holidays

have just returned from a fortnight's holiday and rather anxiously checked the garden to see how it survived without us - even went out with a torch the evening we got home!
well, left to their own devices, things have flourished. the pumpkins have grown so large that they've brought down the pea row they were growing through. the runner beans have continued to crop - some have been collected by a neighbour so they're still flowering. the rainwater capture system for the greenhouse seems to have worked well - apparently there was fairly regular rain while we were away so the water butt was re-filled from time to time. we lifted the cover off of the plastic tomato house before the holiday, so they didn't need watering and some have started to ripen.
the only thing not doing well is the hanging basket with flowers and tomatoes in it - we really should have taken it down but forgot to.

pumpkins

pumpkins are swelling well with all the recent rain and are now having to be supported in old fruit nets to stop the stems breaking.

picked this week

Beans - lots and lots of beans, again! both French and Runner, but far more runner beans. will have to extend the freezer!
more tomatoes but they're ripening slower as it's been a less sunny week.
only one courgette
rocket still growing well but have lifted the last of the lettuce this week - need the new, smaller ones to grow quickly.

random photos - testing new camera

picked this week

courgettes - have 2 plants grown from same variety of seed but the courgettes from them appear quite different


lots and lots of runner and french beans - too many to eat so freezing them


blueberries - really large ones despite being grown in a tub

red chard,
rocket
lettuce though this is bolting and most is bitter

broccoli



tomatoes - mainly cherry but also a couple of Big Boy steak tomatoes

peas - not so many this week



alpine strawberries still cropping and the first fruit from the self-setting plant

cucumbers - a couple this week but then none growing for next

garden paths in August

picked this week

more painted lady and the first of the common scarlet emperor runner beans. both dwarf and climbing french beans



rocket - which is still growing well
lettuce - which is running to seed



alderman peas and odd ones from feltham first plants which are flowering and fruiting a second time

mangetout peas

courgettes -which are starting to crop wildly


handful or two of alpine strawberries

rhubarb

first blueberries

first of our tomatoes - cherry ones from the hanging basket