Almost tropical

Our conservatory has changed climate zone; it recorded 30C at 0830 this morning. I've had to evacuate the two remaining tomato plants. The newly arrived Meyer lemon tree, meanwhile, is loving it and its blossoms are infusing the hot conservatory with its delightful scent. The melons aren't complaining either.

The latest arrival: a very fragrant Meyer lemon tree

Cantaloupe with hat

My parents are visiting and I've got a work deadline so not so much time for gardening this week. Still, we got a lot done: The greenhouse has been painted with Coolglass to keep the sorry-looking tomato plants alive, the improvised raspberry fruit cage has been finished off with some windbreak material and Jim's designed a bird scarer that actually seems to work.

Scary owl CD

Cooler greenhouse

Raspberry fortress

The 200-odd onion sets that I planted last week are growing like the clappers. The maincrop onions are not looking bad either. Not many have fallen over. When should I start harvesting to cure them? Will it be obvious?

When to harvest?

The climbing beans have reached the top of the wigwam and have started flowering. We've had our first cauliflowers, plenty of carrots and the mangetout have gone crazy.

A typical day's harvest this week

The French beans have reached the top

My little collection of tea plants has finally reached harvesting size and we've enjoyed lemon verbena and lemon balm tea for the first time this week. The tea plants that I've grown from seed - camomile and two types of mint - have already been drunk aplenty. I like to blend a few, like nettle, mint and lady's mantle flowers (a very pernicious weed in our garden). So far nettle and lemon balm is our favourite. Now for a cuppa.