Summer Solstice Garden Updates 2016

Summer Solstice Garden Updates 2016

I can hardly believe it’s almost summer solstice. It’s been all go in the gardens here, so much so that I’ve been too busy IN the garden to write ABOUT the garden.

It’s just so lovely to be outside this summer, with my hands in the earth.

I always think that dirty gardening hands = a happy heart. Do you agree? I know I’m always happy when my hands are playing in the soil.
It seems that it’s not just me who thinks this. Research has shown that microbes in the soil can help you feel relaxed and less stressed. Read this article for more details and better still, try it for yourself. Go get your hands in the earth.

dirty hands happy heart

 

What’s been happening?

Here’s a quick overview of what’s been going on. In May there were seedlings coming up, like these carrots and some spinach ..

1st carrot 13th may

 

… which were soon dispatched by hungry slugs.

At least the cauliflowers in the tunnel fared better, revealing tasty treasures.

1st cauli 8th May

 

May video update

Here’s the video version, showing exactly what the garden and tunnel were like last month, in mid May.

Now in June, the overwintered calendula are shining brightly, with the species geraniums just popping through now too.

calendula

The peas are in flower.

1st pea 15th June

And the first courgette has been harvested (while the the spinach is getting large and is very tasty steamed) .

courgette

June video update

Here’s the video tour of the garden and tunnel this month.

 

This year, despite several different approaches slugs are quite an issue in the main garden. I’ll post about my slug control efforts another time, but I’ll leave you with a sneak peek of my new head torch for my evening slug patrols.

dalek Ferris
Just add a couple of sidelights and I can become a dalek it seems.
Will I be shouting ‘exterminate, exterminate’ as I seek my prey and invite them to a boozey demise in my beer traps? I wonder.
The light also has a flashing mode so there could be a midnight discos in the garden.

Until next time, enjoy the great outdoors and get your hands in the soil if you can.

X Ferris.

P.S. Here’s my final reminder that it’s solstice on Monday, see the image below for the exact time, and if you’re wondering why I like to celebrate (and why you just might be enticed to celebrate it too) it check out this post.

Summer solstice 2016

 

P.P.S If you’d like to see what’s going on in ‘real time’, then twitter is the best place to find me (https://twitter.com/ferrisjay). Somehow I remember to post garden pictures and mini updates there most days.

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