It has been too hot for gardening. The clay soil has baked brick hard and the paths are dry and dusty. I pootle around weeding at the edges in a desultory fashion, but really this is the time to sit back and see what is working and what is not. Thus far I have earmarked two beds in the gravel garden for a comprehensive overhaul in the autumn and decided to hoof out a couple of cornus at the back of the top pond. In the main though, things are looking lovely so I just waft around thinking mellow thoughts.
In the greenhouse things are less tranquil. I am waging war on snails. Some have sneaked in and devoured several aubergine and lupin seedlings. I am incensed and patrol the undersides of seed trays for lurkers. I found three of the buggers yesterday and took no small pleasure in crunching them under my wellies.
Keith is doing wonders with the vegetable garden and it is looking splendid. Even the fruit cage is looking tidy – though something has stripped the leaves from the gooseberry bushes and I don’t hold out much hope for gooseberry jam this year. The cutting garden is a shambles. Truth to tell I keep forgetting to cut any flowers as we’re hardly in the house…..
Live from Ruthven 