May in the Garden...

 Another sketchy month that we were only around for part of, however also a very productive one indeed once we had finally returned from all our galivanting!

Inevitably we did lose a fair amount of stuff while we were away - my lovely Mum came round and watered things every few days but of course our travels did coincide with some almost unseasonably warm weather down here, and as a result some things struggled a bit. In the few days between trips we ran round like mad things potting on chillies and peppers, and as a result we have been able to plant a few of each on into their final containers. We also re-sowed sunflowers as although we planted about 7 of them out before we headed off the first time, the pesky slugs and snails got in on the act and we only have a few surviving now - even if one of those is a monster that appears to have ambitions to see over the fence to next door sooner rather than later! Although the additional seeds didn't seem to have done much while we were away - and had indeed dried out quite a lot - a good soaking saw them immediately spring into life and there are at least a couple more we'll be able to get into the garden shortly!

Potatoes growing in old compost sacks

Our kale plants also suffered thanks to molluscy appetites - and so a quick re-sow of these in the "between trips" gap was squeezed in - with luck we will have at least a few more plants now! Meanwhile the turnips and beetroot had fallen prey to the four-legged fiends known as next door's kittens using that bed as a toilet/digging spot - so MrEH sowed more in there and then we constructed yet another complicated network of canes which - so far - seems to be working as a deterrent!

The return from our second trip away was when the real activity started - as we got stuck in to sowing our tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers, winter squash, assorted salads and herbs and various other things that it had been necessary to delay until then - later than we would ideally have sown, but we can only hope that the warmer temperatures mean that things will catch up, otherwise we are going to have a disappointing harvest! 

The strawberries are showing plenty of fruit forming, and the peas are flowering and starting to produce pods...meanwhile the rhubarb had apparently turned into a triffid with takeover ambitions...and another small harvest has been taken from that, plus a few stalks for Mum too. As it is only the plant's second year, we're not able to go too mad picking the stalks, but it certainly looks like we will be able to take a few more small harvests from it without causing it too much of a problem! (And frankly I'm getting a little nervous about how much of the garden it might want to commandeer next year!) Beans are now starting to reach up to the obelisk they are planted round - and I will need to think about building a frame for a few more of them too!

Rhubarb!

The little Clematis we bought from the supermarket last year is showing plenty of enthusiasm and is currently covered in flowers and making good progress in covering the first fence panel - the rather posher one bought from our favourite nursery is doing well and has given us a few flowers albeit rather oddly in two entirely different colours - so we're not sure what the story is there. Both colours are extremely pretty, so we have no complaints, and it could yet end up being "two for the price of one"! In the front garden it's one of the roses that is the star - absolutely covered with blooms! 

Clematis “Duchess of Cornwall”

In other garden jobs we have also started the task of rubbing down and re-painting the shed and office - this will be ongoing for quite some time we suspect, and it will be a while before we move from a patchwork of the previous dark grey to fully covered in the new shade - called "Cornflower" and a sort of dusty blue. 

Early tasks for June are going to be identifying where we have gaps and need to try for new sowings of various things, getting the courgettes in the ground, and successional sowings of basil and other herbs. 

Robyn