Finally, summer has begun. All that hard work toiling and turning the soil in the autumn months, before sowing and planting out in spring, really starts to come to fruition as we enter June.
Daybreak starts always put a smile on my face. The silence has already been broken by the dawn chorus and as I make my way along the path, my eyes dart over the lush green growth of the potato plants catching the morning light through the trees.
Passing the towering bean pole structures, I glimpse pink and purple flowers. In a month's time they'll be laden with French bean pods, with more to come. When I reach the greenhouse and open the door, I'm greeted by a waft of warm, spice-scented air from the pepper and chilli plants. But I'm firmly fixed on the emerging aubergine flowers and think back to last season's disastrous crop-surely I won't have bad luck two years in a row? Fingers crossed!
Just for a moment, I sit back and enjoy the tranquil view before the sun rises over the tree line and my workday begins.
Watering and weeding awaits. But first, I gather a few of my early potatoes for lunch. However small a harvest, it's seasonal and fresh, and that's what my garden means to me.
How I grow Strawberries
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A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there
