New life everywhere

This week I am a bit fed up. I am am supposed to be stuck in the house resting as I have had a very minor op and have 6 stitches in my calf. It should be elevated to allow healing but how do you look after your garden like that? 

I have tried to do bits and pieces but it hurts so I have given in and am stuck inside whilst we are having the best week of the year. I have though, had a closer than usual inspection of the veg patch and garden and am delighted to report that in the last few days there has been lots of growing activity. A previously green garden suddenly has patches of colour from the tiny flowers appearing all over the place. 

The most striking is the Arum lily by the gate to the Patch. It has flowered very rapidly

Not only are the Strawberries covered in flower, there are some fruits as well

My previous blog pictured my first ever cucumber. It is now so large I am having to support it to stop it rotting on the bottom. 

Most of the nine tomato plants in the greenhouse have their first flowers

And what can I say about the chills. I think by now you must realise I am a bit chilli obsessive this year. I have looked after these plants since the 1st of January and very soon I shall get my reward. I planted them last year but a lot later and only got about 4 chillies right at the end of the summer. This year it is going to be very different. 

This is one of the Chilli trial plants Number 3,  The Hungarian Wax Chilli. Lets hope they are tasty as they are pretty. 

My Mange Tout is flowering

And this year we will have more than a teaspoon full of peas

Elsewhere, the rhubarb leaves are huge

and the Asparagus has gone all wispy, makes for a slightly arty photo though

Nasturtiums are beginning to flower all over the patch, I really must plant these somewhere. 

and as usual I have too many lettuce. No room for these yet, lets hope I can keep them going in the tray for now. 

After last years blight disaster with the spuds, I have only grown Sarpo varieties this time, so far so good, beautiful healthy looking plants. 

My cabbages are already getting big and there is no sign of slug damage, I am very impressed with the Nematodes. 

Shallots, leeks and beans are also growing well

and finally in the patch, my cut flower bed is romping on. I did do some thinning last week, but I probably still have far to many plants in here, but whatever, I will see how crowded it gets and transplant a few when they are bigger. 

So overall there is plenty going on. Its all going to have to look after itself until the weekend when I shall be back on top form. Here are a couple of overview pictures from either end of the patch. 

Elsewhere there are things to report. My hanging baskets at the front of the house are looking very nice indeed. Thanks to the ladies at Everton Nurseries for planting them exactly as I asked. 

And then the stream bank. last year I told you my neighbour and I had started to clear all the brambles,nettles and ragwort that populated it and were trying to establish wildflowers. 

The problem is that the banks are covered in huge tussocks of grass that are blocking out the flowers. A plea for assistance on twitter was answered by Georgie who owns and runs an amazing british flower growing business called Common Farm Flowers. She suggested planting something called Yellow Rattle which predates on the grass roots and steals all their nutrients. Thus over time, the grass vanishes. She did though say that they were difficult to establish. Oh well anything is worth a go. 

I bought some seeds and liberally doused the bank last autumn. As the year has progress I have inspected regularly for the plants but nothing seemed to be happening, Lots was growing but nothing that look like the pictures I had seen, then suddenly at the beginning of the week the bank was covered in a new plant. This looks promising I thought. Then yesterday out came the lovely little flowers. Success!!! I am delighted and they are very pretty little plants. I shall be getting more seed to cover the rest of the bank this autumn. 

Have just spotted the ragwort growing below this one, I will have to go and pull that out when I have finished this blog. 

As the weather has improved we have started our New Forest Adventures again. We belong to a small walking group, nearly all ladies, but they love having Jim along, Last week we did a walk around the huge grounds of an Elizabethan House called Breamore House . Its beautiful and in an area where lots of Horse Racing studs can be found. We had a great walk through bluebell woods which were just finishing, and then saw all the beautiful new born foals. Maybe one of these will be a big winner one day? 

Well thats all for now. Got to go and put my leg up!! Oh and dig up that ragwort. Have a wonderful week in the sunshine, we all need it.