Bad weather! Pah!

[susieq100]

Runner beans are growing like - very quick growing things! All advice says that they are thirsty plants; they've been very well catered for!

[rustylady]

The blackfly which decimated my broad and runner beans last year have been noticeably absent. I hope they've drowned.

[cms]

I feel very sad for everyone who has suffered from the weather this year and can sympathise because as the New Year arrived I was out saving our newly installed small shed and dog runs from taking off! To put the following in perspective, last year we were renting a house and it wasn't my garden to develop, so all I achieved was rejuvenating an appalling excuse for a lawn and planting replacements for the plants the pup ate/dug up! So in 2007 I am happy that:

• Despite the gale force winds and the torrential rain after a very dry spring - my new raised veggie beds are doing okay and the hanging baskets/ window boxes are taking care of themselves;
• we have created all the hard landscaping from materials recovered from the garden itself (during the too dry spring) and over ordered slate for kitchen floor;
• I am using no chemicals in the garden;
• veggies are suffering little pest damage, aphids disappeared before I could administer my newly prepared garlic spray;
• there are a plethora of birds (not down to me they were already here) but they haven't helped themselves to the veggies;
• and huge numbers of bumble bees (don't ask me which species - I did try following them round with a bumble bee identification chart but they didn't keep still long enough!);
• we found a toad and then a frog (hope they have stuck around);
• there are big shiny rain drops on the leaves of nasturtiums, sweet peas, heucheras, brassicas and hostas after every downpour for me to photograph.

Cathy

[bubblewrap]

haven't needed to water in the seeds which I finally got planted into what used to be the bramble patch. Just as well as that would mean having to buy another hose to reach!

No tar baby?