[mention]rossomendblot[/mention] it has been a complete disaster, there was no more frost however the rain, hail an d winds have been incessant over the last three weeks. I think you are right about the forecast improving now, but it has been a very poor month. I have quite a few losses and quite a few have had a battering. Luckily I have more ready to plant from the greenhouse but even their growth had slowed with low temps and little sun. On a plus side onions have loved the wet and come on well. I think the coming week will tell whether some will pull through or if the dismal month of May has taken its toll.

It really was an awful May. Everything in the garden seems to be a few weeks behind previous years: my early garlic is usually ready by now. The forecast looks good now though so fingers crossed your battered ones recover.

[mention]rossomendblot[/mention] Well so far looks like the good weather is holding up. Some plants starting to recover but slowly and some losses which will be replaced. Hope your garden is faring well up north.

Mostly doing well up here, thank you. One tomato, Tsunshigo Chinese, was badly damaged by what I presume was a cat using it as a climbing frame to try (and fail) to get to the bird box on the wall above it. Seems it was after the baby blue tits. It completely snapped off 4 leaves and the growing tip. Unfortunately I've been nipping out the side shoots and there's only one tiny one left, so who knows if it will recover.

25/25/26 degrees the last three days. Cooling off a bit now and some welcome rain to partially refill the butts.

No cats have ventured near the Jenny wrens bird box. It's now completely covered with the wisteria leaf and hidden away and with two whippets on guard I think she's safe.

About this time of year, the small holes appearing in the lillies. The dreaded Lilly beatle, bright red and munching away and ultimately stunting and checking the growth of the lillies in the garden. Two of them had the ordacity to be performing so to speak on one of my plants, squish. They have curious behaviour when disturbed and drop to the ground to play dead until they feel the all clear. The plants soon recover but best to keep then in check a little.

Just a few pots, watercress, dill, large Italian parsley, aubergine and recovering tomatoes in background

Eryngium sea holly not long till blooming. The pot, believe it or not is an upcycled industrial lightshade.

Nice on both the plant and the recycling. I once used a small old satellite dish for a birdbath.

The label says "Indigo Rose x Gardeners Delight"....But I am not so sure....

Amateurinawe wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 1:51 pm The dreaded Lilly beatle.... They have curious behaviour when disturbed and drop to the ground to play dead until they feel the all clear....

Or feel your foot! What handy behavior!

GoDawgs wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:00 pm

Amateurinawe wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 1:51 pm The dreaded Lilly beatle.... They have curious behaviour when disturbed and drop to the ground to play dead until they feel the all clear....

Or feel your foot! What handy behavior!

All depends on how well you track them as they fall and what the ground surface is like [mention]GoDawgs[/mention] . We have a bettle with similar behaviour that affects our native Dendrobium orchids further north, absolutely a curse to the growers.

It's a bit misty today, but this is a shot of the pots and beds. The asparagus I am now leaving to fern-up, some stalks are six foot tall already. The bed has some peas and favas in which have sprouted and making their way up the stalks. I'm sure I can squeeze in a little bit more.....

That's a very nice tidy and well organized plot. Every inch used and no space going to waste. Well done, sir!

That's the red devils ! And Thanatosis is their little trick! Squish is mine.....

So the peony is now blooming
Clemetis too
And an evening jasmine

Y'all should see my weed collection.

[mention]worth1[/mention] some weeds are good, I'm still reading the post that someone put on here about them.

That's a pretty peony but it and the foliage sure look like a camellia. Wrong time of year for camellias, though. I don't see many peonies around here. Too hot, maybe?

[mention]GoDawgs[/mention] you could be right. Today is a hot day and the blossoms struggled, we'll see how long they last...tomorrow and Monday are hotter still.

So we went to buy a replacement storage bench as our current one had a broken lid, it was a second-hand one given by a good friend. Nevertheless, I couldn't get rid of it and I knew I could squeeze in a few more in the front garden.

Meet SOTW, black triefele, copper river and another MSITK etc. F6 in their new home. Dolly parton I have centre stage in the main beds so I can keep my eye on her....