Sunday 5 July 2009

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.

8 comments:

  1. I love the picture of your cat! I'm envious of your first cucumber but then I am picking courgettes. Seems plants mature at different rates depending on where they are. Val

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  2. that's a shame about the aubergine. i will keeps things crossed you'll get some fruits from it. that cat photo is funny!! glad to hear the wildlife is visiting where it should :)

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  3. Hi Jo, I love that pic of your cat it's so funny, I think it should be called 'WAITING FOR LUNCH' I haven't had a great deal of success myself with aubergines, I got a few very small fruits last year. I am trying again this year, we will have to compere notes. I have read that they only like to be watered from the soil and not overhead, so I am trying that this year.
    I dug up some desiree potatoes this evening and as few carrots, a cabbage, and I was amazed that I had a handful of young french beans, it was all delicious with plump Cumberland sausages and gravy Mmmmm I love this growing your own stuff !!

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  4. Love the photo, thanks for linking it to a larger size. Your furry friend looks a lot like my Itty Bitty

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  5. Jo, I also love the cat. How cute. Thank goodness birds are smart enough to stay out of reach. The bug issue is one of the reasons we are not growing any veg this year. I still have my flowers, berries and choke cherries and I enjoy them immensely but oh, your fresh pees sound sooooo good.
    Cheers, Kat

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  6. AnonymousJuly 07, 2009

    Bummer on the aubergine flower! Thought it was a sure sign of a great aubergine to come! I found a frog in one of the dogs dishes the other day....at 11 pm at night. That was fun.....Cat x

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  7. That's very true, Val. I'm hoping that my courgettes will start to produce soon as they have plenty of flowers on them.

    There are now more flowers on the aubergine plant, Steph, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed too.

    Yes, I think that is a very good caption for the photo, Maureen. Perhaps I should have had a caption competition. I'm sure there's lots of captions which could apply to that photo. You sound like you're getting a good harvest. My dwarf French beans are just starting to flower so I hope it won't be long before I'm getting to pick them too.

    Thanks for visiting my blog, Wiseacre. She's a lovely cat and often comes to visit, sometimes through my son's open bedroom window!

    Yes, pests can be, well, pests, Kat. It can be so disheartening when you lovingly tend to a plant hoping for a delicious harvest, only to find that something slimy has got there before you.

    I'm pleased you found the frog before the dogs did, Cat. I'm still hopeful for an aubergine or two.

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