18th June, 2012

The strawberries are beginning to ripen and that means it's time to protect them with netting.  I also think this thickness of netting probably keeps the wind out and therefore produces a favourable micro climate inside.

I made a cloche for the smaller strawberry bed too.

The green is a bit striking and quite obvious in the back garden, I may invest in some black netting to tone it down a bit.

I had a change of mind with the tomato plants and decided to have four plants rather than the usual five and in the space I have squeezed a cucumber (right) and melon (left).

There are flowers on the tomatoes so I should get some fruit.

 

I tend to forget to pinch out the aubergines which will produce a bushier plant with more flowers; this year I remembered.  I've not been very successful with aubergines, let's hope this does the trick.

 

I pricked out some marigolds which I always find therapeutic.  These will be planted in a bed outside and some in the greenhouse.

Outside I have the runner beans and French beans lined up and hardening off for planting in the side bed.

The peas are flowering but I found a rogue one with a crimson flower.