Early signs are promising for a good year of crops
Operation ‘clear the greenhouse’ began in mid-May because it couldn’t physically have housed any more developing plants!
Its unheated status meant the young vegetables, bedding and container specimens within were tough enough to take the move outdoors and brave any late frost.
It was a relief to get sweetcorn planted in block formation to aid wind pollination, introduce the first pot-grown courgettes to their patch, and locate runner beans at the base of their climbing frame. Tasty spears are emerging thick and fast in the asparagus bed and we’ve still been picking tender leaves of perpetual spinach from plants sown last May. It’s time to dig out the old and sow a new batch. What brilliant value for money this vegetable is!
Given regular feeding, mulching, watering and pruning, we always anticipate decent soft and top fruit crops each year. The early signs are this will continue. The greenhouse peaches are plum-sized and need more thinning out. The grapevines are also well advanced. We’re pinching out every lateral growing tip at one leaf joint beyond each embryo bunch. This removal of non-fruiting growth ensures maximum energy goes into developing grapes.
Outdoors, fruits have set on the ‘Victoria’ plum and ‘Conference’ pear and most of the apple varieties are in flower, good news for the ‘Bramley’. The deep pink blooms of ‘Redlove’ are outstanding. Two months ago I grafted a scion of ‘Peasgood Nonsuch’ onto an MM106 rootstock and it’s just taken successfully. Such results always offer a warm glow of achievement.
So many colour combinations are catching the eye in our borders. The epimedium ‘Sulphureum’, with groups of cowslips and Euphorbia robbiae in attendance. There’s a large patch of honesty next to the bridal wreath (white) and tree peony, whose yellow flowers are just appearing. Striking patches of bluebells add to the attraction.
Plants in and around the wildlife pond are stirring, with Caltha palustris ‘Flore Pleno’ outstanding. Elsewhere, the golden blooms of single and double doronicums illuminate mixed borders, as does the fragrant Choisya ternata.