Summer is icumen in (hopefully)

.... but I have not yet heard a cuckoo!

These are my strawberries, and I have now put some coarse black netting over them to keep the birds off, and so that I might use slug pellets on them. They are all in flower, but as they are first year strawberries there will only be a very small crop. No matter, next year should be good!

Most other things are coming on well. I have planted out French beans, but runner beans are still hardening off. They have been in a greenhouse for a week or so, but now they are on a tray outside. There should be no frost for at least the next week, so if the forecast is still good in a week's time I shall plant them out. Then will come sweetcorn. Many have germinated, but some are still to come. All are too small and too tender to plant out yet, but I anticipate being able to plant them out (with some intercropping lettuces) in a couple of weeks. This will leave courgettes and butternut squash to plant out. They do not like cold weather at all, and will sit and sulk (and be eaten by slugs) if I put them out too early.

The return of the tent

 This is my brassica tent, back again for a second year. I have planted summer purple sprouting broccoli, white sprouting broccoli and cabbages in it so far - and I have just seen my first cabbage white butterfly of the season, so it was at about the right time. This Saturday sees the local Horticulture Society have its annual plant sale. This will include some locally grown produce, so I might be able to get something else to plant here - germination of my Brussels and red cabbage was zero!

This shows another of my plots, with early potatoes, salad potatoes and French beans, just starting to climb up the poles. At home, I have runner beans, courgettes, more French beans, sweetcorn and butternut squash coming on, ready to plant out at the end of May or beginning of June. The usual problem will apply - where to put them all!
In another of my plots I have planted parsnip seeds, but have no germination again (I probably let them dry out too much at the critical time) so have re-sown seed, which (if it comes up) will be late and give only small parsnips - pity, as last year's were large and very tasty - and froze well.
And finally, a note about the weather. It's been very dry but on the whole not very warm (yesterday was an exception - it was glorious) but today is cold with rain, and we should have showers most days for the next week, which (with the long days) should bring things on apace. Watch this space!