Regular followers might remember excitement last year over embryonic cucumbers, what I didn't post though, was that unlike Clare(3BT)'s they all rotted before even becoming teenage, let alone grown up enough for salad. I'm not really counting, but the bigger one looks hopeful.
For the wild flower geeks amongst us, the common under-appreciated teasel is a big success story, remember when every gift shop was filled with little teasel hedgehogs, and the real plant only safe on dangerous motorway verges? I'm sure lots of you have noticed how many more are growing with pride in more accessible places, including my garden. Apart from being a little spiky, they're wonderful creatures, robust, add what the garden designers glorify as "an architectural element" i.e. they're tall and have the unusual habit of the florets opening from the middle, spreading up and down in 2 lilac bands. The leaf bases have little ponds, an interesting place to hunt for creepy-crawlies, I've yet to find frogs like some or the tropical Bromeliads. They provide nectar for our bees and seeds for shy goldcrests, I'm still hoping to photograph them.
The slugs did for mine this year :-( which is very sad because Alec is cucumber mad at the moment.
ReplyDeleteNot counted yet, we'll keep you posted. A large boot works well for slugs, then you can catch a second batch when their friends come to eat the remains...shades of Ilkley Moor.
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