Jo's 2020 News and Views June

Hello Everyone

I hope you are all keeping well and not getting too excited about being allowed out to play again!

To keep us going, I am sharing Steph's photos from Instagram that she has taken throughout the month June. They give us a good idea of how well the garden is doing. I just wish I could have bought some of this beautiful produce. Hope there will be more available when the gates open again.

First of all there is a selection of the irises. It has been a good year for them.

1. Dusky Challenger

2. Stairway to Heaven

3. Shepherd's Delight

4. Benton Cordelia

5. Thornbird

6. Florentine Silk

7. Song of Norway

8. Argus Pheasant

9. Patterdale

10. Edith Wolford

11. Before the Storm

12. Iris Collection

13. Herb Bed

14. Heritage Sweet Peas

15. Cabbages - covered with eniromesh to keep the cabbage white butterflys out.... hopefully!

16. Lettuce - Maravilla de Verona.

17. Turnips - a collection to make turnip coleslaw.

18. Heritage Sweet Peas - you can almost smell them.

19. Peas - Pisum sativum 'Petit de Provence', super sweet and excellent yield!

20. Peas - Ezeta's Krombek Blauwschokker, What a fantastic name and it's ornamental and edible, best of both worlds!

21. Chicken of the Woods - even the fungi in the Kitchen Garden is edible!

22. Ladybirds - these little creatures can eat 5000 aphids in their lifetime, definitely welcome in the garden.

23. Scabiosa caucasica 'Clive Greaves' - the first to flower in the heritage cut flower bed.

24. Garlic - Thermador and Sabagold, harvested just before the rain and now drying in the Peach House.

25. Potatoes - these pretty flowers belong to Belle de Fontenay potatoes. A french heritage variety introduced in 1885.

26. Currants - Black, Red and White, three varieties of currants growing in the fruit cage.

27. Onions - these 'Radar' onions were planted in the Autumn. They have been harvested and are also drying in the Peach House.

28. Beans - Dwarf french beans and edamame that have been sown recently.

29. Mange Tout - beautiful purple colour.

30. Kitchen Garden - an overview of this lovely part of the garden.

So that is a glimpse of the Kitchen Garden through June 2020. A huge 'thank you' to Steph for agreeing to share these wonderful photos with us. I think the names of these heritage varieties are exquisite too.

Stay safe and keep well

Best Wishes

Jo