13th June, it's supposed to be high summer and the thermometer is reading 11.5C, or 52F. The pressure's dropping, wind is rising and it feels like early March outside.
I sowed the courgettes and pumpkins late this year because it was so cool, the've grown slowly and I finally planted them out last weekend. I've now had to cover them up with cloches as the poor things looked utterly miserable in this chill wind.
Can we have some summer - please?
On cushions, caterpillars, cats and fidgeting....
On the joy of not cutting back in autumn.
Several years ago I hosted a propagation workshop and we explored the topic of growing plants from seed. I talked about seeds waiting for the right moment to germinate, knowing that winter had passed, measuring the temperature or daylength, and sensing when they were at the right depth to break
Years ago at a National Garden Scheme event I got chatting to another garden owner about re-vamping tired borders. I explained that I was trying to carve out some pockets of space in an overcrowded bed, to add in some earlier colour. She shook her head slowly. ‘You won’t