Garden Diary – The longest day had us & the garden wilting!

I hope everyone’s cooled down after last week’s heatwave? I really don’t do well in that sort of heat, it completely zaps my energy. I always feel so sorry for anyone that has to work outside in it.

I was dashing to water the greenhouse before the sun got onto it in a morning and sometimes having to water again in an evening.

It was perfect weather though for drying my red winter onions, harvested last week. I managed to get them plaited, in a fashion!

To think of the different weather they’ve been through since I planted them as sets last autumn. After initially putting on a bit of growth, they just sat there looking like they were sulking through the cold winter months, before putting on a spirt once it warmed up in the spring and then romping ahead in the warm summer sunshine.

The heat also produced the first tomato of the year, which, as ever came from ‘Rosella’. It’s not surprising really as she produces cherry sized fruit which is always going to be quicker to ripen. Anyway, as is tradition, we shared the first little fruit, and it was delicious!

Another reliable crop comes from kale, ‘Cavolo Nero’, an all year rounder, which surprisingly the cabbage white butterfly doesn’t seem to lay her eggs on. Well at least not yet! I hadn’t realised this as I don’t normally grow it in the summer. 

It’s such an impressive looking plant too, like a nutritious, edible yucca! It looks better as it goes on because you pick the leaves from the bottom.

I’m very impressed to have successfully grown my first ever rose cuttings, which actually flowered last week. I’d like to say how complicated it was, making me sound like a super green-fingered gardener, but it was the easiest thing in the world. 

Last autumn I chopped two lengths off the rose bush, popped them into one of the raised beds, and hey presto, they developed leaves, then buds and now flowers!

It’s from the yellow rose that I dug up for a friend when she moved house and have been looking after ever since. She’s worried that it might not survive the winter in their new home, up in the hills. But now that we have two little clones, it’s going home.

More yellow was reflecting from the courgette plant which is close to giving its first fruit, later than some years, but for now we are enjoying those amazing, large, trumpet shaped flowers. It’s adding to the other brightly coloured flowers in the garden right now.

Obviously the heatwave meant more Al fresco eating, including coffee and biscuit breaks, especially at the weekend to sustain us through the DIY!

The longest day, or summer solstice brought some of the highest temperatures of the year so far, and both us, and the garden were seriously wilting…

Monday 16th June 2025

Knautia macedonica is one of those fab plants that goes, on & on & on… 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺 

& it’s a perennial that’s easy to grow from seed 🌱 

& the bees love it 🐝

It’s a 10/10 plant 🪴 

 #magentamonday

Tuesday 17th June 2025

The cornflowers are out in my little wild bit 💙🌿

#tuesdayblue

---

Cavolo nero or black Kale is something every vegetable garden should have. It grows all year round, I pick it in the winter with my head torch on 😀 

The only critter that bothers with it are white fly so can be washed off. Best shredded & fried with onions & mushrooms 🧅🥬🍄‍🟫 

---

First tomato of 2025, as usual it’s ‘Rosella’ 🍅

And of course, Love is… 

Sharing your first tomato with the under gardener 👨‍🌾 ❤️🍅❤️

#TomatoTuesday #kitchengarden #tomatoes #love

Wednesday 18th June 2025

It turns out I can take rose cuttings 🤗

For the first time ever, I stuck two pieces in last autumn & hey presto 💛🌿💛

So, now that the rose I’ve been looking after for a friend has 2 back up plans – in case it’s too cold where they live – it can go home.

#RoseWednesday #roses 

---

The four stages of ‘mums’ rose 🌿🧡🌿

The cycle of life #RoseWednesday

Thursday 19th June 2025

This lovely purple clematis is still in a pot waiting for it’s forever home once some building work is finished 🌿💜🌿

#clematisthursday

---

At this time of year the pond – just like the borders – is maxed out with plant growth, which is great for the many critters that live in there. 

One of our native marginal plants, Lythrum salicaria is providing very popular with the flying insects 🌿🐝🌸🐝🌸🌿

#InsectThursday 

Friday 20th June 2025

Two yrs ago this little wilder bit was full of Californian poppies ‘Eschscholzia californica’ 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

This year, just one 🧡🌿🤷‍♀️

#flowersonfriday #flowers

---

I always love the colour of these ferns but this year they’ve taken on even more colours 🌿🧡💕💛🌿

#foliagefriday #ferns 

Saturday 21st June 2025

Happy longest day of the year! 💕💛💜💕💙🌿

I bought this yellow Coreopsis yesterday. I had one years ago that flowered & flowered 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

 #SixOnSaturday #Solstice #midsummer #LongestDay

---

The second plait was slightly neater than the first!🤣

But they’re both functional! 

Now hanging in the garage🧅🧅🧅🧅🧅🧅🧅

#growyourownonions #gyo #kitchengarden #Homegrown

Sunday 22nd June 2025

The beautiful & edible flower of the Courgette (zucchini) 🌿💛🌼🥒💛🌿

I grew them in a shader spot last year & they didn’t like it, so they’re back in the sunshine 🌞 

#SundayYellow #YellowSunday #yellowflowers #kitchengarden

Happy gardening.