Garden things – mid-June 2021

More mints ordered – I must stop! But Spanish, Tashkent and Indian ordered and some more Moroccan in case mine present one succumbs to the slug attack! I also got 6 lavender, a Scented Geranium Lady Plymouth, and a Lemon Verbena Golden Wind. I have also taken some basil from the greenhouse to harden up so that it can replace the ones eaten by the enemy. So I reckon about 50 herbs, of which half are mint. the coming weather system does not look particularly strong (although t&l predicted/maybe, and then followed by more dry weather.

Martin is coming round to strim the grass in places on Saturday, so I plant out some pot marigold and salvias when the ground is cleared a bit. I am not sure the chicory has come back – but next autumn I will clear a raised bed and think about what to put in.

One water butt is empty, but the other 2 are doing ok – hopefully a fill up later today. The hanging baskets are looking lush but still green at the moment – begonias and cosmos and nasturtiums. We will see what they look like?

Some tomatoes are developing – I must remember to feed them! Possibly some by the weekend although more likely by the end of the month. Maybe some raspberries, probably just to munch, but jam making planed for maybe tomorrow – strawberries a definite, and maybe some apricots if I can get some cheap enough. Or any other fruits. Strawberry jam with elderflower could be good.

I just bought 240 ltr of compost so should be ok to transplant some of the mints and the verbena and others to bigger pots. When I put plants in the ground they seem to be consumed by slugs or whatever, and overgrown by grass (is this me being lazy arse and not weeding? But I am learning and next year will have chickory and flax in greater numbers.

I think I might have enough basil for pesto – so off to Scoop and Spice for some pine nuts.

ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL

In North Somerset now is the time. The sun is shining, the flowers are outing still fresh. So not particularly cheap, but wholesome homemade cordials. I have made more in the past but it is best to keep to the seasons, so the recipe below will last several weeks if in sterilised bottles.

MY GARDEN AT START OF JUNE

Lots of flowers starting to emerge. This was supposed to be a slide show!

And lots more pots of different mints and herbs to be put out. Cosmos and begonia in hanging baskets. House plants to identify and post next!

TREES IN A BUNGALOW!

Some trees do not grow well outside in the UK – and thus I now have 2 lemon trees, a lime tree, and have just bought an olive tree to put in the conservatory. One lemon and the lime being in the porch. The trees are about 1.3m high at the moment!

LAWNS

Why do you have a lawn? If you can answer positively and say you use it for whatever, that is fine. How many people mow a small lawn using electricity or petrol, for no other purpose than to stop the grass growing? I am not advocating concrete or even plastic grass – but what is the point?