[hubballi]

Well, some of you may remember the end of last year or was it the beginning of this ? Anyway, I was posting about "Why bother" because of such a poor year last summer.

I must say so far things are going well and I am getting much better results. The roses were rife with blackspot and aphids were in their millions. Now it's the opposite and I see more ladybirds. I think the Winter did us good and killed a lot of stuff off. A good harsh Winter cleanses.

The hot weather is bringing the tomatoes on and so far I am pretty happy. Thanks for all you here who encouraged me not to give up last year ;-)

[Mosslane]

So glad to hear you more positive amazing what a few months can do.

[Starling]

It's lovely to hear you so upbeat

[Goosegirl]

We all of us have our successes and failures, irrespective of whether we are novices or well experienced. I am growing climbing french beans outdoors this year rather than in my greenhouse and it's a pretty poor show so far. OH said not to bother with runners so we may have a beanless season. Having said that, we had our first new pot boiling last night (Vivaldi) and our first broccoli - with a salmon steak. 

[Babstreefern]

Glad you're loving it.  Its what makes it so wonderful, you don't know from one year to the next what will happen.

I've been up to my plot for the first time in 2 weeks (been in France), and its absolutely full.  A riot of colour and weeds (even though I left it weed free )

I came home tonight with a bag full of strawberries, new potatoes (grown in the greenhouse), peas and kohl rabi (first time of growing them).  Last year, when I grew my peas, I had enough to half fill one tiny pan .  This year, I've got tons

[hubballi]

I spoke too soon.

Beets, Lettuce, Radish, chard bolting.

Leaf Miner in Peas, Chard, Broccoli, sprouts and beetroot.

Hundreds of tiny slugs in salad. No idea how they got there as nematodes, organic slug pellets and beer traps used. Salt barrier around legs of the table top bed used.

Snails in same bed eaten all pea flowers so no more peas.

Pea moth in peas.

Sutton broad beans again disappointing small yield and small size pods.

Now a hosepipe ban in Cheshire.