Back to the garden

One of the best bits of the season changing is that I can get back to our lovely garden. When it's hot for weeks on end the garden looks as though it's holding its breath. When the rains finally drop a little relief in September the garden starts to grow again. So having looked flower-less for weeks we suddenly have zillions of roses, canna lilies, and oleander in bloom. And with all that come the weeds - with a vengeance.

We have two windows of perfect gardening weather, October to mid-November, then again from February to the end of May. Yesterday it was so hot whilst weeding that I was down to my bra. A visiting friend asked if I garden naked when it's really hot. Who gardens when it's really hot?

You have to laugh. All the gardening books tell you that vegetable plants generally need well drained, highly nutritious, ph-perfect, well watered and mulched soil. Unbelievably we have stonking results with tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes on heavy clay into which I sporadically dig home-made compost, and which is watered in great slooshes when I backwash the swimming pool. Fortunately the water's treated by ultra-violet light, so no chlorine or salt which would harm the plants. One of our guests during the summer said she was amazed that our tomatoes appeared to be growing out of concrete, yet were groaning under the weight of fruit. I guess they like clay.

So yesterday I planted celery, broccoli, cauliflower and blette. The books said they need very particular conditions and I'll do my best, but I know it won't be perfect. For example, celery needs long cold growing weather, which we don't normally have. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Unbelievably the two remaining goldfish, Tabloid and Honda, look very chipper this morning. I'd like to be able to relax about the fish, but they make me very nervous.