We have had an incredibly wet couple of months recently, and as I look ahead at the weather forecast for the next week, I see no respite. It really doesn’t feel like summer.
No sun, just back-to-back clouds and rain for the week to come. I’m clutching my mug of coffee and peering out through the rain-smeared caravan windows as I write.
Luckily the polycrub remains largely unaffected by the rain. Everything seems to be growing nicely in there, although the lack of warmth and sunshine means that my tomatoes and courgettes are being very slow to set fruit. There are lots of flowers, but only a few tiny fruits so far, despite feeding and shaking to help pollination. More patience is needed as well as more sunshine!
We have youngest stepson staying with us at the moment. I say youngest, he’s 21 😊. Despite being a child of the city, a very definite metro-being, he’s been quite taken by the rituals of watering, pruning, planting and harvesting in the polycrub and has been helping me with this.
Which is a really good thing as it’s a busy time of the year in there and I’m still pretty limited in what I can do since the operation, with no lifting or standing for too long.
He pricked out baby beetroot into pots yesterday and I showed him how to take excess foliage off the tomato plants to redirect energy into the setting fruits. He’s also been building plant stakes to support the trailing plants.
Sitting in there with his music on enjoying the now rather jungle-like environment of climbing greenery, it’s been nice to see him without his nose in his phone or laptop for a bit enjoying the outdoors. Well indoors really, I guess. A polycrub is a sort of halfway house, isn’t it…😊
Who knows, maybe we have another generation of growers in the making…
Ravencroft Skye 
Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked … 😉
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Yay! He’s talking about growing on his balcony when he gets back to Manchester, so you could be right 😀
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We need more sunshine to help with growth. Fingers crossed😎
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I am sacrificing to the small weather gods as we speak 😊
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My tomatoes are looking do sorry for themselves😯
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Sorry to hear that. Mine are very small, and not very many of them. We need sun!
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More sunshine would ceratinly be nice! Glad to hear you have help in the polycrub and hopefully he will get the gardening bug.
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I’m on the case! 👍
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Good on you for subverting the young! Polluting his young mind with thoughts of growing and independent living, peace and oneness with Nature, how could you? When he goes back to his metro life he will find that he takes a little bit of country with him, and he will never again be free of the longing to be a part of Nature again. He will find himself visiting more and more until one day, he realises he wants nothing more than a ‘bit of earth’ of his own. My youngest is going through this at the moment.
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Let’s hope he’s thinking that already. I think we all get there (well, most of us) eventually
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