Finally, the weather blessed us with a fabulous weekend. It was hot, blue sky amazing and perfect for time in the garden. You could almost see the plants breathing a sigh of relief as they stretched out their leaves to receive the full impact of the sun. And of course, I was out there revelling in it too, with a thick layer of sunscreen and a large bottle of water. It was a fabulous day.
It is amazing how much you can get through when the conditions are perfect, the garden has never looked better. The beds are now all mostly weed free – except the raspberries. I have completely written off the bed, for now. The flooding in the spring didn’t agree with them and they never really recovered so I abandoned the poor plants that languished there to their own devices. When the weather cools down I’m going to completely empty out the bed and start again with fresh plants, fresh soil and an extra layer on my raised bed so we won’t have a repeat of the soggy season.
So aside from the shameful raspberries everything else looks as magnificent as could be for a season that hasn’t actually been ideal. It is so nice to have the garden in a place of order and control so I can go forward into the year proactive not reactive and enjoy it a whole lot more.
Being in control also means you have a greater appreciation for what is going on. It’s not – “oh no the gherkins are ready again, I need to find time to process them…” It allows you time to examine the garden in detail and prepare for a coming glut, be instantly reactive to problems and enjoy just messing about in the garden instead of tackling it.
As I worked my way across the garden this weekend I was able to notice the cycle of the garden, as the sweetcorn is on the verge of being ready, the strawberries are pretty much over and now is the time to consider what it needs for the next season. Then of course are the seeds still to be sown for the cold season to come. Nothing stands still and the life of the garden is a constantly entertaining thing, if you don’t allow it to overwhelm you and get lost in the ‘out of control’.
I managed to capture some of this summer sunshine and preserve for viewing in cold weather so I can feel the sun radiate from the screen and onto my frozen winter face. You can check out this sunshine too in my latest video talking about how to tell when sweetcorn is ready and what to do with end of season strawberries and a bit of a wee tour of my fabulous in control summer garden.
Come again soon – we shall be talking about cabbages and kings.
Sarah the Gardener : o)
AWESOME!!! Love the video and love your garden!!!
Thanks so much. The garden isn’t looking too bad this season considering the weather. : o)
Everything looks gorgeous and healthy, and yes, it always seems so much more vibrant in the sunlight, doesn’t it?
Thanks so much. The sun is still very much a rare thing so we need to make the most of it when it does come out. : o)