flowers

I have had this lotus plant in my pond for over a year. This is the first lotus bloom – but it is well worth the wait. It is a near perfect flower, with great dignity.

The pond only gets an hour or two of sun in the height of summer because of the shade from trees. Lotus plants really need full sun, so I was pleased to get at least one. It only opens from around 11.30 to 1pm when the sun hits the pond. …

Lotus flower in bloomRead More »

It has been very hot in England.

Lettuce and peas have done very well.

Cucumber have done really well. The plant is loaded with big cucumbers and they are tasty. …

Success and failure in veg plotRead More »

It’s nearly the longest day of the year and the vegetable patch is in full flow.

I’m really happy with the cucumber plant on the right. I bought a small seedling four weeks ago, and it has grown really quick. The one on left came mailorder a week ago, but doesn’t look as healthy as the one I grew. It is a bit of a suntrap in this veg planter. I planted the odd lettuce as gap fillers, but the broccoli has soon smoothered. I think I made beginner’s mistake of planting too closely – I think everyone does first time.

I have bought some nets for upcoming butterfy season.

Let’s see if the cucumber start to grow! …

Vegetables growing quickRead More »

Some spring photos – kind of in reverse order to calender.

Early May in spring border.

Tulips and comfrey …

Spring April and May 2018 Garden photosRead More »

A bed of crocus

Crocus up close

Lawn.

Daffodils

New College.

One of my favourite comedies when growing up was “The Good Life”. A warm-hearted satire on suburban life and the attempts of a middle-class couple to become self-sufficient growing potatoes and raising chickens in their back-garden. It was a funny comedy but also the idea of being self-sufficient was quite appealing as an idealistic teenager.

Well, I never did make the plunge of living on a self-sufficient organic farm. I don’t know whether being an economist counts as the good-life, but there’s only so many airplane flights you can buy with surplus beetroot.

Still the process of growing vegetables is something I’m going to have another go at.

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The good life and a new vegetable plotRead More »