We were away for a few days and I was so worried about leaving my plants that I am growing as part of the Ice Grow Your Own Challenge! That was a completely new experience for me...showing concern for my little potted garden. I needn't have worried, as although we were basking in glorious French sunshine all week long, Shropshire had quite a lot of rain. I had moved all my pots into a more sheltered area of my garden away from direct sunlight before we left, and thanks to nature's watering, they flourished.
My plants have all grown massively. I have a little jungle growing! The children have pots of flowers and sunflowers which are really coming into their own. It's amazing to see Bumble Bees buzzing around, knowing we are helping them and encouraging them into our garden. The potato plants survived really well and I think it may soon be time to check under the soil to see if we have any spuds to dig out!
Just take a look at my Rocket! It has gone from being tiny seedlings to 'ready to eat' salad! It is my first crop ready for consumption and that makes me very excited! I picked a few leaves to nibble on and I loved the peppery, fresh flavour. Sowing seeds on a two weekly cycle means there is always a new row growing after you have picked some, keeping the supply of salad going through the summer.
I was a bit sad to see some of my plants had been ravaged by some hungry caterpillars. The butterflies that the children had been admiring last week, had laid eggs onto my radishes and they had hatched and eaten most of the foliage away. So I don't think that will be a very successful crop. I am a bit squeamish when it comes to bugs, so I can't bring myself to remove the interlopers from my plants. I will take solace out of the fact that I have helped feed the next generation of beautiful butterflies that my children will enjoy watching fluttering around the garden! Sharing the gardening love with Mother Nature's hungry creatures!!
Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will have some more home grown produce to enjoy...especially if the rain continues to keep everything well watered for me. I am continuing to take delight out of this challenge and am enjoying sharing the gardening experience with my children!