Seeds and Stuff - June 2015

At this time of year, it's more about trying to raise what is already growing, rather than sowing new seeds - although there's still time to sow lettuce leaves and rocket to keep me going through the summer months. And if I run out of things to grow any month, I can always sow mustard seed or garlic chives any month of the year.

It's been quite exciting this month - I've started to use my own compost.

It's lovely and crumbly although I haven't taken out all of the weeds, so goodness knows what might come up with my sowings! According to Monty Don on Gardener's World recently, it's not necessary to keep your compost bin covered up, so I've taken his advice and left the lid off for a while. I've also put the smaller, weaker tomato plant seedlings in the compost bin so I'm wondering whether I might be growing tomatoes in the compost bin too. It's very exciting to see what might happen!

The courgettes are going great guns and the spuds are fab too.

I've finally earthed up the second lot of spuds now but of course you can't use existing compost for those so I've bought a few new bags from B&Q for those.  I also used the new stuff for the tomatoes, although I'm not sure if I need to be very strict about that?

I've been enjoying the garden by just sitting in it for a change too, instead of pottering about or working in it. We're at the start of a heatwave this week - apparently temperatures could be in the thirties - so I'm having to be much better about watering.  I have to admit that watering is a bit of a hit and miss affair with me, but I'm already being much more organised than usual.  I'm only sitting outside when it's shady - it's much too hot for me in the sun.  I'm limiting my working in the garden to early in the day or later in the evening.

The apples are coming on brilliantly and the birds are always playing around in them, which means there are a lot of apples laying on the ground which I'm assuming have been dislodged by the sparrows?

So we're coming to the time of year when I can slow down a bit - it's just a waiting game now.  Time to sit and take a few moments to enjoy it all. I do love my garden!