Monty lifts his wallflowers from the seed bed to plant them out to give them more room. Some are flowering which they shouldn't be but this is due to the very hot weather we have had this summer. Monty advises to cut them back if they are flowering. He plants them in the veg garden as they are members of the brassica family so he lines them out amongst the cabbages and purple sprouting broccoli. Monty is still in the veg garden where it's a time of transition. The sweetcorn and courgettes are coming along, the chard is doing fantastically, broad beans are almost over, the carrots are also good - he pulls them out and eats from one. The peas are also almost over. Chicory is growing strongly but won't be harvested for another 2-3 months. The brassicas - cabbages, cauliflowers and kales need to be protected from cabbage whites. Monty then sows lettuce in a tin bath with drilled holes for drainage which he will harvest in Autumn. Carol looks at the bearded iris this week and also visits Howard Nurseries in Diss, Norfolk, to see the spectacular display of irises which is down to David Howard and his team. David has spent his life time devoted to these beautiful flowers.
Monty is already thinking about next year which means now is the time for him to start collecting seed. He collects seed from astrantia and silene and stores them in brown paper bags. He bought the silene from the Malvern Show in May which started the planting off and now he can keep it going by ...