bunch. Definitely swelling now.

When I discovered the Bumble Bee nest I did note that there was a fair amount of clay pot crock in the area near their entrance. OK I do some potting around there and it would be about.

Today I was surprised to see a nice arched porch over their doorway. Made of bone.

Just my memory I suppose. No, I have the photograph, just look at the re-arrangement of the heavy stuff in the area. A piece of crock has been stood on edge against the House Sign. Those Workers have been busy. Just what are they capable of.

The picture is from a different angle with a little Chive flower in view. A stripy jumper wearing fellow is just going in.

When and how did we first spot the nest? On Sunday a lady, 80 years old came round for a cup of tea. I sat her in a garden chair at the edge of the path fair square over the top of the entrance. "Lots of Bees keep coming round me" she said "I have nothing to attract them".

"No they are not interested in you the Chives are in flower".

To be re-titled, The Worst Diarist.
I mentioned before that I couldn't find much information recorded, that is because it is all to pot. What ever happened? Here is my record, a bit irrelevant now.

Lamb fed 4 times a day 8, 12, 4 and 8, six ounces per feed. Increased after 3 days to eight ounces. The dipping was done at Piles Farm, when I just don't know, in the excitement I must have turned the pages to the wrong month.

For that reason I shall finish the story now.
Larry the Lamb grew into a chubby chap. Quite powerful, if he decided to barge into you he would knock you flying. He was weaned onto pellets and bread and then joined the others on full grass mowing duty.
Alf, our Farming consultant called one evening and said. "Wormin, that lamb will need wormin". He produced a bottle and a syringe. "You get hold of him and I will administer the dose".

There was no problem getting hold of him, we were pals. I stepped across him held his mouth open and Alf slipped in the liquid. All done, he stood still, coughed, shook alarmingly and dropped on the ground, dead.

"What is that stuff Alf", I said.

"Its the wormin medcin we give ponies", he said. "Lets get out of here now, you can discover him dead in the mornin, call me then, just don't tell the Boss".

I did as I was told, the Boss does not know. In the morning Alf was called. "Pulpy Kidney" he said. "They get Pulpy Kidney".

The Boss was very upset, he made the decision there and then that the 'flock' would go to the next market. They did and were sold at a loss.

From that time the grass 'mowing' returned to Ponies only.

When I planted out my beans I posted a picture with the caption that they started climbing in minutes.They did, they did.

Saturday was such a wonderful sunny day the ground was warm and moist. I keep saying, my object is to raise 'Grey Hounds' straining at the gate waiting to get going. I have been doing it for years.

Also today, when I told my friend in France that they are now 9 inches taller than on June 2nd when they were planted out that was my true estimation, from memory, from afar.
Now, friends should always pull you up if they think you are being a fool. Exaggerating or spinning a tale. I don't lie he knows that so we won't mention lying.
Do you know, he didn't believe me.
OK, I said. Photographic evidence will be on my blog tonight.

4th June 2.5 turns, distance between turns 4 inches (measured).

Don't forget to apply Pythagoras 3.142 X 10mm cane diameter twice, takes the true figure weell on the way to my estimate.

2nd June 1 full turn.

I claim no credit. Like the rest of this blog, credit is due to the glory the wonder and the joys of the plant world. I am but a humble and willing servant.

I have a few habitat areas which creatures can use for homes which I try not to disturb too much.

In my garden the Bumble Bees have decided to ignore those and have chosen a spot under the path. Right next to a clump of Chives they have an entrance tunnel.

Some are foraging in my garden others are going further afield in two directions. They go way out of sight and return heavily laden with pollen.

I decided they had better have a house sign so that no casual hoeing goes on and causes aggro.

When you do things right and take all the precautions you don't even know.

Talking to local Allotment holders this morning, it seems there was a frost last week which damaged lots of the tender crops which they had out.

One, an Italian chap had 37 Cucumbers out and lost the lot. Pity he didn't read my blog.

As I have said, there are always those prepared to try and beat the calendar. There would have been no advantage in having crops out too early, even without the frost. Later plants are Hares, too early and they are Tortoises.

A member of the Brassica family grown for leaf salad, left to produce seed for next year.

Needing a bit of spare room so not easy on a small plot. I seed a few varieties of Rocket and Land Cress too.

Burpless Cucumber under glass are now starting to climb and produce fruit.

The staging is now free I shall allow one plant full run of the top level and another the bottom. Cucumbers are produced hanging between the slats.

The wind and rain left the Broad Beans bent, battered and torn.

You would never believe it to see them now.

The last tomato picture didn't do justice to the crop. There are actually two trusses set one in full flower and one in bud. Its really just a matter of sitting back and waiting for delicious ripe fruit now.

The third of June, is this the anniversary of the Coronation of our Queen then? Or was it yesterday. What has that got to do with Onions?

Just working out how many more days the seed grown Onions have got to grow. Eighteen days it doesn't seem very long.
They are day length plants, while the days are getting longer they grow. After the 21st of June they stop and merely swell. Then they ripen ready to overwinter awaiting next spring when all that stored energy is used to produce seed. If we have not eaten them first of course.

So for now they need all the Nitrogen feed they can get, keeping free of weeds and plenty of sun. Yes I know there are some weeds in the photo, I must see to those.

Later the weeds can even be left to grow a little as they rob nitrogen from the soil and we don't want the Onions to have it. Nitrogen will make them soft and liable to rot. Its Phosphate and Potash the Onions need from the 21st June on. A neat way to change the balance in an organic plot aye.

What a beautiful day for planting out. The ground was moist and warm. The temperatures last night stayed well up. Last night was not the one in 30 years when temperatures plummet.

This side of the full moon it should be all improvements with the weather.

The Runner Beans were climbing within minutes of being planted near a support. Incidentally, they climb anti-clockwise, plant them so the support is to their left and you give them a support. Plant the other side and you give them a problem.
The Origami pots performed perfectly, any rough handling and they fell apart as they were planted. The few pots that were waterproofed were marginally stronger but didn't need to be.

Sweet Corn plants could have been bigger. They were ready to go out and will start to move now they have the root run available.

Outdoor Tomato 'The Amateur' were desperate to get going. They were a week or so too early really. The ones I planted under glass have flowers fully open.

With showers forecast in the next few days and the moist ground now, I don't think anything will get any artificial watering in even. After all that is what plants have roots for. Get them down and get looking for water you lot.

Tomatoes supported by their ropes. First truss carrying fruit, second in flower, third in bud. A hot day today so the top leaves are looking sad due to transpiration. The bed and the path are wetted down, the atmosphere is buoyant, the smell tropical.

Another good reason for tickling the flowers to guarantee pollination, (and talking to the plants) is the up close attention you pay. Signs of pest damage and disease are easy to overlook. Side shoots can be missed and grow huge.

The author of a book advertised on here says. Remove the lower leaves to stop them depriving the fruit and upper growth of air. I don't agree, there has got to be more than ample air available. Just remove the side shoots to stop them overcrowding.
Whilst paying them attention, talking if you wish, you exhale CO2 and enrich the content around the plants. Enough for them to notice, I doubt it. It sure does no harm. In huge commercial, computer controlled houses they monitor CO2 levels and inject bursts from cylinders.

Thirty two days ago when I sowed Runner Beans in pots I stated the day on which I wanted strong plants. Just starting to climb but not so long that they are starting to entangle.

Today is that day, tomorrow they will be planted out. The weather forecast says minimum temperatures of 8 degrees C. tonight. It has been a clear day if the skies are clear tonight temperatures could plunge. With the moon full I am waiting until tomorrow.