After the rain.

Like most of the country I was kept awake most of Tuesday night by the storm. Thunder and lightening and torrential rain pummelled the garden so it was some surprise when I went outside yesterday to find hardly any sign of it ever happening. The water butts were over flowing and every container without a hole in it was full but otherwise the garden just looked fresh and clean. Our neighbour was not so lucky and a huge tanker was pumping his drive out all morning, so we had a lucky escape. 

It has rained all morning again today. I’ve moved the downpipe into another tank and filled that now as well. This afternoon is bright and sunny and a foray into the garden shows just how much good the rain has done. 

Peas planted last weekend are through, as are lots of the other seeds.

Butternut squash are looking hopeful. These are my outside ones, extra plants I was to tight to throw away! I planted one in the polytunnel as well after last year’s lack of cropping success. I’m hedging my bets as I absolutely love butternut soup and am sure I will never have to many. 

I nipped out yesterday and planted my oca in the ground. It has fallen over the sides of the pot and as it makes tubers wherever the stems touch the ground I decided to plant it in the space the onions came out of. Unfortunately I couldn’t get it out of the pot so I settled for second best. I wrapped the celery while I was there, I used these tubes for the leeks last year with great success so I hope it will work as well again. 

The polytunnel is like a jungle. It’s hard to move in there at the minute. 

The tomatoes are disappointing. Moneymaker are huge but just not ripening and the Gardener’s Delight is not much better. The cucumber is growing like a triffid and the fruit is tasty but has to be peeled as the skin is just to tough. No strange foreign varieties for me next year, the lesson of cheap seeds has been learnt! 

Peppers are doing better than last year after I started them off so much earlier and chillies are looking good although we haven’t tried any yet. 

There’s a tiny melon growing and an even tinier watermelon. Both seem to pollinate ok but then the fruits keep dropping before they swell to any size. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong but fingers crossed. 

Outside the raspberry bed is feeling the strain after I used the spare space to grow a few sweetcorn. Which then got underplanted with bollotti beans and then just a few spare brassicas were added. In all they now feel swamped and are retaliating by growing so tall I will need a ladder to pick the fruit. 

My next year’s resolution is more beds with less in them. I’m not holding out much hope in keeping it. Growing veg is just so much fun. We haven’t eaten a shop brought veggie all week and boy does that feel good. Home grown new potatoes and cauliflower tonight.

I just need a cow and a pig next. Now where on earth will I put them!