Borage And Buttercups

 I went to the plot yesterday to reacquaint myself with it.I found that some things have grown on beautifully and others have failed to get going at all.I was pleased to see my Shallots have started to grow beautiful foliage.The main bulbs are already beginning to grow off shoots.These obviously love the rain and sunshine.I will use these in cooking.I think they are beloved by French chefs for their sweet taste.I have only grown Onions before so this is a first year for me.

 The Rhubarb had flowered in my absence.I cut all the flowers and flower buds off,and gave each crown a trim.I have Rhubarb in the fridge ready to make a crumble.I gave loads to Hils for her to turn it into a crumble,and jams.I have too many crowns!I wander if the large crowns need splitting to stop them setting flowers.They are small white flowers like cotton wool with a buttery smell.

 The two lines of Peas have germinated really well,I had problems before with mice eating the pea seeds before they could germinate.There are two types, the new Pea Kelvedon and some of last years dried pea Cavalier.Cat will get to perform a taste test to see which is sweeter.I will sow two more rows in a few weeks to try to stagger the Pea harvest.Eating them fresh from the pod is one of life's great experiences.That's why you need to grow double the amount, one for me one for the pot..

 There are beautiful wildflowers blooming around the weedy edges of the plot.This creeping Buttercup looks amazing at close range.There are Dandelions,Speedwell, and lots of Poppies yet to bloom which I will leave.I garden organically and so i will have to live with couch grass,docks,brambles,and thistles.I dig them up and compost them.Eventually there will be four compost bins rotating.The raised beds will have a constant supply of organic matter.They say a weed is a plant in the wrong place.This one is lovely looking.

 The Potatoes have started to show through the trenches that I dug for them.They need earthing up and between the rows need hoeing.No matter how often i go there is always jobs that need doing.Rain and sunshine made the grass grow around the plot up to my knees!Just in a few weeks.I want to invest in a small push mower.Grass actually makes a very good path and will keep moisture in.Mud paths turn into the Somme when it rains heavily.

 The Raspberry canes are growing very well.I tied the long canes onto the sticks.The flower buds are already formed.I love eating Raspberries straight from the cane.My only experience before was eating Raspberry yoghurt's.Eating one fresh from the plant was a revelation.I love Strawberries but Raspberries are divine with fresh cream,especially if you have grown them yourself.

This Borage was a Volunteer plant from the first raised bed.It has delicious blue flowers perfect in ice cubes to go with a glass of lemonade.It is growing in a pot,until I decide which bed to plant it in.The Bees went mad for it last year.The buzzing sound of Bees and Borage is a sound of the Summer.
 When I walked down the lane to get to the plot I heard the mournful sound of the Cuckoo..Cuck..ooo...Cuck..ooo.
 He had flown all the way from Sub Saharan Africa and is now flying around the farmers fields singing in the morning for a mate.I had seen Swifts dive bombing around the horses field catching flys and bugs.Their shrieks and aerial acrobatics are a sure sign that Summer is near.
 The down side to yesterday was how dry the top soil had become with the sunshine.The Carrots and Parsnips had not germinated at all.The Turnip Snowball has germinated but have been chomped a bit by slugs or snails.Luckily I sowed three rows so there is an abundance.
 The difference between the garden at home and the allotment is the control.I can go into the garden every day to see whats happening.The allotment has to be between work shifts when I'm not tired out.
 The greenhouse has the remaining plants that will eventually go to the plot.Cabbages Primo,Leeks Neptune,French Beans, and Broccoli Waltham.The Butternut Squash has not germinated at all so it may need a replacement.
 I have drawn a rough plan on some lined paper with the raised beds approximate position.Five beds are in use, with the other five ready to be filled.I will go again tomorrow to do more weeding and to sow some Swede Marian seeds.A plots work is never done.