#french soaps

Take your pick as how to describe the current weather.  One decent half day and night of rain since 20 March is not good for anybody except the odd cacti or scorpion, and now yesterday and today, yet again a high strength wind, this time from the south west giving a constant 45 mph battering.  The garden looks like a war zone, leaves and twigs everywhere and many a just about to flower perennial looking weary and battle scarred.  Clear up tomorrow yet again and I like every gardener in the country am beginning to be extremely FED UP.

However I have planted out all the Cosmos I need and the Nicotianas, so have just got some snapdragons to do and then all the little nooks and crannies will be filled.  It is useful to jam these annuals right up against the tatty allium leaves as they will soon be disappearing only to leave unwelcome gaps which until now were heavily disguised.  I did also manage despite the wind, to transplant the beetroot Chioggia seedlings so have avoided the ant irritation, and equally the coriander with lemon flavour.  I have resorted to sowing some spinach in the same way - 50 in modules as otherwise we shall get nowhere.

I mentioned a few weeks ago using soft soap to eradicate aphids, whitefly, lily beetle etc.  I can now reliably inform you that Black Marseille soap is back in stock with French Soaps who are based in Harrogate.  It is an excellent product and also very useful for basic household cleaning.  Through them incidentally I buy traditional soap flakes, made in Yorkshire, which if you follow the instructions, mix to a thick goo and store in a tupperware container, to then put scoops into the washing machine, are a brilliant alternative to traditional soap powder.   They resemble the old Lux flakes - but being Yorkshire a little goes a long way and they come in eco friendly paper bags.  Have a look!

The veg patch actually is now doing well - all the salads are either ready or about to be, new cut and come again leaves were sown today. Shallots and red onions are good but I have to keep up regular watering.  Asparagus is fantastic and all bar one of the new plants I filled in some gaps with, have come through. Artichokes are starting.  The beans planted out last weekend have survived their first week and the climbing shoots have struck out.  Leeks and Purple sprouting broccoli are marking time in the coldframes and the broad beans are forming up well.  I have sown some cucumber and they have all come through in about three days flat - I am thinking of planting them out in the cold frames as they become empty over the next couple of weeks.  All the courgettes have gone out as well so now we are beginning to look a bit more self sufficient! Some lovely gooseberries and red currants are showing and if as they seem to think we might get some rain early in June, it will be just in time to swell them up.

Dogs are in good heart - the bi-annual excitement of Mavis coming in season is once again upon us, but we have had to stand down on the lovely Yorkshire boy as under the current circumstances it seemed a long haul that might not be popular.  (Though having said that and having seen today’s news I really dont think it matters what one does now - double standards abound). Anyhow being more considerate that some we have elected to stay within our patch and are off to visit Bellspaddle Roscoe, a fine “fox red” gentleman who lives near Watton.  Fox red doesnt really exist - labradors are either yellow or black with variations on the yellow from dark to pale - so he is dark yellow.  He is a Field Trial Winner and from an excellent stable so please please Mavis, this time can you co-operate as we have no less than 8 puppies wanted.  The social event of the year will take place around 1st and 2nd June. Scout and Inca are therefore preparing themselves for a lot of upheaval as it is rather a stressful couple of weeks for them!

Bees are in good shape - yet another swarm which has been successfully hived. The unstable weather does however make them very grumpy and we are now most definitely in the June gap so there is very little food for them as well.  Consequently I got stung on the cheek whilst minding my own business at the top of the garden, but they are volatile like the firmament at the moment whizzing about on this warm wind desperately seeking food.  The rape and fodder beans have finished flowering, the gardens at the moment dont really provide their sort of food and the hawthorn flowers and blossoms are also finished.  Living in such an agricultural area, they now have to wait for the blackberry to flower on the common, and until then may even have to be fed with syrup as they are at maximum production of youngsters with each colony building up to as many as 60,000 bees.

We have baby swallows who hatched about four or five days ago, and 3 pairs of swifts in residence in the roof.  The barn own has been back hunting up and down both just outside and over the garden which is lovely, and a large number of roe deer are still about - I think I mistakenly said the roe rut was on, but this is not the case, the barking is in fact the parents telling last years babies to now make their way in the world before they have the next generation.  But they are lovely to see especially now they have moved off from the garden!

Next time I write we shall be in full rose season - the Maigold is coming to an end and I am desperately trying to paint her but it is very difficult!  Buff Beauty is just starting outside the sitting room window, and the beautiful species rose Rosa nutkana is full of flower.

Keep your fingers crossed for some rain - the grass and verges look like August! And keep watering containers and sweet peas in particular and feed them.

Brand: French Soaps

Luxury soap with a rich history, this soap is hand made, one soap at a time, in one hundred year old molds. Made from an olive and palm oil base and enriched with shea butter,, this soap is perfect for dry or sensitive skin. Pure essential oil of Verveine from the Grasse region of France scents this bar through and through. 250gm