June has been sunny, calm and dry.
Ox-eye daisies are rampant and delighting in the sunny dry weather.
Honeyoak Photo Journal
30 June 2015
June polytunnel.
The big tunnel June 28th.
Alfie picking ...
... and eating ...
raspberries in the big tunnel.
The raspberries moved into the tunnel of their own accord several years ago (they came on underground runners from an outside planting). I love the polytunnel raspberries, they are a couple of weeks earlier than the outdoor ones and all the more appreciated for being our first real fruit glut. They don't suffer from the effects of rain should there be a wet spell and the polytunnel becomes a big fruit cage in the summer when we cover the doors with a bumblebee friendly net to keep birds out and allow pollinating insects in. They grow under the peach and apricot trees where it is too shady for other polytunnel crops such as tomatoes sweet potatoes, peppers etc...
The raspberries moved into the tunnel of their own accord several years ago (they came on underground runners from an outside planting). I love the polytunnel raspberries, they are a couple of weeks earlier than the outdoor ones and all the more appreciated for being our first real fruit glut. They don't suffer from the effects of rain should there be a wet spell and the polytunnel becomes a big fruit cage in the summer when we cover the doors with a bumblebee friendly net to keep birds out and allow pollinating insects in. They grow under the peach and apricot trees where it is too shady for other polytunnel crops such as tomatoes sweet potatoes, peppers etc...
June vegetable garden.
Limnanthes douglasii Poached eggplant in the vegetable garden, June 6th.
The poached eggplant is edging beds of peas and covering the beds that are to be planted with winter brassicas.
The poached eggplant is edging beds of peas and covering the beds that are to be planted with winter brassicas.
Elephant garlic and potatoes June 6th.
The sweet pea bed June 30th. One the left peas and onions.
Sweetcorn June 30th.
Clearing the poached eggplant when it finished flowering, June 21st
Here it is being rolled up to reveal the path it had temporarily taken over.
All the poached eggplant is cut and simply rolled up, leaving a weed free and surprisingly moist soil, given that it has been a very dry month.
All the poached eggplant is cut and simply rolled up, leaving a weed free and surprisingly moist soil, given that it has been a very dry month.
This is the same bed, planted up with purple sprouting broccoli and a light covering of poached eggplant mulch to cover the soil . No digging at all and no weeds. Leeks in the bed beside with a light forget-me-not mulch to cover the soil between the rows.
June garden.
Looking across to the big tunnel.
The thyme bath that we planted up last year, hiding behind Nepeta.
Outside the big tunnel.
The perennial oriental poppy just starting to blossom.
We were back digging again for a few days, two very happy boys!
Not all digging, finding treasures too!
While the garden may be beautiful at times, or not, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the joy for me is all in the being, doing, making, creating, planting ...
Native orchid in the meadow, June 30th.
Honeybees on Clematis, Poppies.
Honeybees on Clematis, May 20th.
Limnanthes douglasii Poached eggplant, massively popular bee plant.
The bees have been as busy as ever but I have been busy planting and not taking so many bee photographs!
June bees.
Our first swarm this year was on May 28th, It moved itself straight into a prepared hive. This one on June 5th landed conveniently on a stake right beside the bee hives.
The stake had been used to support the autumn raspberries last year.
Here the bees are gathering.
Once the swarm settled, the stake lifted easily with bees attached and the swarm was popped into a nearby hive.
Angus and Alfie looking at the swarm landing on the stake on the left of photo.
