Looking at the peaches...

I Have Peaches! The hand pollinating obviously worked as the tree is full of them. They are the size of 'dobbers' now. I have thinned them out a bit and am now hoping the mad winds we have at the mo don't blow them all off.

The tomatoes destined for friends or for outdoors are now all outside.

We have had the first of the potatoes - admittedly some of them were meant to be ready at xmas but hey-ho yummy none-the-less. I managed to furtle in the buckets to get the first crop, then put the rest back. Got some baby turnips too, which we fried with butter, carrots, garlic and herbs. The first spring onions are ready and have a real bite to them. Loads of salad leaves and spicy leaves and lettuce, and lambs lettuce too every lunchtime. I am NOT going to buy salads this year at all.

The PSB is all finished now - what a treat that was. In the end we managed 47 portions (not that I was counting...)

9 strawberries so far, (first one on May 10th) not all at the same time though so not enough for a proper bowlful, but they are coming along and a real treat still warm from the sun. Half of mine are in the greenhouse for an early crop and the rest will hopefully give us later delights. I have alpines too, not had those before.

What have I been doing? Weeding obviously, sowing more mizuna, salad leaves, herbs, gherkins, and the like. The climbing beans and runners were planted out yesterday. The peas and mangetout are looking good and were planted out a couple of weeks back, the broadies have masses of flowers on them (fingers crossed the deer don't get in again) and should be ready to pick within a few weeks. Globe (F)artichokes have been planted out in with the flower beds. Sweetcorn has been sown, 'minipop' and 'applause'. Borlotti beans are almost ready to be planted out as are the leeks, and the rest of the brassicas.

I have been planting things out in my Nanna's garden a few miles away (she has surplus space she was only too glad is now being used by someone). So there I have put the extra spuds that didn't fit in my raised beds, celeriac, pumpkin squashes and courgettes, all sown back in early april and hardened off before going there. I have also sown some florence fennel direct.

Made some rhubarb and ginger jam with some of my FIRST rhubarb but had to supplement it with some from a friend

We have started off some dandelion wine! No idea what it wll taste like but it's being fermented in the cupboard under the sink and you get a lovely boozy waft when you open the door! I am overrun with weeds on the lawns so decided to put some to good use... Watch this space about xmas time for the final verdict.

We have some new arrivals in the garden - a pressie from my Mum!