An Afternoon in the Sun

I’ve been pottering about in my garden in the sunshine today. It has been a lovely day. Last night I was at my computer till the very late, early, hours of the morning and so this morning, when I finally got up it was already quite late.

As is my habit, every morning, I checked yesterday’s temperatures and noted them in my electronic diary. I have a covered terrace on the south side of the house – For those readers in the southern hemisphere, please remember that here, that is the sunny side, the same as your north facing side.... The tiled roof is held up by a corner post of 300mm (12") square timber made from oak. I think that the oak is probably what I would call sustainable these days.as it has stood as a part of my house for about 300 years.

The thermometer is mounted on the side facing the house, ie away from the sun and so reads the ambient air temperature, which I think is a much better guide to what is happening.

Yesterday the temperature reached 24C (75F) , which is the warmest it’s been this month, although we did have a couple of days warmer than that towards the end of May. The forecast now is getting steadily warmer so let’s hope that summer has, at last, arrived.

I was given half a dozen tomato plants earlier this week and I felt I needed to get them in the ground. I had identified a place to grow 4 of the plants but was still looking for somewhere to put the other two. By lunchtime, I had the four growing up a metal gazebo affair I have in the garden, having cleared a couple of squares of cut grasses to make room for them.

The other two were more difficult until I remembered that at the bottom of our garden there is an area with mainly shrubs. The most prolific is the Lavender which is growing there. There are about 40 lavender bushs growing away that have been in the ground for beteen one and four years and seem very happy. As well as the lavender, there are three or four vines, several rose bushes and several other shrubs.

At the end of this garden, there is a piece of land about 2’ (600mm) wide and 10’(3m) long before the bed disappears into the cut grasses again. This bed is the farthest bed from the house and consequently, doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. I had thought that in the fall, I will plant a few more lavenders, just to cover the ground.

So, this afternoon, I prepared the bed, removed all the weeds added a load of compost and leaf mould and planted two little tomato plants. I actually have some more tomatoes around which I haven’t used, maybe I’ll put them all in that bed and let them grow. My theory is that by putting the tomatoes in there I will have to give that bed more attention.

I hope I’m right.