No rain but a growing garden.
Veg progress, birdsong and grapes.
It has been a couple of weeks without any rain now so watering by hand has been the order of the day…sometimes twice. It has been lovely and warm with plenty of sun so the plants in the greenhouses are loving it, especially the lemon tree for whom it has been perfect conditions. We emptied the water butt fairly quickly so have refilled it from the outside tap which now has a filter on it to help get rid of some of the hardness and we are only watering the plants with cans to be as frugal as possible.
The tomatoes are growing well, we have started removing side shoots to boost the energy of the main stems, flowers are out so hopefully we will get a good crop this year again of both the plum and cherry varieties. Outside, the kohl rabi are swelling more each day and the garlic has started turning so it won't be long before we can harvest, dry and plait it ready for use…and we use a lot!
Our grape vine is growing like something possessed, it needs pruning every other day really to keep the baby grapes energised, so far it is covered in tiny bunches, not all of which will end up being productive, but there should be enough for us and our friends. It is a black grape variety which is really sweet so always something to look forward to later in the year.
A real pleasure over the last few days has been the birds, both their song and watching them being busy all around. Goldfinches are making use of spent flower heads as well as the feeder, we have fledgling blackbirds, blue tits and sparrows everywhere and it is so sweet seeing them waiting to be fed by their parents before having to fend for themselves. Last weekend we spent hours listening to thrushes in the early morning and evening, singing their beautiful tunes with swifts, swallows and martins zooming around overhead. The kite (which we have nicknamed Harvey) is often seen soaring over the area and that is such a thrill again this year. How lucky we are!
Hopefully it will rain soon, it will give the soil and plants a boost and hopefully replenish our stores somewhat, fingers crossed.