We think we must have brought some of the sun and good weather back with us from Cuba which is what the gardens need, as we have had a couple of really good days since we have been back.
We all agreed that our holiday in Cuba has been one of the best we have had and that we will go back at sometime. The people are friendly and hard working, especially when you find out that their average day pay rate is the equivalent of about seventy pence! Yes seventy pence a day, yes you did read it correctly the first time.
This is one of the reasons we would recommend you also take a holiday there, as this is one of the ways you can help the locals by bringing money through tourism to the country.
We always tipped even though they did not expect it, unlike some other places we have visited, and people who had been before took along baby clothes, good second hand clothes, and old football shirts as they absolutely adore these, does not matter what club or country.
The rain has been very helpful for the gardens and crops and for the amount of fruit and vegetables, but the sun is needed for the ripening factor.
Our greenhouse is full of squash, courgettes, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes, and they have grown to a really good size, but the peppers and tomatoes are still very green, so it looks like Sandra will have to make some green tomato chutney, you can bet they will all ripen together and we will have a glut even though we share them with other members of the family. All these vegetables and fruit can be grown outside in the gardens but tend to do better in a greenhouse.
Rusty, our dog is now back to his good old self after all the sulking he had been doing since being left behind during our holiday, although it seems he has had one bit of defiance since then, as a tassel from one of our cushions had miraculously fallen off and was soggy, although he has never done anything like this before.
We did reprimand him for this, but you just can not stay cross with him for very long because the looks he gives you soon melts away any anger you had and actually has you smiling at him, and he really does look good in that Cuban bandana.
Gardens
Needless to say to keep hoeing around the garden areas, maintaining soil aeration and weeds at bay. Dead head as you walk around the garden as this is the easiest way to keep plants producing flowers, Sandra usually does a fair bit of dead heading when she goes back and forth to the washing line using just her fingers, although tough stemmed plants do need secateurs or scissors. This is especially important for your roses to give you a great autumn show of colour.
The tomatoes are still struggling to ripen, and even though we always plant early the green house tomatoes have hardly turned at all yet, and the outside ones are a very good size but are still green. Generally we leave the peppers until they have turned orange or yellow, but it looks like they will be picked mainly green this year due to the lack of sun.
The lettuce crop has been very good, and so has the runner beans as they really enjoy the wet weather. Another surprise this year is the raspberries, there has been an overwhelming amount of fruit that have been really sweet, and there is still plenty to come on over the next week or two.
The figs are ripening really well, we have two trees in the garden. One is a ‘Brown Turkey Fig and is so heavily laden that the branches are drooping. I really like this tree as the fruit start off the year before, although some of them do rot off and drop during winter, they mature right through the year and you can still pick them in the late autumn. On our other tree the figs grow and mature the same season, they are very nice but do not come quite up to the same standard as the ‘Brown Turkey’.
Lawns
Do not forget to keep the grass cut to keep them looking lush and green now the fine weather has arrived. Keep the blades at a good height on the mower and do not be tempted to lower them, cut the grass more frequently so that if we do get a really dry hot period, there is enough length and moisture to stop the grass from searing off. Of course with the grass growing well the pesky weeds seem to grow even quicker, so if you find any clover just use a lawn rake if it is in a small area. If the clover or other weed has become widespread then use a good herbicide to maintain your pride and joy.
This article was composed by Ted and Sandra Wosko of A-Z Landscapes & Contract Services Ltd.
We run a very successful uk based landscaping family company. We have some blue chip companies as our clients and been retained by them for several years. We have been acknowledged for helping companies achieve their environmental compliance standards.
http://www.topgardensuk.com
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Hope you enjoyed Gardens, Garden Tips 2
Ted and Sandra
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