Changes in the veg garden

 I keep forgetting to update this section of my blog because I tend to record all the details on my YouTube channel. We have big plans for the garden in the autumn but in the meantime this is how it looks right now. We moved the Greenstalk out of the porch yesterday and it is now in the garden 

And here's the YouTube link in case you'd prefer a walk around the garden 

My how they've grown

 In just over a week the baby ladybirds have gone from being the size of a pin head to the size of an earwig. I love watching them  charging up and down the leaves munching every aphid that gets in the way. They remind me of those robotic vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers.

Ladybird larvae shedding its skin

 I've been sitting watching a ladybird shed its skin today. I was amazed to discover that they emerge white and over about an hour they turn black. 

And yesterday I was so fed up of losing my hand tools that I gave them a quick coat of red paint and some splashy white dots

Cheap stacking planter

 Yesterday while in town we called into one of the cheap shops for a quick browse.  I'm so pleased I did as I managed to find some of the cheap stacking planters that I've wanted for ages. They are very cheaply made but at £1.25 for each tier they're perfect for growing herbs. I might buy another set and plant some strawberry plants. 

Home grown vegetables

 Yesterday I used my own home grown ⁸lettuce leaves as wraps for some delicious spicy chicken and veg low carb wraps  I picked radish,  tiny courgettes and fennel from the garden and added slices of home grown cucumber.  I garnished them with chive flowers for a nice hit of onion.  The only shop bought veg were a couple of cherry tomatoes. In a few weeks time we'll be eating our own tomatoes too.

Home grown lunch

 For lunch today we have had ham and salad buns. The beetroot, cucumber and lettuce all home grown.  I walked into the garden to pick the lettuce minutes before we ate it. The beetroot I picked and pickled the other week and the cucumber is my first one of the year

Harvesting my first cucumber

 I'm absolutely delighted at the size of the cucumber that Tony cut for me yesterday. The second one on the plant isn't all that much smaller and the little mini bush cucumber plants are covered in tiny cukes. Tomatoes are coming along nicely and well be eating our first homegrown ones in a few weeks time.

Lettuce is looking amazing and the radish will be ready in a few days. It's all a growing.