A month in 60 seconds

Great weather for the majority of the last month which is very odd. OH now settled in the big smoke has been getting mainly rain where as I have been getting mainly sun ! Most satisfying.

In no particular order:

Rhubarb going great guns. Can get one more useful size pull.
Tatties looking fine and lots of growth. "Earthed up" as much as I can given the room constraints which is basically chucking sieved compost lumps at them.
Witchhazel in full leaf now and going bananas. Mum's looking after it well.
Nearly killed the christmas tree by not watering, so now I've got this spindly brown thing with green shoots at the end.
Forsythia cuttings looking nicely settled in.
Love-in-the-mist taken well.
Courgettes have produced one bloom which had a tiny bump, but not managed to get to fruit stage yet.
Pansies nowhere near as prolific as up the lottie.
Petunias going bananas, need constant water checking.
Clematis x 3 should really get a move on.
Various marigolds potted on for the greenhouse, with some still waiting to go up the lottie. Not as many succumbed to Mr Sluggy this year, the pellets are helping.
Finally got rid of the perpetual spinach and replaced it with cauliflowers in that bed. One had bit the dust, or something bit it !
Strawberries are fruiting nicely. Nothing to eat yet but showing great promise. Have cut a couple of runners off already. Surely that's a bit early for runners or do they send them out at any time ?
Magpies have discovered the fat balls which is a shame (beautiful villains). Lots of wee grey feathers found by the bird table. Methinks Mr Cat or Magpie got more than the fat ball that day.
Lilies are all waiting to burst their buds. No sign of the lily beetle which Dad is suffering from darn sarf. Glad they haven't found my stash yet. No doubt they will do in time.
Fruit trees all a bit disappointing. A way to go yet but only a handful of fruit on each of the many different varieties: blueberry, red currant, black currant, gooseberry ........
Carrots in buckets, bit sparce after they first got cooked, but hopefully i'll get some decent size ones. Thinned the four rows in the bath and covered them back up with fleece. Leeks seedlings in same bath could probably do with pricking out, but as I've not decided where to put them, they can stay put for a bit.
Sweetpeas down the side of the fruit tunnel are climbing up it fairly well although lack of direct sun may account for the lack of explosion that I would have expected by now. still got some seedlings to plant out. will take them up the lottie. Got some perpetual sweetpea seedlings still in 3" pots. could put them over the lottie arch but they just don't look big enough yet.
Moved bird box for next year. Gave it a good wash out and have put it on the front of the shed. Am going to some ivy to plant above it to give it some shade.
Baby great tit visited today with ma or pa. flapping it's wings like crazy. The birdies are coming back in general although the two nests the blackbirds built in the hedge appear to have bitten the dust before getting to fledgling status - them pesky magpies again no doubt.
Got brave with the electric hedge cutter and done as much of the hedge at the bottom of the garden as i could without reaching too far. Me up a ladder with a dangerous machine is ... well... dangerous. Must move the compost bins before i can get into the corner.

In the greenhouse, the tomatoes are looking good. Totem is flowering all over the place, no signs of setting yet though. Sub arctic plenty really does not like heat and goes all wilty on hot bright days, recovering when it gets cooler in the evening. May bring them out onto the deck now we've no chance of frost. Gardener's Delight are behind the other two. No flowers yet.

chillies and peppers have suffered some pretty serious damage. Can't see anything but something's been attacking them. Mutant scrunched up leaves and black dotty marks on the original full size leaves. I'm thinking spider mite, but just can't see anything. Am spraying with washing up liquid to see if they'll recover. Shame cos they have got a few buds and were going really well. Think it's time for a sulphur candle in the autumn. Although I had a clean out, I never had time to give the g/h a deep clean this spring. Think i'm suffering from that.

Parsley needs potting up before it bolts. 3 x basil in pots looking good.

Cherry tree has nice green fruit. Wonder who will get to them first once they're ripened !

Bonsai tree isn't dead yet and seems to like sitting in a constant half inch of cooled boiled water. Before I have my first morning cuppa i poor whatever's left in the kettle in it's oven dish that is handily the same shape as the bonsai pot ! I keep trimming and clipping and it's looking OK actually.

Am always out of time though, and everything is a bit of an effort this year - hence no daily pics or blog updates. Could do better !

Now for the lottie blog .... ta ta for now.

xxx