Saturday

Good morning!   Today is the Longest Day, the Summer Solstice.  From now on the days get shorter and the nights get longer, not that we notice for quite a while.  I'm glad it's sunny. 

The rain, with the warmth, has really brought the tomatoes on.  Most of my plants have two trusses now, some more, apart from the poor one whose main shoot I enthusiastically pinched out yesterday morning while doing a tie up and side shoot removal.  Ooops.  Fortunately, I was able to tie in a strong side shoot so that should take over.
Happily, the baby cucumber IS big enough (just) to pick and take with me to Dad's.  Here she is . . .

. . . and there are several others also coming on so cucumber will soon be off my shopping list for a few months.

Hyde Hall was lovely.  I was so lucky with the weather.  We had a few spots of rain before hand so I made sure I had raincoat and umbrella in my bag, and just as I got back to the car there were a few more spots.  Neither came to anything though.

It was quite busy, as it was last week, but not crowded anywhere.  I had to queue for the loo but then one usually does, it was just outside distanced queuing instead of being crowded inside.

I had a good wander around, took plenty of photos (some of which are in a separate post I did earlier), ate my lunch by the big pond, had another meander around and then went into the 'retail' area.  I bought no plants but I did get some bits and bobs for Dad for tomorrow and it was just nice to wander around.

I was in bed early, having fallen asleep during Peter Pan and slept the night through although I did have one very odd and vivid dream about being back in school as a teacher with a class consisting of a selection of previous pupils, some of which were playing me up no end while I delivered an observed lesson that consisted of the most ridiculous dictation exercise that was written on a scruffy scrap of paper that kept disappearing and which had been given to me just before the lesson began.
Small wonder they were playing me up!!
Heaven only knows what caused that dream but I was glad to wake up!

I've been pondering about my garden.  I think that's always the way - as soon as you think you've got it just so, along come some more ideas.

One of the problems with a partly container garden and certainly one like mine is height.  I'm lucky that there are the trees either side but in my own garden the annual runner beans is as tall as it gets.
I'm very fond of bamboo and you can get non-invasive varieties, but I don't really have the growing space.  I wonder about some in a container - I have one with a most unsuccessful bush in it that is going to come out.  Do any of my knowledgeable readers know if bamboo does OK in a container?

The other, longer term ponder is perhaps removing some of the paving slabs around the edge in places.  I know Jeff would help with this.  However, it isn't something to be done in a hurry or without some very careful planning so it remains something for the future. 
The whole idea behind the paving and raised beds was for when I was working and really very busy with little time to look after a garden as well.  Now I not only have more time, I also have more energy and interest.
It's something to think about, anyway!

This morning I am off to Dad's for my first weekend with him since before lockdown.  I'm taking with me the cucumber and some rhubarb from the allotment plus my general weeding tool and garden gloves so I can do some weeding for him.

So tomorrow's post might not happen, it all depends but, if not, I'll be back on Monday.
Have a super weekend, everyone.  xx

(I'll finish off with a few garden photos I took a minute or so ago.)