Early August in the Garden

Ten good things about the garden today:

1. Sunshine for the first time in what feels like aaaages. The flowerbed looked luminescent in the dusk. Rudbekia turning from brown to orange.

2. The dahlias are coming out more and more - every day a new one seems to split out if its bud.

3. The sweet peas are still grow-grow-growing!

4. Cutting back the valerian seems to be making them flower even more.

5. The pumpkin towers seem to be working - lots of pumpkins and squashes setting, as well as glorious veg spaghetti. Considering butternut squash for next year...

6. Two new remaindered plants bought by A from Sandra's world - Señorita Blanca and Señorita Rosilitta. (£2 each!) Now out in the garage bed.

7. Glorious cucumbers from the conservatory - on the fourth one already, one huge one on the plant, two medium ones and still more setting!

8. Five tomatoes from the tomato plants! (Edited to add: Six! I got it wrong!)

9. Beautiful bunch of flowers for T's birthday - love-in-a-mist, cosmos, poppies, white antirhinnums, Michaelmas daisies, mint and one piece of clarkia.

10. The Bramleys are all rosy on their tops ready for a bumper autumn harvest.

Interesting facts about cucumbers:

These are apparently all alternative uses for cucumbers... Believe as you wish!

• Rub cucumber skin on a fogged about post-shower mirror and it will disappear without smears
• 'Cool as a cucumber' was coined because it actually cools the blood and, applied topically, will reduced facial swelling, hence the use in DIY kits.
• Cucumbers are a good substitute for chewing gum: the phytochemicals will kill bacteria that cause bad breath.
• The steam from a boiled cucumber, when breathed in, is a destresser.
• Waxy skin can be used to erase mistakes when made in pen.
• Cucumbers are a better pick-me-up than energy drinks due to the preponderance of B vitamins and carbohydrates.
• Use cucumber slices in a tin to repel pests from your garden. (if only it were that simple...)
• Cucumbers are a good cure for a hangover.
• Use cucumber peel instead of shoe polish.
• A 'green' way to clean sinks etc: rub a cucumber slice on dirty surfaces to remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine.

See if any of these work? Not sure I'll bother...

E x