My gardening DIARY

MONDAY Up on the shed roof, one plant is thriving among the dried-up grass. It’s agapanthus; there are several clumps. As you walk up the field or up the garden they’re plain to see. Heads of blue flowers against a blue, blue sky.

TUESDAY One of the success stories in our garden this year has been our annuals, among them nicotiana. The two we’ve concentrated on, N. mutabilis with dinky, white flowers that change to pink, and N. langsdorffii with pale green, tubular bells, add an unusual twist to conventional combinations.

WEDNESDAY A few years after we moved here, I asked my mum for a piece of a beautiful white phlox she had in her garden. The next winter she dug up the clump and gave me a chunk. I’ve divided it many times in the same way and now there are maybe 20 clumps running through Alice’s garden. It’s strong, healthy and beautiful but the main thing is that it reminds me of my mum.

THURSDAY Our Italian plum tomato, ‘San Marzano 2’, has oddly shaped fruit, that rapidly change from lime green to red within days. To encourage ripening we’ve taken out their growing tips to prevent them getting any taller.

FRIDAY Very late in the day we optimistically planted Gladiolus murielae dried corms from last year’s plants. They were crammed into clay pots and their foliage now is brilliant green and sword-like. No sign of buds yet but it’s early days.

SATURDAY So many crops reach fruition at this time; spuds, carrots, beetroot, beans and, in the greenhouse, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and peppers. As outside crops are cleared, we can sow catch crops, especially salads and leaves, which will be ready in weeks.

SUNDAY Most of the annuals we’ve grown have loved the sunny weather, but we’ve found larkspur seems to prefer a shadier position. The rich blue of its flowers glow when not in bright sunshine.