June will soon be here, and the summer is coming. May has been a better month with some warm sunny days, but there is a sharp wind up here which means that people are still in coats. Temperatures are definitely a couple of degrees lower than in Kent and still using the central heating. We are busy working on the garden. The Duchess is doing sterling work in the front, but the people are so friendly here that she seems to spend a lot of time chatting to passers-by. She did take me to task recently complaining that I was taking all the credit for the hard work, so I thought I would give her a mention. I am working out the back, and the vegetable patch is nearly complete, although there are still plenty of logs to cut. The chainsaw needs some 2-stroke, but the nearest petrol station is 7 miles away. Life in Suffolk is much more secluded, and a trip to the Supermarket is an expedition. Getting rid of rubbish is not easy as there are only 3 refuse collection sites in the whole county, and the wheelie bin is tiny.
The lawn has had a cut but is little more than a rough patch of grass and shows no sign of thickening up. I have been looking at local seed merchants, but they seem to specialise in paddock and livestock pastures. The best option for grass seed seems to be Amazon. A lot of standard lawn seed mixes are not very drought resistant, and conditions seem to be getting hotter and drier. It may not be a problem this year, but it is probably sensible to look for a mix that can handle drought better. Bermuda grass is a good option and is available from Amazon. It is slow to germinate and needs temperatures between 16°C and 22°C. Kentucky Bluegrass is easier and is also known as Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass (SSMG). It will turn to hay in hot conditions but is tougher than Ryegrass. I did look for Kikuyu, which is very tough but also very expensive.
Hopefully, your vegetable patch is up and running, and you may already be taking salad crops. As you clear a patch, re-sow more seed and keep the Lettuce, Radish and Spring Onions coming. Spring Onions are a good addition to stir fry dishes. Either cut lengthways or sliced. I also like to throw a fistful of sliced Spring Onions into a chilli or curry for the last 5 minutes to give a bit of crunch. Early Potatoes should be ready this month, and simply lift the whole root when the flowers start to fade. No need to cut down the haulms as this thickens the skins which is only required for Maincrop Potatoes. Early Broad Beans will be ready and should not be left too long. As the beans mature, they get tougher and need more cooking. A fully ripe bean can be eaten raw with a salad. Take a look at the “scar” where the bean connects to the pod. It should be green. If it has turned black, it has gone over. It is still perfectly edible but needs simmering for a while. Take your vegetable crops as they ripen so they are fully tender, and don’t let them get tough, stringy or woody.
The colour of the scar indicates the condition of the bean.
The borders and containers will start to billow and need some attention, and it will become obvious which plants are too close to each other. When planting young shrubs and seedlings, it is so easy to put them too close together only to see them grow and smother each other. Follow the planting instructions on the label or simply look them up in a book or on the internet. Height and spread will tell you how far apart to plant or whether it should go at the back or the front of the border. The clever bit is to check colour and form to achieve contrast. Dahlias and Fuchsia complement each other well and tend to flower from June through to the first hard frost.
We hope to establish a small fruit orchard next year, but at the moment, we have no fruit in the garden. In fact, I have not even seen an Apple Tree in Suffolk yet. There seems to be a complete lack of orchards up here and hardly any fruit trees in the gardens. Maybe I am walking around with my head down, but I haven’t noticed any blossom at all. I suppose the Cherries will be ripening in June/July and Strawberries, but all I can see are acres of Wheat. I miss the Braeburn Apple Tree from Oak Lane, the Victoria Plum and the ancient old Beurre Hardy Pears, which used to belong to the Vicar. June was the month when the trees would naturally jettison a lot of fruit as if to select the best ones for ripening. Then after June, it was the time to thin out a bumper crop before the branches got ripped off… happy memories.
June is also the start of summer and time for outdoor living. Get the patio cleaned up and brush down the garden furniture. Smarten up the chiminea and think about the marinades and punches. If you have some friends, you might like to invite them around. If you don’t, it doesn’t really matter. There is a saying up here that goes... “Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits”…. company will only spoil that. However, a pint of Green Jack Golden Best will compliment it wonderfully.
UHS is always looking for new members and tries to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables, and flowers or even enter any of the shows we hold each year, please get in touch. We would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Membership Secretary Tracy Wells: upchurchsociety@gmail.com
Sean Barry
