Waiting...

We have been waiting for promised rain storms that never came (don't count about 6 drops), for the beans to grow, and for Reginald to arrive. Fortunately the rain did finally come when the weather forecast said it was to be sunny, so the water butts are filling up again and the garden is less parched all over. The French beans have produced exactly three beans from one of the five plants, but maybe the rain will help (although not today please, as there are towels drying on the line). Baby number 2, aka Reginald, is due in three days and showing no sign of wanting to emerge.

Anyhoo, I am really writing this entry because the computer is on and, since I've now finished work, it seems a good time to try putting photos of the garden up on the blog. Only taken two years to update the images! Oh dear, there are quite a few to chose from. This could take some time and Father-in-Law is coming over now-ish to investigate thesaurus construction (I got stumped by facet analysis over two years ago). He is supposed to be being good and recovering from a heart op, cue wanting really mind numbing things to occupy him on the computer!

Husband and Dad L making path in May - only took 3 years to decide the route.
The soil and turf removed for the path were used to level the lawn, cue patch of earth next to slide.

Toddler making bird scarers with cds at the start of May. Herbs growing well against wall. Beer barrels in background.

Okay, I ought to take some more recent photographs of the garden showing the brassicas prior to their consumption by millions of cabbage white caterpillars; the growing plum and apple trees; the strawberries; the raspberries beautifully netted (proof against a proud Daddy Blackbird showing his offspring how to leap up and eat them); the box lumps moved to become a hedge; and the soon-to-be-moved Bed D with really really small yellow courgettes growing well (why are they so small though?). I will not take photos of the sunny flower border because it's fairly awful. The shaded woodland border looked great in spring but doesn't look much now.

Right, to hang more washing out to taunt the skies.

What we have eaten

So far this year (from March):
rhubarb
raddish
lettuce
rocket
potatoes
chives, rosemary, sage, thyme
and one eensy weensy yellow courgette (picked for Toddler's tea coz it matched the yellow pepper)

Yikes! Where did June go?

Oh dear, I seem to have missed June as I believe it's now July. We did go on holiday to Pembrokeshire, Wales, for a week (as per last year, kicking ourselves that it wasn't two weeks). Otherwise we must have just been doing the usual playgroups, shopping, working, cooking, growing thing. Anyhoo...

The garden is looking good. It likes sun and rain. We all like sun and (a reasonable amount of) rain. We've been eating lots of rocket which self-seeded two years ago and hasn't let go since. The lettuces are happy. The onions are mostly surviving the mystery defecating beast. The French beans have decided to honour us by emerging from the ground. The two courgette plants really do have wee yellow blobs on them. The cucumber plants are alive, as are three pumpkins. The strawberries are going great guns. The potatoes will be tested this week. The carrots, parsnips, celeriac, cabbages, broccoli and sprouts are growing (although the brassicas may not actually hearten up, but hey ho).

The leeks are still a disaster. How?! They are surely one of the easiest...grrrr...stupid books with trendy ideas...

Questions:
Is it too late to sow squash seeds (yep, killed the seedlings in pots)?
Should I bother putting the rubbish module leeks in the ground?
Where should the extra pot of thyme be planted - will it make someone a happy companion?
Can I be bothered to crouch on a plank to sow chard?
When will I weed Bed E?
Is neat toddler urine okay for onions or is only fermented beery old man wee acceptable?

PS Four weeks one day til due date.