| Hi everyone | | | | all this rain it would be advisable to put fertilizer |
| Last time we wrote we said that the garden and | | | | around your plants again to keep them well |
| the farmers crops needed rain,well not any more! | | | | nourished, do not forget to keep feeding those |
| since then we have had a complete weekend of | | | | tomatoes plants with a phostrogen based feed. |
| torrential rain, enough for the whole month. We | | | | Your vegetable plot should be coming along now, |
| were then lulled into a false sense of security by | | | | and with a few minutes work every day keep in |
| getting two blistering days of sun which was | | | | tip top condition. The strawberries are now in full |
| absolutely fabulous, followed by three days of | | | | swing and we have just picked the first |
| overcast weather but is comfortably warm. The | | | | raspberry. We always cage our strawberry plants |
| garden waslooking great again after quickly | | | | well in the garden, so that we actually eat them |
| recovering from the previous weekend and the | | | | and not the birds, but leave a couple of herb pots |
| forecast was more sun, we thought great we | | | | filled with strawberries on the patio that run the |
| can go and relax in the garden. First thing | | | | gauntlet, as we know the blackbirds are |
| Saturday morning were we woken up with a | | | | particularly partial to them. |
| start by a raging thunder storm directly overhead | | | | The raspberry canes in the last few years have |
| and you have guest it rain, rain and yet more rain. | | | | grown extremely tall so we no longer cover |
| O well like the saying all the best plans Thank you | | | | these, even though they are cut right down in the |
| God but the gardens have had enough water for | | | | autumn. If we did not love raspberries so much |
| now. | | | | we would not contemplate growing them as they |
| Rusty our dog has been his usual self during the | | | | propagate by runners, which pop up every where |
| good weather days but he certainly gets the | | | | in the vegetable garden and flower border that |
| hump on the wet days when he can not get out | | | | we are always having to dig them out, they have |
| in the garden. Wonder who he takes after? | | | | even made it as far as the lawn! So now our |
| Something quite alarming we have just found out | | | | friends and family have the same problem as we |
| recently is that a lot of children do not know | | | | do, as we do not like to just throw away |
| what vegetables are! and where they come from. | | | | perfectly good plants. |
| When you ask the question where do vegetables | | | | Another good garden tip is to make sure you |
| come from and get the answer of Tesco's it | | | | regularly set a few lettuce, radish, spring onion |
| certainly is very worrying. Is this because the | | | | seeds and other quick growing salad plants, so |
| education system is failing them, or is that the | | | | that you have enough to eat fresh in succession, |
| parents no longer have vegetable gardens? | | | | without plants being wasted and going to seed. |
| Perhaps a good school trip would be to a local | | | | Lawns. Your lawns must be looking really lush now |
| market - preferably a farm market, where they | | | | in your garden with the grass growing like 'Billyo' ( |
| could see vegetables grown and actually handle | | | | a good old English word). At this time it is |
| them. We were both so amazed at this, and | | | | advisable to cut your grass twice a week if you |
| appreciate the fact that our children have always | | | | can to keep them looking superb. If you had put |
| been able to pick their own fruit and vegetables | | | | weed and feed on your lawns early on in the |
| from the garden, we believe they must be in the | | | | season it would pay you to give them another |
| minority now. | | | | dose now to keep your grass strong and weed |
| Garden tips for this week. As usual you should | | | | free. Do not forget to change the height of your |
| have had that hoe out getting rid of weeds that | | | | blades on your mowers to suit the weather |
| would have come up in the garden. Any broken | | | | conditions, in other words short grass in wet |
| or damaged plants should be pruned and all leaves | | | | conditions and longer grass in dry conditions. Carry |
| swept up and put on the compost heap, or in the | | | | out these garden tips and like always your lawns |
| green waste bin. You should also check your | | | | will complement your garden.keep reading for |
| plants in pots to see if any need potting up. With | | | | garden tips. |