Gardening update

The garden is coming into its Summer phase early this year, on account of the hot weather we have had.   

The pea plants are being productiven and the dwarf beans are growing.  I tried successive planting this year, and it looks like it has worked.   The lesson learnt here is not to use us all the available space on the first plantings.

I had a bad experience with commercial compost in seed trays this year and won't be repeating it: I have decided that no seed that can be sprouted in open ground will be started in seed trays.   So I am letting a few selected leeks run to seed in order to have plenty for planting outside next year.    Meanwhile the seedling leeks are nearly ready to transplant to their final places.

The Madonna lillies are looking good.   I have been plagued in previous years by bright red lilly bugs that devastate the plants.   This year I kept a lookout for them, and as soon as I saw one I caught and killed it.   They defend themselves by dropping off the plant at the first sign of danger, so I put a hand underneath to catch them.   Sometimes they just slide down the leaf and take refuge in the cranny between the leaf and the stem.   I also used a lolly stick smeared with honey as a trap - touch them with it and they stick to it.   In total I only got about 7, but I think that was all of them as I haven't seen any since the Springtime and the plants show no signs of damage.