More rain, more spuds and some flowers

Its been raining solidly for weeks now. Today saw sunshine interspersed with heavy showers, crashing thunder and lightning flashes on all sides. I can see a rainbow out my window at the moment.


Last night we had some more fresh epicure new potatoes for dinner with quiche. They were really nice with butter and parsley. They just melt in your mouth!


Today I've found the first flowers on my peas....


...and my rocket which I guess means its gone to seed. The rocket has been a great success so far, we have it with almost every meal! It's really tasty and easy to look after.

With all the rain everything's been growing like mad. These Bolthardy beetroot are looking good.

Flowering courgettes!

My first courgettes have flowered, both of the ones on the windowsill in the kitchen. I did a spot of late night gardening yesterday and put the rest of the tomatoes outside.

I've been on slug patrol every night this week with my scissors and the body count is mounting up. Trouble is, they seem to be attracted to their own dead friends. I may also have to reconsider my lentient policy on snails, there's hundreds of them out there and something munched my broccoli in pots last night despite the killing spree...

Beneficials vs. the Whitefly

Didn't get anything much done today as I was short on time, but did spend a bit of time out in the garden, which is buzzing with life (non-veggie flower above).
During the week I discovered that my Broccoli and Sprout seedlings in the bathrrom have been overrun by Cabbage Whitefly. Doesn't seem to have had too bad an effect so far, although I'm planning on getting an Organic spray to control them. In the meantime I was delighted to see this little fellow tucking into a feast of the pests this morning. Must be one of these beneficial bugs I keep getting told about!


The last of my spuds are now flowering (below). According to my book, they're ready to pull after they've flowered so I might have a look tomorrow....

Lucious lettuce and pro-active peas

Bit of a photo update this eve (taken yesterday). First of all, the patch overview. the first spuds should be ready in the not too distant future so this could all look a bit different soon.

My courgettes have been looking a bit dry, with some leaves really patchy white. I took them off and fed them with fertiliser and they seem to have recovered well.



My lettuce which survived the slug assualts have been doing well after the recent rain. Looking quite big and fresh. Not long now. I need to get some more planted in fact!


Some of my Runner Beans have taken a real battering from the slugs, but this one's doing well. Need to tie it to the cane tommorrow.


My peas get veg of the week I think, if only for their little feelers that they wrap round the frame to pull themselves up. They're incredibly strong tenticles that creep up before winding themselves tightly round the first thing they find. I had to help them find the net initially but now they're going great guns. (Click on the picture for a close up!)


And finally, despite their disease and subsequent de-leafing, some of my tomatoes outside are recovering and flowering at last! The ones inside are getting really big and also ready to flower so need to go out this weekend really.