Yes June. Let’s just call this a bit of a throw back post. I’m putting my tardiness down to a change in how I’m editing and storing my photos, which although it’s not hugely different has thrown me a little. But looking through the photos I’d added to this post, the memories were strong, so I couldn’t not share. And yes, updates for July and August should also follow, hopefully this side of Christmas.
But anyway, let’s head back to June and roses in bloom - can you smell them?
Although it does look a little nibbled doesn’t it?
June was also the month of the Little Shed and the Great Greenhouse Clearout. The photo below is one of the before shots and on reflection it doesn’t seem that bad, but I couldn’t move in there so it needed some tidying, at the very least.
The chillies I ordered arrived and survived - in fact most are still going strong. I’ve even had some padron peppers, which if I’m really honest I probably wasn’t expecting. Only a few, but a few more than I thought.
We made friends with two little cats from a couple of doors down. They both quickly became known as #notmycat and both provided much entertainment, even for MOH, who - well let’s just say, he’s not a natural cat fan. This one - we started to call her Bob-alike because she looked like my Bob. She spent a lot of time that month on our fence, and was young and impressionable enough for us to talk her out of chasing birds, but our talks are less effective now.
The little shed was reassembled after spending a fair time in parts behind the pizza oven, where it had lived since it came back from the laptop. Clearly that it’s not its final home, as that would just be odd.
Ah yes, cherries. This year we had so many. It was also the year that MOH needed to pick them all before the pigeons got them. He brought them indoors and left them, so then needed sorting again as those with bugs in made themselves known. To be fair though he stoned all the ones we kept - it’s a thankless task, and I’ve a feeling that he won’t be so keen next year! He also made cherry conserve, some runny, some more set than rubber - but I’m sure both will be tasty.
We cleaned out the big shed, and discovered this in a cardboard box. I was both fascinated, curious and scared - though as it turned out whatever lived there had long since moved out. It was beautiful too, but from a distance.
Once everything was out of the greenhouse, it felt so much bigger. As you’d expect. The photo above is a midway shot. It clearly filled up again pretty quickly, but even so, the resulting layout is working much better.
My nasturtium leaves went speckled, and very pretty they were too.
We saw wildlife. In our kitchen. This stag beetle wasn’t the only one to fly in - but oh, the noise. They are fascinating creatures, but they’re a little pre-historic. I think each of us were equally stressed, and I’m still not sure if the ‘dropping into the garlic pot’ was a planned move, or a stroke of genius. Either way that’s where it ended up, well just before it was rather rudely turned out onto the patio table.
Peonies. Sigh. They were great.
This is only part of the contents from the now empty greenhouse. And a fair bit of it ended up in the little shed.
Our lettuce was just getting going in June, and it quickly became a daily ritual to pick lettuce for lunch, shortly before we ate it.
The roses on the patio went wild, and the petals dropped as the weather changed. We patched up next door’s broken fence during lockdown, and have spent most of the time since threading the plants through the trellis to regain that privacy. On the whole it’s been successful.
Above is the final layout of the greenhouse, with much smaller plants than I remember.
We had quite a few home grown strawberries despite neglect.
There was extraordinary weather. It teamed down. And of course MOH was out on his bike in this. So was rather wet when he got back.
The sun shined and the jasmine smelled sweet. It was a good year for jasmine too, and it seems an early trim and shape really helps.
We moved this plant - and split it in half. Only half survived, but not as you’d expect the half that moved to another part of the garden - that was fine, and flowered successfully. The half that stayed in place was less lucky and I think we’ve lost it - which is peculiar, but one of those things.
The sweet peas found ways to flower, and the agapanthus threw up 9 flowers between them. Now it was just a case of waiting for them all to break out.
Ah yes, the other #notmycat and as you can see, clearly making himself at home.
