It’s been a while…
As I stand here amongst the lush green growth I find myself pondering over how I’ve arrived in July without so much as a Hi….
With my first crop of flowers running out of steam I am now moving on to their successors. The Sweetpeas were almost over before I even began to harvest thanks to this scorching heat (even up North!) however what I do have, more seedlings that I managed to keep alive to go in their place but before they are plucked out they brought much needed colour to the plot. I did manage to get a few vases and bouquet orders as well as jam jars for friends.
The small trial I did manage, was a wide spectrum of varieties with fewer plants. I crammed as many as I could into my small growing space and waited to select the tones I love, muted shades and picotee markings that have had me swooning for a few weeks. Those are now chosen and are absolutely keepers and if you follow along with me on Instagram I just know you are going to love them and let’s not forget the shock waves of intoxicating scent the humble sweetpea throws through the air.
My top favourites will go with other flowers I have grown and tested, all designed to be grown by you and picked together to create your own bouquets, to be enjoyed in your home. These exciting little bundles will be launching in the Autumn, a beautiful little gift series on the website for you and all those enthusiastic growers like me. Just think of that little carbon footprint you won’t contribute too by growing your own.
I’ve stood and stared at these sweetpeas for weeks and paired them with other easy to grow annual flowers all teamed up with whatever greenery I have growing. Really looking forward to this one…
The temperatures are beating me back out the potager with only a small amount of jobs ticked off but what this weather is doing is making me do all those jobs you look at and say to yourself… that can wait. I am now a proud owner of a teeny tiny nursery full of perennials, which will be the next stage of my re-design of the potager. If only it would rain and quench the earths surface…. It’s like digging on the moons crust right now!
As well as the flowers flourishing, the fruit is in abundance with plentiful tayberries, black currants, crimson gooseberries and the rosey red apples are plumping up nicely for autumn. Unfortunately the birds had plans for the cherries before I could blink but what we do have are some good looking chubby plums.
Let’s not forget the herbs, boy are they loving this weather. My ultimate favourites right now are lemon balm, chamomile and majoram. Maybe the reason why these scents are featured so heavily in my candles and soon to launch Gardeners Soap, but I’ll leave that for another time.
Until the next time… enjoy the Sweetpeas while they are here.
Love Jane
