Lemon grass

I've just been flicking back to the earlier posts and saw a picture of the lemon grass when they were little seedlings. Not much has made it outside (mainly because I sowed far too many seeds). There are three pots outside now. One got attached by slugs/snails but seems to be recovering. Another is doing okay although I'm not sure what stage it should be at. It has one tall blade and since feeding it the other day, more seem to be developing (the picture is pre - feed). I've been looking around on the internet and have found out that the seeds are supposed to be hard to germinate. Mine were fine - I'm sure 99% of them germinated. Although next time I wont sow so many so close together as it is very difficult to separate them later on. (Ok, I really should have thinned them out). However there is no indication of when they will turn into the large plants I have seen picture of, nor of when I can start harvesting for Thai Green Curry. I think this will be a much longer project than the vegetable.

Sweet peppers

Since putting the sweet peppers outside they haven't really done very well. I think I put them out too early as the weather really wasn't good enough. We've had a dreadful June - so much rain and I've been wearing my scarf to work. The plants have also been attacked by slugs and greenfly so it's all a bit of a battle. However as it starts to warm up I'm hoping that the things will recover and start yielding. A couple of them are doing okay and I have moved them to a better position in the garden - it's a bit more sheltered and it gets more sun. I've also put some of the tomato plants there which are already flowering. I've given them all a bit of general plant food so hopefully that'll kick start things into action. The one in the pic is one that I put outside a bit later than the others - only last weekend has it felt the cold outside air on its leaves. It looks so much more greener and lusher than the others.

Bees

We have bees! They are visiting the runner beans so hopefully the fears of a "bee shortage" are over exaggerated. The flowers on the runner beans are dying and starting to produce little mini - runners. They are curved and fluffy now, so it will be interesting to see them develop into full grown beans ready for eating.

Monster slugs

Monster monster monster slugs in the garden. I decided to clear up the border underneath the oak tree. It had been covered in leaves since we moved in last October - the leaves hadn't even begun to decompose as they are tough dry little things. As I got raking, I noticed these enormous slimy beasts. They were FAT - about the size of a clench fist (of a small child). Then one started to move (I had removed its home after all) and it looked like a small legless tiger. It must have been about 5 inches long. These things have been eating our veg.

What weather

The weather has been absolutely awful here at the moment. Cold cold cold and rain rain rain! I'd forgotten it was June. Last night we had some spectacular storms - beautiful fork lightning across the greyish yellow sky and deep rumbles of thunder. I was home alone so a bit scared, although nothing to worry about in the end as I was not hit by lightning as I made my dinner.

Anyway I tell you this because the weather means less sunshine for the crops. I'm not sure whether or not the sweet peppers or chillies will make it through to harvest. I've also bought some tomato plants and I am worried about them too. I've put them under a make-shift fleece covering, so hopefully that'll help, but we will have to see.

The salad crops seem to be doing well although the slugs do like a nibble. I have resorted to buying so-called "organic" slug pellets to kill the buggers, but I feel like I have lost my green credentials as a result.

Most of the spinach and all of the pakchoi have now been pulled up. The pakchoi had run its course and the spinach had gone to seed (started to flower) so time to make room for new crops. Mr is in charge of these and he plans to sow some more pakchoi, possibly leeks... Mmmm leeks are good for risotto, pasta dishes, fish..!

The runner beans have begun to flower. They are bright red - you can see them from the kitchen through the tree!

However the shortage of bees (the flying buzzing things) may mean that they don't get pollinated. I have seen a few flying around so hopefully it'll be fine.

Runner beans

The runner beans are doing very well. At first we were a bit dubious about getting a crop especially after an attack of aphids, wind damage, nosey foxes and all sorts, they have recovered. They've quickly clambered up to the top of the canes and are winding themselves around each other and back over adjacent canes.

However, in order to actually get the plants to produce runner beans we need some bees. Bees, which I am coming round to the idea of, are very very important flying beasties in the garden. They pollinate the flowers - remembering the old GCSE knowledge. However there are stories which say that the bee is in decline. What can we do to help boost their numbers again? (A question I never thought I'd ask - I've even looked up "bee nesting boxes". However the word "colony" sends a shiver down my spine). It's too late now as we should have put a bee box by now. Maybe next year, when I have also invested in a bee keepers outfit.

Ladybirds

Over the last week we've had our first sighting of ladybirds around the garden. This is brilliant news - these gorgeous little beetles eat aphids. Aphids attack the green beans and stunt their growth, so I am happy as murder at the hands of ladybirds will shortly commence. We had planted marigolds to encourage ladybirds - so hopefully this is what has brought them along to our patch. Either that, or it is ladybird season. Either way, who cares.

The ladybirds love it so much, particular on the runner beans, that they have taken to making sweet love (and baby ladybirds we hope) on the stems. If you look carefully in the darker picture, you can just make out the outline of the happy couple. How voyeuristic, but lovely to see nature in action. Mr's new camera lens captures them very well (if I may say so myself as it was his birthday gift from me).