Summer harvests.

The Antirrhinums look lovely against the blue of the Nepeta. 

Although the weather has been variable this year the vegetable garden is doing well, so far the only disappointment has been the asparagus, we only managed three feasts from it and then the weather changed and we had frosts in May which stopped the plants from growing, by the time we were back to normal weather we were approaching mid summer and wisdom says never to harvest asparagus after mid summers day, so we will have to remember how good the pickings were and wait for the next years  harvest.

One of the varieties of first early potato's.

The first early potatoes from the tunnel are now finished and we are onto the first earlies from the garden, they are delicious but unfortunately we never got round to putting labels on the rows as to what varieties each row is, we have done three different types of earlies this year, four if we included the Ratte potato, the seeds of which were donated to us by a friend. For anyone who likes a good potato, waxy and full of flavour this is one to try, they have a slight chestnut flavour but they are hard to find. Easier to grow than Pink Fir Apple but the same shape, but these are a white potato, not red.

Carrots do need thinning even more.

Not bad for thinning's.

The first carrots have been pulled as they needed thinning out, onions in the tunnel are ready for plaiting, the outside ones aren't far behind.

Shush, no slugs damage on the sprouts....so far!

The Brussel sprouts are also looking good, and the broad beans are also ready. We have so much Broccoli that we will have to freeze a lot, we had hoped to get away without freezing any veg this year,

Blackcurrants ready for picking.

and the Blackcurrants are ready for picking. Leeks, Swede and Parsnips are all looking good, another year of plenty.

Eight week old chicks.

Chicks that we hatched a couple of months ago are all looking good, we think that we have two Buff Orpington Pullets and just one male, and the Marans we think are five pullets and two males, they will be big enough to go into their proper runs in a couple of weeks.
The Hubbard table birds reach their 84 days on Wednesday, so time to get the freezer ready. We  also have some Muscovy ducklings just hatching five out so far, hopefully there are more to come.

A startling colour Astilbe.

The garden is still very colourful,

A delicate colour.

the Delphinium that I thought might be a lilac colour did not disappoint,

I love this lilac colour with the pale blue Delphiniums.

it's beautiful but we have had to stake them and the foxgloves, the winds have been very strong and have done some damage.

This rose grows in all the hedgerows around here, it's beautiful and highly perfumed.

All the roses are now in flower, they are way behind last year,

I love the contrast of the Albertine rose against the red prunus.

maybe they will continue longer.

Heath Spotted orchid.

This month is a good month for plant hunts,

Common Spotted orchid.

so far in the last two days we have found four different types of orchid all within in a mile or so of where we live.

Lesser Butterfly orchid.

The Lesser Butterfly orchid was one we were very pleased to find as we had not seen it in this area before.

Twayblade orchid.

Apparently Ireland has thirty different types of Orchids, we have a long way to go to see them all, I think we have identified just ten so far.

I think this willow sculpture has started growing again.