Eucalyptus tree

Time to post something :-)  Last March I planted a small eucalyptus tree, I think it's Gunnii, in the front garden.  I wanted something non-coniferous, evergreen and fast growing to add some height to the border.  Well, it sure is a speedy plant!  This photo shows it standing at 56cm/22" when planted.

I measured it during December to see how it was getting on and found it had reached a height of 230cm/90" that's four times its original height in nine months!  I've read that they don't have a true dormant period so it'll be interesting to see how it grows through the winter.  Look out for an update in the spring, I bet you can't wait ;-)

Garden veg

July is here and the garden is offering up the rewards of one's labours.  It all makes for delicious eating :-)

Freshly shelled broad beans in a hand-made coil pot, how very middle-class!  I think they look nice and moody in B&W...

This broccoli, or calabrese, grew as a 'weed', it must have self seeded from last years crop, probably spending the winter in the compost heap.

 

Early Nantes carrots and spring onions.

This pretty parcel is 'Bright Lights' chard.  I love the candy-cane quality of the stems.  Tasty too!

These red chilis and the squashkin are actually last years harvest.  I forgot to upload their pics, so here they are in all their glory...

Front garden flora

Earlier this year I dug up 20m of lawn in the front garden and set about turning it into a flower bed.  I bought some random bulbs, seeds and plants and scattered them around.  Now it's all coming up roses.  Except there are no roses :-)

Flower garden

As well as the veg I've been cultivating some flowers too. There's a dry shady patch under a large pine tree in the garden which I've been trying to keep fertile with the addition of mulch and plenty of water. It seems to be paying off as the lupins and foxgloves are doing well.

Garden veg

The growing season is well upon us and things are springing up all over the garden. This year I built some raised beds from old scaffolding battons, so much better than grow-bags!

Here are a couple of the beds, one filled with salad crops and the other with legumes and carrots...
I partitioned the end of one of the beds and filled it with a special sandy soil mix to encourage the carrots to grow straight and true. We'll see how it works out!

I also have a larger bed that I made last year; it's a bit shady so I tend to put things in there that aren't too fussy about loads of sun. Here it is being guarded by a friendly gnome...


...I have parsnips, flowering sprout, purple sprouting broccoli and sweetcorn in there this year...