REAP BENEFITS

The new season spells good growing conditions – and chance to make most of home-grown crops

Ifair enjoyed that fine spell of weather we had recently. That’s a pretty obvious comment to make as I doubt anyone would choose cool, damp and windy days over sunshine and heat. What I mean is the dry spell slowed down the rate the grass was growing, and dealing with weeds was so much easier. It made keeping on top of the garden quite a straightforward task. Looking around the garden, plants like the Himalayan blue poppy were wilting, not getting the moisture they needed. Patches of grass were starting to turn yellow. We certainly needed some rain to replenish them.

Lately we’ve been having lovely springs, but the only trouble is when the rain finally comes at the start of summer it just never seems to stop!

I’m sorry if I’m repeating myself but I am finding this a strange year in the garden.

I’ve found plants flowering earlier than usual and actually some that I’ve never seen flowering before.

One of my favourite trees is the tulip tree which I enjoy for its large, flat, glossy green leaves – leaves I’ve also seen described as odd.

It does also produce greenish-white tuliplike flowers but I’ve only ever seen this on trees growing closer to the east coast, and never on ours more inland in Perthshire. Not until this year that is.

One of our specimens, growing in a sheltered spot, finally gave a flower or two for the first time in my 10 years at Scone.

I’m putting it down to a winter and spring without any real cold spells or hard frosts.

The way the trees, shrubs and perennials grew in spring with everything looking so lush and healthy, it seemed like we had

the perfect amount of heat and moisture in the ground and air to create the near ideal growing conditions.

It was maybe a bit too good for the grass, as near the end of May it was like it had fully grown again before we had even finished cutting it.

Yet a few weeks later due to the warm, windy, dry spell the growth was so slow the grass was only being cut just to keep a stripe on it. Weird, so up and down this year.

With the passing of the longest day we’re into the summer season and right on cue, just in time for the school holidays, the rain clouds have come upon us.

We do need it though. My water butt was actually empty, a worrying sign, and I’m glad

that’s now topped up.

I always try to look for the positives in any situation and at least, for now, I have one less job to do in the evening with our veg crops and the developing fruits on our apple, pear and plum trees benefiting from a proper drink.

For years we’ve been hearing how much better it is for us to grow our own veg at home, there are so many different varieties available than what we see on the supermarket shelves. They have better flavours too.

With the price of everything going up and up, I’m starting to appreciate just how much money can be saved when we grow our own.

With work I had quite a hectic May this year, resulting in me missing out on one of my three-weekly, successional lettuce sowings.

For a wee spell I had run out of my own supply of salad leaves and had to go back to buying bags from the shops.

Our family can go through a good four bags of salad every week which, if we bought it, would cost us the best part of £5.

That’s a decent bit of cash being spent regularly on one of the easiest food crops there is to grow.

Thankfully we grow our own. With some quick maths there’s £20 a month which, over a six-month growing season, means we’re saving around £120 a year.

If we spread this across the likes of beetroot, courgette, onions, kale and all the rest then there are many savings to be had by growing our own.

It’s not just that, salad leaves seed are quite forgiving and since my kids were bairns they have been helping me to grow crops of this.

A couple of pots filled with compost, a little amount of seeds sprinkled across the surface then lightly watered in, and a few weeks later they’re helping themselves to a few leaves for their sandwiches and I’ve got to spend some quality moments with them.

During the nice spell I probably enjoyed relaxing rather than working in the garden a little too much.

My natural clock was telling me I should be out tidying, but when I looked at the beds the weeds and edges weren’t looking that bad due to the slow growth.

It’s not bad but it’s certainly caught up with me now.

Thankfully there’s some nice sunshine for me to enjoy in between the showers so I can get on with some gardening.

Growing your own veg, such as beetroot, can save you quite a bit of cash.

POSITIVES: Early summer downpours have been good for fruit trees.