Sun, Savour, Sow

As the days become warmer and the sunlight extends those precious wakeful hours, it is lovely to feel that summer is finally here. When you go for an early evening stroll you are hit with the heavenly aroma of bbq’s being lit from neighbouring gardens and the cheerful laughter of children pushing their bedtimes that bit later, as they bounce happily in the sunshine on their trampoline!

July is not only deliciously sunny (let’s hope we don’t jinx it!), it is mouth wateringly delicious too as all the hard work sowing seeds pre summer season has paid off and can be enjoyed by all the family. Courgettes, shallots and runner beans can be harvested this month, along with sweet and scrumptious blueberries and cherries.

Whilst tucking in and enjoying your homegrown crops it is important to keep sowing to cover produce for those winter months too. Sow seeds for winter lettuces, spring maturing cabbage, broad and dwarf French beans, carrot, radish and spinach just to name a few! Also to prove we’re not only thinking of our tummies, be sure to sow spring flowering perennials seeds in trays filled with good quality compost too. The long, warm, light days are fantastic for speeding up the germination process, but make sure to keep those water table levels topped up on hot days.

So with just a few weeks to go before the children/grandchildren break up from school, we’d like to wish you all a wonderfully peaceful July! Happy eating, sowing and sunning!