Growing and picking

Will's sunflower seeds have grown, so he brought them to our house for the next stage, he planted them 2 weeks ago seen here, he has 4 and I kept this one. The other seeds in his greenhouse have grown and been potted on, mummy is hoping she gets the flowers to grow, the basil is in a nice pot on her kitchen window sill. I will plant this in the garden when it gets a bit bigger. 

This is my first cucumber, I did have a few I cut off near the bottom of the plant, they never grow straight and often touch the soil, so I prefer to wait just a bit. The plant is full of flowers, once they start to form I will remove some, it looks as if the plant will be really fertile this year. 

Tomatoes are starting to turn red, this plant is outside the greenhouse, it gets sun most of the day. I have 3 plants this year, a plum tomato is outside next to this plant and has fruit. The 3rd plant is in my greenhouse, I grew this plant from a seed taken from a supermarket tomato, I want to see if using the same seed grown at home if they taste better, because the tomatoes often don't taste of much from the supermarkets. 

My Oak sapling is in it's small pot, the crock is there to hold it upright, the dish is shallow and the roots had to be folded to go in, time will tell if I can keep this small to be a bonsai, I have no idea is this is correct way, but I'm have fun, it sits in the shade on the floor of my greenhouse. I have seen that wire is used to shape the trunk, but at this stage I just want it to grow (stay small). 

With all the success from cuttings off my Salvia hotlips, I decided I would try another Salvia, we both liked this flower, so I am keeping it in the pot for a bit longer, there are loads of tender shoots on the plant, once they get bigger I will take three and try and root them. Saving money and only bringing in one plastic pot instead of four. 

I purchased a pack of crinkly lettuce, which was lovely and fresh, I am now soaking the roots in water ready to plant up, I should get a second cutting from this plant. I have another pack in the fridge to use for now, the lettuce stays fresher with the roots attached. 

We have had loads more rain, which I'm happy about, good for the garden and saves me from having to water my pots, I did spend an afternoon in the greenhouse, I have potted my lavender into 4 separate pots, I planted cutting from the blue salvia taken from the above plant. 

I have cut back some more of the eucalyptus by the front door, I don't want these to be tree's, so I need to keep them trimmed and bushy, these cutting I have popped into water and 1 stem into the perlite, I don't think the stems in soil have taken, but I still have left them just in case the are growing roots I can't see. 

My summer raspberries are now finishing, I am pleased with the crop this year, the later summer canes are looking very good. I am harvesting blueberries and blackcurrants, both bushes have done well, the later fruiting blueberry is full of green berries. I am still picking a couple of strawberries twice a week, which is pleasing as the plants are new this year. My blackberry canes are full of fruits ripen for later in the summer. It does feel good to be able to produce any harvest. 

How can it be July already, half the year gone, if you ask me how I am doing, I would say the days pass slowly, and yet the months fly by.