Sunshine, seedlings and first crops

Mangetout
The mangetout have really taken off and there are lots & lots of pods. Had a better result this year from using netting rather than sticks to support the plants. Keeps the pods off the ground away from slugs & snails and also makes it a lot easier to find the little pods to pick.

We prefer to grow mangetout rather than peas as the yeild is so much greater, plus you don't have to do any shelling! These mangetout were crispy and sweet, but it's taken a lot of watering in this really hot weather to make sure they stayed that way. Also fed them with a little blood, fish & bone just as they started to flower. Don't know if it made any difference, but it seemed like a good idea at the time!

Flowers & Bees
When we got to the farm yesterday we were so engrossed in what we were doing we didn't notice that a swarm of bees had taken up residence in a section of our hedge. Sods law, I didn't have a camera with me, not even the mobile phone one! The swarm was so heavy it bent the branch it was on nearly down to the ground. Today they had left, leaving behind a little piece of comb and a few straggler bees (see pic on right).

I was really chuffed and put it down to a packet of seeds I had sown (which had flourished) to attract butterflies and bees. Got the seeds free with a magazine (see pic below).

Fruit
Yum, yum raspberries are ready to eat! Don't get many home as we scoff most of them while were picking them. Chris's TLC of the raspberry canes has really paid off. Last year when we inherited the farm it was too late to prune the canes, so didn't get many fruit. Redcurrants also looking promising (see in pic of runner beans below).

Veg
Other veg are coming along really well. So are the weeds!

• courgette & florence fennel coming up
• butternut seedling planted out
• ridge cucumbers (first time we've tried these)
• gem lettuce seedlings planted out
• onions looking like they're nearly ready
• sweetcorn struggling on...

Left: onions

Left: sweetcorn

Left: butternut

Left: Little Gem Lettuce