Catching Up - 15th to 21st of June

This week was spent filling in gaps with a few late sown sweetcorn seeds, removing side shoots from the tomato plants and tied them to their supports. I also put the larger of the side shoots to root in water as I would like to grow these on in large pots which I plan to bring inside the greenhouse to extend the tomato season, dare I say "home grown tomatoes for Christmas".

A fair amount of weeding was also done and I have also conceded and have started to water the crops that seem to need it to produce fruits every other day, such as the mangetout which seems to be finished after three large harvest, which is weired for me, as I normally get at least 6 - 8 crops which normally takes me into the 1st week of July. So I watered them well over the weekend but thus far no new flowers as yet, the plants still look very health so I'm hoping they will perform.

The ladybug larva are growing nicely on the aphids which are on the greenhouse plants, the aphid numbers are reducing.

There are still the odd painted lady butterfly to be seen.

The mini beast hotel I built last autumn was starting to look a little dilapidated with the tiers beginning to sag, so I repaired it and doesn't it look smart.

Hi there, you are welcome anytime in my greenhouse, just remember to earn your keep and eat only the baddies.

Adalia 10-punctata - 10 Spot Ladybird.

This is the second one I have seen of these 'Volucella zonaria - UK's largest hoverfly'. They are almost the same size of a hornet but are fatter around the middle and with much bigger eyes.

Just your regular fly but doesn't it look pretty.

Saw this growing as a little seedling last year near one of my vege beds and simply assumed it was a St john's Wort plant as there used to be a clump growing in that very area five plus years ago when we inherited the garden and so I moved it to my flower beds but with its lovely red tipped flower buds as well as its general appearance now I believe its a 'Hypericum Pulchrum - Slender St John Wort' which is in the same family as St John's Wort.

Borage in bloom.

Opium poppy art.

Carrot flowers beginning to open their blossoms

A ornamental allium that produces bulbils at the top of its stem instead of a flower, inherited them with the garden and they are everywhere.

Another white clover its so pretty.

The kids morning glories have begun to bloom.

Another inherited plant, I think its a type of arum lily.

The first open runner bean flower.

The garlic will be ready to be harvested soon, I'm just waiting for the leaves to start dieing back.

First strawberries, of which the kids scoffed the lot.

The house sparrow population has grown in the last few weeks with young ones joining the ranks. They are certainly welcomed as the love spending time in the vege garden eating the baddies.

The fox cubs are still about leaving me all sort of smelly packages but this one seen outside the kitchen window looked rather sorry as it had a very bad case of mange and was quite emaciated. I don't think it will survive the next winter.

I was not thinking or I would have recorded this as a video the noise these crows were making and their attacking antics aimed at the cat was quite entertaining, my daughter said she saw a young crow escape into the oak tree (which is on the left just out off the camera's shot) just as the adults began their attack. It lasted about five minutes before the cat slunked off.

Their are now tons of little froglets in the vege mini pond but some are still yet to lose their tails.