A day of sunshine and showers with a thunderstorm thrown in. The garden needed the rain but I'm tired of it now as it curtails activity.
Between showers
The weekend was spent harvesting the vegetables. Peas picked, podded and frozen, onions lifted and in the greenhouse to dry completely, French beans' final picking and uprooting. The tomatoes continue to proliferate but are slowing down.
I've managed to re-do the strawberry tubs. The initial aim was to remove the oxalis which had taken root all over one of them. It's a real swine to remove as it's very deep rooted and breaks off easily. That led to all of the plants being removed, old stock thrown away, runners pinned down and a few potted runners planted. It always looks drastic when finished but I'm delighted to see new growth forming well. Always a relief. The rain has helped......
Runner Beans are enjoyed almost daily, the sweetcorn has tasselled well, promising a September crop.
My last job was to plant the alpine trough I had emptied earlier this summer as the saxifrage was full of Bitter Cress. Another insidious weed. Despite careful removal of the plants in the spring, even more careful removal of the weed, it was wound through them again. I emptied the trough, waited patiently (not) for the remaining weeds to die and yesterday, planted some new saxifrage. I've learned the hard way not to plant too closely at the start.
Not a good photograph, but the best I could manage in the planter's postion. None of this would have been possible without Pam's input and help. She did all the vegetable lifting.
The flocks of tits have returned to the garden after the moulting hiatus, when all becomes quiet as they become secretive whilst vulnerable. Marsh Tits and Long-tailed were the last to appear. Pam's kept busy filling the feeders.
A Green Woodpecker has appeared early morning on the back lawn and a Tawny Owl was calling from somewhere in the near garden last night. Probably a young one. We've had them on the sun lounge roof and on top of the telegraph pole and weather vane in the past.
Moth-ing has also become quieter. The cold nights and strongly gusting wind has made the catch much smaller in both number and variety. Here are a few of the ones we have trapped in the garden.
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| Garden Tiger |
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| Beautiful Plume - its name not the description although it could be. |
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| Maiden's Blush |
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| Orange Swift |
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| Six-striped Rustic. Who's counting ? |
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| Two variations of Yellow Shell. Too frisky to remove from the pots. |
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| Brown-veined Wainscot, new for the garden. A Fen and Broads moth. |
This Comma butterfly was resting on the handle of Pam's Rollator in the utility room.
Will Man U manage to beat Wolves away from home to-night............
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