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The garden has been getting a good tidy up throughout the week. We came home from holiday to the gate hanging off it's hinges, the grass looking more like a meadow than a lawn and all the plants overgrown. Hubby tackled the gate and my son cut the grass while I attempted to get the plants back under some sort of control. The tomato plants had gone mad so they've had all the sideshoots nipped out, the straggly stems cut back and some of the leaves have now been removed to allow the sun to ripen the fruit. The chives got a haircut and are now looking much smarter and the geraniums by the back door were deadheaded, they're already putting up new flower stems.
I've noticed lots more frogs in the garden than in previous years. There's lots of containers on the patio housing my potatoes and they seem to hide amongst them. I suppose the lush foliage has provided some welcome shade in the high temperatures, and as they've been given plenty of water, it's been quite damp around the area which the frogs will love. They've been making very good use of the small pond too, jumping in and out in order to cool down. It just goes to show that even a small amount of water will entice wildlife in to the garden, especially in this weather.
You are ahead of me with the tidy up Jo, and I don't have the excuse of having been away. Tomorrow I really must get out and sort out the raised beds. Everything has taken off in the sun and rain and it's chaos out there. My outdoor tomatoes did eventually catch up, it will be worth growing a few extra plants again next year.
ReplyDeleteThere's the allotment still to go, and that's going to be a very big task. As you say, everything has taken off in the sun and rain, especially the weeds. I shall definitely grow some tomato plants outdoors again next year, I'm really pleased with how they've done so far.
DeleteI'm envious of your ripe tomatoes - none here yet!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they won't be far behind. I've noticed more on the turn now so they're all going to be ripe ahead of last year's date.
DeleteHope you had a good holiday, its always the same for a couple of days trying to sort the garden out.Just think all the partying those lovely frogs will have been doing
ReplyDeleteWe had a lovely holiday, thank you for asking. The frogs will have enjoyed the chaos in the garden, plenty of shade to hide beneath in the hot weather.
DeleteYou're so right, home grown tomatoes taste so much better. We've just started picking Sungold and they've been delicious. Glad to hear you've got plenty of frogs. I'm sure I've got more now I've dug a little pond.
ReplyDeleteI've only grown Sungold once, and though many people list them amongst their favourite varieties, I wasn't very taken with them. Perhaps I should give them another go. I definitely believe that a pond, no matter how small, will attract wildlife to the garden.
DeleteWow,I'm impressed. My yellow tomatoes are just starting to turn but the others are showing no sign yet.
ReplyDeleteThey don't seem to take long once you notice them on the turn. I'm pleased to have some ripe ones a bit earlier this year after the very late harvest I got last year.
DeleteI didn't know that a garden could get out of control so quickly... I wonder how that gate got broke? Maybe some children were playing on it, but at least you got it fixed!
ReplyDeleteI'm very envious of your tomatoes!
Much love,
Tammy
You only have to turn your back for five minutes at this time of year and everything grows like mad, especially weeds. The gate has been needing some attention for a while, we knew how to handle it to keep it from breaking off, but my helpers who watered my plants for me while we were away obviously didn't. Anyway, it spurred Hubby in to action and it's fixed again now.
DeleteOh I imagine that you are enjoying your tomatoes Jo. They are certainly worth all the work and as you say the shop bought ones are not as good. My theory is that when you eat homegrown ones they still have the taste of sunshine on them. Glad to read that the frog population is thriving in your garden.
ReplyDeleteThe tomatoes are delicious, I think your theory is correct. I'm enjoying having lots of frogs in the garden, and I haven't noticed quite so much slug damage in the garden this year, whether there's a connection or if it's because of the hotter weather, I don't know. Perhaps a bit of both.
DeleteWe have some plum tomatoes (St'Marzano) that are ripe and ripening and we are eating the cherry tomatoes, but my husband is disappointed that some haven't set and, therefore, the crop will be less. However, Money Maker are doing well. Looking forward to seeing how the striped variety (Tigerella Mr Stripey) do. We'll make a note of Gardener's Delight as yours look good!
ReplyDeleteI'm growing San Marzano too, but none are ripe quite yet. I enjoy the plum type tomatoes cooked and eaten with a fried breakfast, unhealthy I know, but delicious all the same. I've grown Tigerella in the past, they're a great tomato, they seem to do well and have a delicious taste. Gardener's Delight is one I grow every year as it never lets me down.
DeleteI'm envious as I know that I'm going to have a poor year with tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteThe frogs are good news, and shows how even a small pond is beneficial for a garden.
Flighty xx
There's still time for your tomatoes yet, especially if the nice weather continues. I'm really pleased how the little pond brings wildlife in to the garden, it's certainly worthwhile having an area of water in the garden, no matter how small.
DeleteNo ripe tomatoes here either. You cannot beat them taste of homegrown tomatoes, so I keep giving them a little pep talk, but it doesn't seem o hurry them up! Xxx
ReplyDeleteThe annoying thing is that they ripen in their own time, no matter what we do to cajole them in to being ready a little bit sooner. I'm sure they'll be worth the wait.
DeleteThose tomatoes look perfect! How interesting that you saw so little difference in ripening times between greenhouse and outdoor toms. We only grow outdoor ones and I always feel that we must lag behind glasshouse growers, so I am encouraged by your findings! It's wonderful that you have so many frogs.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting to see what happens with the rest of the plants, whether the larger varieties will ripen quicker in the greenhouse or not. I suppose if the outdoor plants are positioned in a sunny position, they'll still do well. The frogs are so entertaining to watch, jumping in and out of the pond and hiding underneath the water with just their eyes popping out.
DeleteYour tomatoes look lovely, I've had lots this year too.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots more frogs than usual, I'm not sure why as until recently it's been quite dry. Maybe it was all the rain last year.xxxx
There's no taste quite like home grown tomatoes. I think the frogs have been attracted to my garden by the lush foliage from the potatoes, they've all been hiding out under there during the hot weather.
DeleteI can remember you complaining about your tomatoes last year - I wonder what you have done differently to get ripened ones so early. It's funny that my greenhouse ones are slow to ripen but the outdoor ones are ripening better - a curious anomaly.
ReplyDeleteI'm putting it down to the weather. I removed all my tomatoes from the plants whilst still green last year and ripened them on the windowsill, it had got so late in the year. I've had a few ripe tomatoes from my greenhouse tomatoes, but the outdoor ones are doing much better and ripening quicker, I've no idea why.
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