Gardening blog

Week thirty six September 2nd - September 9th

2005

Friday September 9th 2005 It' was another hot day and although there were a few drops of rain it turned out to be no more than a tease. I think I will put Japanese onions sets in the strip that I have been digging over and weeding. The strip is next to a row of strawberries that have been busy flowering all over again in this hot weather.
Thursday September 8th 2005. The hot spell continues and we have had another extremely warm day and I got a call to pick up a swarm of bees. A swarm of bees in September! Wednesday September 7th Another lovely sunny day that was still hot. I dug some more dusty dry soil and put more feed on three beehives. The courgettes and the climbing french beans Blue Lake a still cropping well despite the lack of rain and I haven't been watering them. I did water some of the Autumn cabbages though.
Tuesday September 6th 2005 No gardening today thanks to Writers Nexus
Monday 5th september 2005 Another warm day and no rain. I'm digging the sand (that is my allotment) and taking out the spear grass ready for when the rain comes. I'm not sure what I'm going to plant there yet -- but a least I will have some ground ready. Maybe I will put the Japanese onions sets in there in a few weeks time. I'm having to water the cauliflower as they are wilting. There are plenty of Blue Lake climbing French beans to pick at the moment.
Sunday 4th September 2005 Another warm sunny day. I opened up more than half of my bee hives today and they all had laying queens in and were making honey in this continued spell of fine weather. There is still yet more honey to take off in a few of the hives. One had a very lively new young queen in and for a moment or two she was 'lost' outside the hive although I was lucky enough to find her and put her back she was too skittish to mark so I have left that job for another day.
Some of the plants are definitely showing signs that they would appreciate a good long downpour of rain.
The Worcester Pearman apple tree is, I'm sure, producing bigger apples now after several years continued pruning however most of them still drop to the ground although I did pick several pound of fruit today.

Saturday 3rd September 2005. I've potted on the cuttings I took of the lemon verbena. It is the first time that I have taken cuttings from this plant, although I have been growing it for many years now, and I surprised at how easily they strike. I found it quite a hard plant to find locally when I wanted to buy one but it seems it's relative scarcity has nothing to do with problems of propagation. The weather was warm again and sunny in the afternoon so I took of more honey.

2004

Planted out a row of strawberry runners in Bernithan Court Farm kitchen garden