2023 - August Review

I'm not on top of it or particularly organised. The fruit cage, for example is just like a jungle. We had 3 little visitors in July, oldest 9, who thought it was a great place to play, where they could just put up their hands and pick loads of sweet cherries and the red/blackcurrants were growing everywhere and also fully ripe with lots of raspberries as well. I had intended to cut the currants back last winter but I think I only half did the job as they are just a thicket now. In the hot spell, I did water the raspberries once then gave them a thick mulch of grass mowings, which was all that was needed for a reasonable early crop of Joan J.

I keep a gardening spreadsheet of when I do things but it is not complete as I often go to see when something happened in previous years but it is absent.

One plant that has really impressed me is this with 3 vines climbing round a 6x8 greenhouse. You can't easily see the furthest vine that is behind the leaves in the centre, as are 2 rather large loofahs.

   

The good is sweet peas- usually the hot weather finishes them much earlier.
Still going , and have been since 8th May
Similarly cornflowers have gone in longer than I expect.
Daucus and ammi got some sort of root problem so curled up, yellowed and died before producing anything to pick at all.
Zinnias have suddenly put on a growth spurt, so I hope they’ll keep going.
Strawberries are a miserable failure.
Likewise raspberries.
Birds had the gooseberries in just one day.

My spring sown flowers were late and then were over quickly.
Ranunculus and anemone, most rotted - then over fast.
Rocket - over to fast

Dahlias, lots later but I started feom cuttings o Im not sure the weather has been the problem.

Larkspur, usually a fabulycrop for me - struggled early on and has limped on.
Achillea - fantastic, bells of ireland also brill.

Sweet william hardly flowered

Sweet peas rubbish

Lavetera - fabulous but much later than last year

Zinnias - grown in the greenhouse- really pleased with these.

Tomatoes.... happy with these.