Gimme A Correct Weather Forecast Here Please

With rain forecast for last Friday, part of yesterday and again for today it was no surprise to find myself down my plots, enjoying hot sunny weather with an intermittent cooling breeze. Well at least MY crystal ball was still working correctly the last time I consulted it. At present the unproductive rain clouds have passed overhead leaving a clear blue evening sky, so I assume temperatures will drop considerably overnight with more hot weather again tomorrow. Just finished watering most of my plants using water from the drainage ditch at the southern end of my plots, about an hour ago, with thanks to the crystal ball.

Fruit Cage Under Construction N1 Plot 4/July/14

  A busy week yet again down the plots, with the construction of a fruit cage on N1 Plot being the main center of attention. My intention is to protect the currant bushes growing in one of the beds, mainly from birds taking the fruit. The strawberry plants from the adjacent bed will be lifted and re-planting into the southern (lower) end of the same bed, inside the cage alongside the currant bushes. As I already had a few re-cycled fencing posts I decided to purchase half a dozen more, 4 corner posts are now in place with 1 post positioned midway between each corner post. The posts have been sunk into the ground and held in position by packing them in with stones and clay to avoid the use of concrete or meta post supports. 2" X 2" wooden battens are connected to each post at a height of 7 feet (just over 2 meters) above ground level. The total area being covered in will be about 288 square feet or approximately 30 square meters, that's as far as my maths goes. Chicken wire is being attached to form the "walls" of the cage with the usual nylon type netting being used to form the roof.

Poly Tunnel Left From Door 4 July 14

Poly Tunnel Right From Door 4 July 14

Fruit picking has been one of the priorities this weekend with enough red and white currants and gooseberries picked and already in the freezer. The black currants require a few more days to ripen fully before they are picked. The remaining currants and gooseberries will be picked within the next few days and prepped for selling. I lifted a few carrots today which were of good quality, size and flavour. With 9 fifteen feet (5 meters) rows of garden peas growing on N2 Plot, several picks of peas have taken place during the past week. I thinned out my turnips (Purple top milan) today, cooking a few of the baby turnips (thinnings) along with the carrots for my tea. More sowing has been done with dwarf french beans and a second sowing of runner beans completed on N1 Plot. 63 leek plants have been planted out during the past 2 days on N2 Plot where the 4 small beds (now 1 large bed still being cultivated) is situated. After 5 earlier sowings of spring onions failed to germinate, 2 further sowings are now growing well, one row in my poly tunnel and one alongside my asparagus on N1 Plot. The sweetcorn plants on N2 Plot are enjoying the recent spell of hot weather, with many of them bearing up to 5 good sized cobs already. I sow the same variety (lark F1) each year and generally speaking each plant usually produces 2 cobs at most.
 

Frog Weighing In At Under A Pound 4 July 14

Another Pollinator 4 July 14

Collecting Last Years Leek Seeds

Leek Soup A.K.A. Nitrogen Feed 4 July 14

A Nice Show of Lettuce 4 July 14

Marrows Looking Good 4 July 14

A Single Poppy 4 July 14

First Few Carrots This Year 6 July 14

It's A Mess Behind My Sheds 4 July 14

Leeks Planted Out 6 July 14

 If you want a larger image click on the picture.


 There's Always Tomorrow!!