The Midsummer Mysteries

That’s what’s mad about gardening, one week you’re worried about the chance of frost and before you know it you’re coming up to midsummer. Where’s those other weeks gone to?

We’ve been promised some hot weather this week so we’ll be out with the watering can in the morning. The great Joe Maiden used to say it’s much better watering the garden in the morning than at night as the dampness in the evening only helps attract the slugs and snails and he may have a point. It’s not a bad experience being in the garden early (we’re not talking 6 am though or the neighbours may mistake you for an intruder!) Another watering tip we heard many moons ago on Gardener’s Question Time was if you’ve invited friends around for a day in the garden, give it a good soaking about an hour before they come and it will look great when they arrive. Top tip!

The wild bit at the bottom of the garden is looking great and it’s a lot livelier than when it was just a veg patch. There is a line of spuds and some cardoons by the fence but it’s mainly a mixture of beebombs from the other year, random sowings of poppies and various wild flower seeds including a woodland mixture from ebay as it don’t get a lot of light down there.

There’s now an addition of a micro pond made out of an old slow cooker bowl filled with plants thinned out from the main pond. We’re not expecting much wildlife in it but as we’ve a few tadpoles in the nearby pond perhaps it may be a frog holiday home later this year. Who knows?

And finally a big thanks to our good friend The Rhythm Doctor (who does a wonderful weekly show on a Monday at 9-11am on IDA Radio Tallinn here and all his past shows are archived here) who told us about the Patate Records Bandcamp which has some brilliant tunes up on it including this wonderful one from a good few years ago from Jah Mason.

And as they say on Gardeners Question Time, may the weather be with you. And get some lollies and cold drinks in the fridge for later this week as 31 degrees was mentioned.