(Don't) Make Room For The Mushrooms

Mushrooms sprang up in the raised bed with the tomatoes growing in it, next to the last few remaining beetroot. They were also lurking nearby and trying to attach themselves to the largest kohl rabi. I think they were possibly poisonous, or 'magic', mushrooms.

I dug them all up - a couple had a blue-ish tinge to them and I made sure to remove the soil around and directly under them as well. It looked full of whitish mould. I am not sure if I needed to do this but better safe than sorry!


The dwarf beans are growing and the first of the 'tumbling tom' tomatoes have appeared.

I staked the sunflowers and the delphinium and have been weeding, weeding, weeding.

I aim to plant up my pots of spinach and salad leaves on the patio later.

And find a space for some broccoli!

Jobs this week

1. Plant pots of spinach and mixed salad leaves.
2. Stake the delphinium.
3. Continue clearing the patio of weeds and old pots/debris.
4. Weed the veg patch.
5. Cut down the burgeoning bindweed and brambles on the path to the compost bin in the corner.
6. Repot the thai basil.
7. Deadhead.
8. Harvest the kohl rabi and the first dwarf beans.
9. Continue eating the swiss chard, peas, lettuce and rocket.
10. Work out whether there is space to plant some broccoli.

Swiss Chard, Lollo Rossa and Posies

So much for more regular updates - I have been so busy keeping up with the garden and various other projects that I haven't had time to blog! I will remedy that by keeping future posts short and sweet, like the pea pods that I can't stop munching on!
The marrow is taking over, the cucumber plants are creeping towards the swiss chard. The pumpkin is heading for the path. The tomato plants are all flowering and the self-seeded ones in the cold frame are doing well, alongside the coriander and nigella.

The beans, all blighted by black fly, are now covered in ladybirds and have made something of a recovery. There are dwarf beans almost ready to be eaten. I've eaten all the radishes I planted and most of the beetroot. The mixed salad leaves and spinach bolted whilst we were on holiday so I pulled it all up and have planted a whole raised bed of beetroot instead. Can't get enough of the stuff!
The swiss chard has been plentiful and delicous and is stil going strong. I've been delivering carrier bagsful of chard and lollo rossa lettuce, and the odd posy of flowers, to various friends and family. This has been a very satisfying side effect of growing veg and flowers. The kohl rabi is ready to be harvested. I need to work out how best to cook it. Ideas and advice are welcome! There is quite a crop of poisonous-looking mushrooms growing alongside the kohl rabi and in the raised bed with the tomatoes and last of the beetroot. I will have to try and work out what they are but I will certainly not be eating them!

The sunflowers are starting to flower but I think it will be another week or so before they are really ready. The cornflowers are blooming next to the chard and the marigolds, cosmos, nasturtiums and dahlias are all doing well. There is nigella self-seeding everywhere, one of mum's favourites. The poached egg flowers and alyssum that Sam planted are all flowering and the arch is still full of honeysuckle and velvety violet clematis.

The apples are growing and I spotted the first blackberries yesterday.

The main problem is still keeping the bindweed and brambles at bay, and a cat has started messing near my squash, so I will have to do something to put it off.

I am wondering if I can squeeze some broccoli in but have a feeling the answer may be no...