Gluttony with silence

I have had a glut. Does not happen often in my veg patch, largely due to me eating constantly and the usual attack of some pest or disease, but this year I have.

I  have always admired people with allotments, they are very hard work, and I know that I do not have the time or help to grow my food on that scale. Ironic really as I work on plots for clients, and although I enjoy working with the edibles in my spare time, alone (I can be quite grumpy), the thought of my own large area of mess to cope with in the few hours my Felco's leave my hand would be too much. Growing veg in my garden proves to me that I do not need a large area to grow food, it has it's advantages too. I can usually spot problems quickly and can be extremely lazy with my evenings pottering in my veg patch with my PJ's on.  I love my herbaceous border and random plants too much to convert the whole of my garden to food. So I grow enough for me to eat and over the years got better at only growing what I am going to eat. 

   

The glut of strawberries (Fragaria ananassa 'Marshmello') which grow in a small thin bed one metre by four metres have thoroughly enjoyed the April, glad something in my garden did. I made the effort this year to feed when flowering (nettle feed), and in the winter I added a peat free soil conditioner with some horse manure. Not a lot of effort put in but a big return made, well in jam.

 Rather enjoyed making 10 jars of strawberry jam from my little patch even if my kitchen did look like a set used in the Saw movies. Not many ingredients, so why is it such a messy task? And the exciting thing! Yes they are still more to come, more jam. It's either jam or Eton Mess, which I must add I never thought I would be sick of. I have proved myself wrong.

Pest Of The Week/Month/Whenever One Makes Me Swear

Why won't they die!!!!

Tried everything, the poor tree, and it has worse to come. Transplanting it in the autumn.

It is Cherry blackfly (Myzus cerasi), and it is really annoying me.

Busy June

My garden is a mess, weeds and pots everywhere. OK, my fault for not tidying up after every job I do. And the weeding, well I always teach clients to weed little and often and keep on top of them. At home I have not pulled a weed out for two weeks. Obviously the places where I work I tidy before I finish, not sure why I can't do it at home. I know I should finish a gardening task completely before starting the next one, just seem to be unable to do that at the moment. So many little jobs in my head and the evidence is beginning to show in my garden. June is such a busy month, we all know that. It's just that sometimes my own space overwhelms me. Never feel it at work, I have lists, and a Ops plan in my head, but the guilt of rushing jobs at home makes me wonder if I am any good at gardening for myself. The RHS has trained me to be the best, I feel like I have let them down this month with mine.

Life is busy, gardening is constantly in my mind, day and night. Same feeling I remember as when I fell in love with someone but they never told me if they felt the same. Frustration, love, guilt, anger. I need too satisfy my mind this week or scream. So the endless tip trips in my tiny car, washing trays, tidying up, and pulling up bindweed must be done.

  I was close to tears yesterday, thinking of everything I needed to do, but then nature thanked me for my inability to keep up with my overgrown herbaceous border.