Summer potager

 We had some lovely warm weather just before Christmas and the garden responded. Here is the potager, full to the brim with wonderful things to eat, some ripening and some ready for harvest.

 In the first quarter, several plants of different growth habits are nestled together. At the right hand side are spring onions and lettuces. They grow quickly and will soon be harvested, leaving room for the zucchini next to them to spread. There are some pumpkins at the back which will sprawl on the ground behind the glasshouse (this was formerly a weedy wasteland, which I've covered with weedmat to get somewhat under control. The warm, dry weedmat should make an ideal surface for nurturing the baby pumpkins!) Next to the pumpkins is a feathery patch of cosmos - essential for prettying up a vege garden in my opinion - and in front of them are cauliflowers (ready to harvest) and red sprouting broccoli.

 In the second quarter is a big patch of sweet corn. Next to that is the garlic/shallot patch. I harvested the garlic and shallots right after I took these photos because we had rain forecast, and it's good to get it out while it's dry. I'll dig this bed over and plant my leeks there in the next couple of weeks.

 In the third quarter it's all about potatoes! The nice deep green leaves and purple flowers belong to Heather, a pink-skinned variety I grow every year. The tatty foliage to the right is Laratte, an heirloom variety given to me by my mum's neighbour. I planted them early and they're ready to harvest.

 In the fourth quarter I have lots of beans. Along the front are borlotti dwarf beans. At the back, climbing the frame are Sunset runner beans, and cannelini climbing beans. I didn't have a very good strike rate with the cannelini seed for some reason, so there won't be many to harvest this year. But there are plenty of runner beans... I'll be eating them till they come out my ears! I also have six tomato plants in this patch and a row of chillis along the path.

 I love all the different textures together.

 One day's harvest: cauliflower "cheddar", zucchini, runner beans, Laratte new potatoes, strawberries, raspberries and boysenberries.

 I'm still loving the pinkness in the flower garden.

Storm clouds rolling in, and with them the rain. We had some beautiful days just before Christmas and have had nothing but rain and drizzle since them... and the forecast is similar for the next 10 days or so. Isn't it typical... I predict it will clear up on or around the 6th of January, when lots of people go back to work. Guess I'll be finding some inside jobs to do!

Hope you all had a nice Christmas, and that your weather is better than mine!