Summer has arrived in the garden in June

Well, a rather humid start to summer after the rains of yesterday here.  But it is Friday afternoon, and I'm hoping for at least some gardening weather this weekend.  I still have sweetcorn and squashes to plant out now the risk of frost is gone, and beans both climbing and dwarf to sow.  More peas, and I still need to get in some beetroot and carrots.  I'm late with the carrots this year, but past experience is that the later sowings have fared best in years gone by,

Hoping for some barbecue weather too, so I can do what is all to easy to forget - sit and enjoy the view of the garden through the bottom of a glass !

Too right about the humidity - I'm hoping that this won't be a bad year for blight!

Playing catch-up at the lotty today. Cleared a lot of space, and planted out squashes (courgettes, butternuts, cucumbers etc), sweetcorn, and sowed some climbing beans. Also planted out some celeriac. Just the rest of the sowings for tomorrow - peas, dwarf beans, carrots and beetroot.

I am envying my neighbour's De Walt cordless strimmer. Much quicker than my rusty Spear & Jackson shears...

Just been down to the greenhouse to water, and I can see cucumbers starting to swell. Not long now !
Last night I finished off the allotment digging, and sowed peas and beetroot. Bit later than normal for the beetroot, but is always seems to do well for me. For the peas I had some prunings of silver birch to make pea sticks, much kinder on the arms when it comes to harvesting them than the plastic mesh I used to use, and when they are done birch rots quickly enough that the whole lot can go on the compost heap.

The cucumbers have arrived ! Not tasted one yet though, my family have eaten the first two in my absence.

But what is going on with my potatoes this year ? The plants have grown like crazy - nearly 3 feet tall ! I've never had them quite so enthusiastic before, trouble is they are crowding out my mange tout.

Tomatoes are swelling, but look like being late this year. My earliest were 15 June one year - how are yours doing ?

My potatoes are also going for a height record - I have a feeling that the tubers won't be that big as I'm sure I'm not giving them enough water.

Very late getting cucumber in, I only have one, for mini fruits, but not at flower stage yet.

Plenty of tomato flowers but none open on the peas yet. Summer broccoli, which I've never grown before, has large magnificent leaves but no sign of broccing so far.  

Strawberries doing very well, nearing the end of cropping. Old gooseberry covered in fruit but, at this stage, with consistency of concrete.

I've been catching up with some lateish planting. My brassica are all in and under netting. They're all bought plants as I just didn't get round to sowing seeds early enough. I have sown some dwarf kale.
I've got peas and beans in the tunnel but have planted runner beans, dwarf beans, more peas and spinach beet outside. We were supposed to have some significant rain last night -it's been dry and hot for 4 weeks and things are starting to wilt. We just got a bit of a damping but welcome nevertheless.
I've only just put my cucumber plants out in self watering pots in the greenhouse. Tomatoes are coming on well in the tunnel and don't seem to have suffered from the temperature reaching 50° on several occasions. If we continue to get a reasonable amount of sun I have high hopes for the melons. I planted them out 3 weeks ago and there are 5 really good sized ones already with plenty more swelling - I've been taking some off. The insects have done a cracking pollination job.

Mr D has been doing sterling work, collecting strawberries. This is the last year for the plants before I replace them, and we only have a couple of plants now but there have been enough for several desserts. He has also brought in the ripe broad beans, so they are on the menu for tonight

I managed another day of catch-up at the lotty. Planted out leeks raised in a 7.5 litre pot, as recommend by gardener extraordinaire Sally.   Best looking leeks I've had for years, really strong.  They are Winter Giant 2.

Also sowed more beans, peas and finally got around to the carrots.  Nearly caught up !

Came back with about 4 punnets of strawberries.  Jam making is on the agenda !

I had to go and water at the allotment today, I have carrots and peas just emerging, a bad stage to let them dry out.

I investigated my water butt - the tap is leaking and the shed meant to supply it needs re-felting and guttering fitting. Mind you, water butts are always quickly empty when you need them most !

I'm having to water the beans, brassicas and potatoes in the garden which is unheard of. Fortunately I can fill buckets from the river which is close by though I'm having to do that with a jug as the water level is very low.
I lost some of my wallflower seedlings yesterday - they got too hot in the greenhouse. I found them as they were gasping their last. I managed to revive 25 out of 30.

25 out of 30 isn't bad, Ploshkin...