May round up

Because I have been so tardy in my blogging recently most of the vegetables are in the ground and hopefully flourishing.

Here is a round up of what is growing in the frog garden.

In the greenhouse the tomatoes are flourishing. Everything I am growing this year is a heritage variety (bought from The Real Seed Company) and I will be able to grow on from them next year.

These tomatoes are Purple Ukraine, Galina and Rose De Berne.

On the other side of the greenhouse are the melons and cucumbers. The cucumber is Tamra (two bucket on left), a virtually extinct variety that is so rare I could only get hold of ten seeds. The melons are Minnesota Midget and Petit Gris De Rennes, both of which promise small, sweet and plentiful crops.

Not yet planted out are my squashes, Blue Banana and Burgess Vine Buttercup alongside the chillis, Pretty in Purple. They produce an unusual purple fruit and is known as the rainbow chilli.

Outside, the upside down strawberries are doing very well although I perhaps overcrowded them a little as I only had one thing to hang them from. Now I know that it works, I'll make a better frame next to give them more room.

Staying with fruit, the black, red and white currants are doing very well, as are the gooseberries. I transplanted them into large pots in February to give me more veg beg space and they seem quite content in their new homes.

Also transplanted were the raspberriy bushes and they seem happy next to the sweetcorn that I am growing up through the cold frame. Can't waste any space!

The sweetcorn is a bicolour variety and promises to be sweet and tasty.

Next we have the shallots, garlic, broad beans and behind them the courgettes. The broad beans are Longpod and the courgettes are White Volunteer, all heritage varieties.

In the new bed by the greenhouse the peas and runner beans seem content and despite the fact that they only get sunlight in the mornings (because of my neighbours apple tree) they are doing very well. The peas are Champion of England (a ten foot tall variety!) and the runner beans are Czar.

Lastly, here are the potatoes. Six bags in all, British Queen and a first early, Rocket.

Rocketed indeed!

And there you have it. After all the work of seeding, growing and potting, it is lovely when things can be planted out and left to get on with it.

Hard work, yes, but absolutely worth it.