The Lady of La Chaise is in a panic. Audrey and Alexandre, along with Charlie and (H)aska the dog have gone away and left her. Admittedly The Lady has not been left for long, only four days. But she has been left in charge of the vegetable garden.
The tomato jungle
The vegetable garden is a riot of rampant courgette plants, some of which are producing pumpkins, bolting lettuces, unknown greens and a tomato jungle. At least two courgette plants are trying to climb up the weeping mulberry. A boundary climbing rose is sneaking two feelers along the grass towards the tomato jungle. There is mint everywhere and some spring bean plants have decided to return. At least, they look like bean plants.
Ramping courgettes hide nettles
The problem is this: Audrey and Alex appear to believe in the equality of plants. In short, no ‘weeding’. An admirable approach, probably – except that weeds (sorry, plants) such as nettles nestle sneakily under courgette leaves. This makes it difficult to pick (steal?) courgettes, whether round or long, without getting severely stung. And not a dock leaf visible.
Good things from the veggie jungle
Boots might be an answer. Only The Lady’s boots are likely to be a) filled with wet golf balls by adored grandson (wet because they first passed into the watering can) or b) still housing last years hornets. Hornets, even when dead, can sting.
The solution might be to persuade Audrey and Alex that ‘weeding’ is a form of ‘pruning’. They are absolutely excellent at pruning. Audrey has revived one of our wall decorating climbing roses. It is now flowering for the fourth time this year. Alex last year pruned – practically slaughtered – an aged walnut. It has decided to live, rejuvenated, might even produce walnuts in a few year’s time.
Meanwhile, Autumn has encroached on August. We have had an excellent early crop of boletus edulis (penny buns, in English) and the oronges have escaped from their hiding place deep in the woods to the fringes of fairway
three. Again, we have the Biggest Ever puff-balls in the woods.
The largest puff-ball ever since last year
And the first autumn crocus before August is even finished.!!