June 2004

June Viewpoint

Taken at the beginning of the month

June started with a drought but then continuing wet and windy but quite warm. The roses gave the front garden colour all through the month but after the middle of the month the main impression in the back garden was a symphony in green although if one looked in specific areas there was colour aplenty. I think the greenness is due to the growth of trees hiding flowers and also that so many of my flowers have been pale yellow.

The dalias that I was unable to dig up last back-end have come through last winter stronger than they have ever been. This year's dahlia seedlings are already in flower. One, a semi-double tall red fimbriated makes quite a spectacular garden plant.

Soft fruit have been prolific. This is the first time I have had a decent crop of raspberries, probably because this is the first year they have been strung up, fed and mulched. The strawberries seemed to have more flavour this year but I was disappointed with the loganberry flavour.

Calabrese has been good apart from being infested swarms of rape beetle that escape into the kitchen. The peas have been a disaster and I am not sure why. Perhaps they were short of organic matter in the soil.