Keeping Cool

What do you do in the middle of a heatwave if you're a cat and you can't get cool? You go into next door's garden and sit on their bird table! This is next door's cat trying to stay out of the sun under the roof of my bird table. It's a good job that I've also got a bird feeding station or else the birds wouldn't get a look in.

The wildlife border which I created earlier this year is working well. I've now seen two different frogs in the small pond, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for frogspawn next year. There are lots of flowers on the plants which I chose for the border and these are attracting lots of bees and hoverflies, although I haven't seen many butterflies at all this year.

The courgette plant is now producing flowers, so there should be fruit to follow, and I have harvested my first cucumber. Unfortunately, the flower on the aubergine plant has dropped off without any sign of fruit forming. There are more flowers waiting to open so I am ever hopeful.

I have eaten the first of my peas, which are planted in a container in the garden, and a little further on than the peas at the allotment. Of course I had to eat a few straight from the pod, and they were delicious. The rest made a good size portion to have with last Sunday's dinner.

My pepper is still producing fruit, however, I still haven't got to eat any. There are still holes bored into the fruit and I'm unsure what's causing them. I have cut up the peppers to have a look inside, but that hasn't given me any clues. I'm starting to resign myself to the fact that I won't be eating peppers this year.