Patchwork

I have always loved patchwork, ever since I paper pieced and hand stitched patchwork cushions in tones of brown and orange back in my teens. I think even at the time I felt that the colour scheme was not ideal, but I was constrained by the very limited choice of prints available in the local fabric shop in those far-off days long gone, before we had the wonders of the Interweb and Mr Google to do our shopping for us.

This love of patchwork extends to our garden where I have a penchant for lettuce patchwork as you will see.

Random patchwork

Unfortunately, the Head Chef planted this bed out, and thus the patchwork takes on a random air, which is quite alien to my innate sense of order. The Head Chef has a randomizing nature and I have an ordering one, and thus we get along famously, especially when he spends the day slaving over a hot shovel and I go gadding off to the Great Wen for a bloggy meet-up and spend the day sitting in the V&A cafe chatting to Floss, Serenata, Angela, Lisa, Sue and Sarah.

But when I arrived back I very magnanimously inspected the Head Chef's labours and congratulated him on his efforts (although sadly I failed to notice the full extent of the mowing (or was it strimming?) that he had done in the orchard), my appreciation thus ensuring me a rather nice supper.

Aubergines looking happy

And the garden is bursting with suppers to come: the polytunnel promises tomatoes of all sorts, aubergines, peppers and basil (and please congratulate the Head Chef on the excellence of his tomato stringing - he would be so pleased if you noticed and patted him on the back).

An example of highly skilled stringing

We are hosting a two-week residential permaculture course very shortly, so we are very keen for those little green tomatoes to get their acts together and turn red, but whereas we had sunny June weather in April, it seems that the April showers have caught up with us and made their appearance in June, with a drop in temperature as well, just as we need a bit of warmth to make all these Mediterranean vegetables feel happy.

But at least a bit of rain has cheered the peas up - and here I have edging rather than out and out patchwork, with marigolds (calendula) to pretty up the peas. They are not just for ornament - the petals are good in salads, and if you infuse them in olive or sunflower oil it makes a nice skin oil.

And rather than fill our pots with annuals, we have prettied up the paved area with useful, tasty plants: chives, parsley, mint, lemon balm and coriander - handily situated mere footsteps from the kitchen.

Tea leaves in chimney pots

So there is a lot of cheer to be had from the garden this week, but preferably viewed from through the window - summer has gone, the holiday sofa is still eagerly waiting in the kitchen for it to be warm enough for such a tender chap to go outside, and I am still taking two hotties to bed with me at night.

You may laugh at the thought of two hotties in June, but then you don't have to suffer the chill factor of a Head Chef masquerading as a gigantic ice block getting into your bed in the small hours after having to pick up a General who had been celebrating the affirmation of his genius by his examiners at a time when anyone over 40 would be snug in bed asleep.

Just to warn you, this is your last chance to enter the giveaway - tomorrow I plan to accost a passing stranger to draw the winner as Naughty Dog seems unwilling, and Teddy-Face has had her turn.

And for more garden excellence, please visit the other gardens in the Bloggers Garden Tour organized by Amy, and pat them on the back, too - or you could join in yourself and get your own little pat, or maybe even a big hug.