Pests and dealing with at least some of them

Vine weevils in two pots (did wonder why the ivy growing in the one at the front was looking unhappy - and in fact is now dead): the soil in these pots was welcomed by the hens with glee! Grubs quickly eaten and then dust baths!
Lily beetles covorting on the lilies (any other flower would have been a surprise!): caught and squished.
Slugs are loving this weather: beer traps full in just one night but many lettuces and bean leaves still devoured .... sigh. The downside of having a raised vegetable bed is that frogs and toads don't have easy access. I have also spotted that the netting I have over the purple sprouting (to protect from the large number of pigeons) is a barrier for the one toad that was in the bed getting to the other end to feast.
On the subject of the purple sprouting the Cabbage White butterfly has not been an issue even though it could, in calmer weather, get through the netting. Far to wet and windy for them to try and gain access.

Weather was better this week but ended with heavy rain and very stong winds. One of my courgette plants finally had enough of the wind, let alone the rain.

Mr B finished his work on removing the last of the concrete 'path' (a strip of concrete around the house when it was built) putting down the gravel and building two more wooden planters so I can make the most of the side wall of the house. What a star!
Will accept commissions for planters on his behalf!!

Wooden planters

Some sunshine in the garden from the low growing alpine St John's Wort at the base of one of the water butts.

Hypericum Olympicum (Alpine St John's Wort)

My main achievement this weekend was clearing out the creeping buttercups in and around the fruit cage and securing all the netting as the currants are beginning to ripen. Netting hooks made from some wire clothes hangers (have a friend who uses a dry cleaner that still uses wire hangers!).

Now to keep an eye out for those determined birds who will find a way in anyway but then not manage to get out again.

Home made hooks for netting etc

Rabbit in headlights

One of the main things I have missed with the bad weather is the scent from the garden. Heavy rain and winds just wash/blow it away. After, yet another, week of rain and very strong winds the scent from the climbing rose 'Rambling Rector' today was just stunning.

Rose 'Rambling Rector'

To the title of this post: my guess is that this is what I look like when anyone asks me about how ready I am for the open gardens (now just 4 weeks away). Too much to do and too little time at this point.

Weeds are loving the weather, vegatables are being flattened, eaten by slugs or just sulking from the lack of heat/sunshine, and I haven't managed to get much time in the garden. Spent some of gardening time this weekend in the fruit cage picking gooseberries (sawfly have been one pest that has not liked the weather - hurrah!) with associated pruning.

Looking forward to the weather forecast for the week being correct - as in it will be warmer and drier. A half hour or so on the garden every day will get me there!

Water butts are full again

That's the only positive thing I can think of from a week of rain, rain, more rain and strong winds. Many tall plants are now at a 45 degree angle and clumps of other plants flattened by the amount of water that has fallen on them from above.French beans have been lopped by the wind and I am very surprised that I still have brassicas standing.

Hemerocallis

Sunshine yesterday and it was a joy to be working close to this Day Lily both from colour and scent point of view. I have a number of Day Lillies in the garden. The two early flowering ones (above and 'Golden Chimes') are scented. My later ones aren't.

The bed I was working on contains my rhubarb which has in previous years added to the structure within the bed with it's large leaves. This year, however, it's telling me it needs to be dug up and split (or possibly chucked sadly). Lots of food and no stems pulled will hopefully see it through to the Autumn.

Most of the Cosmos plants finally put in.

Inside: Stems of Solomon's Seal and Wigelia 'Bristol Ruby' (see last week) along with vases of other flowers/foliage mentioned in previous weeks.

Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Hope everyone is enjoying the Jubilee celebrations! Some of the red, white and blue currently flowering in my garden:

Wigelia 'Bristol Ruby'

Potentialla

Japanese Iris