Oh, I’m glad you’re not my neighbour!!! 
Just when I was feeling pleased that I was actually going to have some gooseberries on my one bush this year I notice the sawfly caterpillars have arrived and are busy stripping all the leaves :twisted: I spent ages this afternoon with a pair of tweezers picking them off not an easy task because they are the same colour as the leaves and blend in so well.
Funny you should say that Janela, I use Garlic with baby shampoo, and yes, it does pong, but the smell wears off after a while.
Ages ago I read somewhere about the baby shampoo having more beneficial ingredients than washing up liquid, but can’t remember all the details properly now.
We have a cheap shop like a £pound shop a couple of miles away and I’m going to buy baby shampoo from them when we get there (probably next week), thanks Mups.
Sorry to hear about the gooseberry bush Meg!
We found an infestation of blackfly? on our blackberry bush, looked disgusting, it had shrivelled all the leaves, no signs of fruit or a decent leaf, so Wal gave it the ‘chelsea chop’ this morning.
I hope it pulls through. (fingers crossed emoticon needed )
My two gooseberry bushes are laden with fruit ( one was supposed to be red berries - they are both green ) I even took two cuttings from the ‘red’ one to give to my daughter and dil - I don’t think they’ll want them
The new strawberries we planted Malling Centenary, which is a new variety, have lovely big conical fruit and are ripening 
My one dismal failure - kale
Planted a dozen and have one left! They were planted next to the old strawberries and in between the gooseberries - everything covered in netting, so it wasn’t birds 
must have been slugs or snails :twisted:
We had our first new spuds from the garden today, and very nice they were too.
My gooseberries are laden with fruit as well Jan and virtually ready to pick, and the loganberries, blackberries and blackcurrants are looking right off the scale for quantity, in fact I’ve a feeling that I’m going to run out of people to give fruit away to this year even after I’ve filled the freezers…:shock:
I’m going to dig up a root of spuds tomorrow Barry. Like you my gooseberries are looking good. I discovered blackfly on the broad beans today so I’ll be spraying tomorrow. I did nip out the tips but the little black devils managed to take hold.
There seems to be a plague of blackfly this year and not many ladybirds about - the ants are vigorously farming them
I found two harlequin and disposed of them :surprised:
I picked a large gooseberry but it was quite bitter still … not sure how long it will be.
The blackcurrent bush is surviving after Wal gave it a chop, it was badly infested but I’m glad to see it shooting, must remember to spray it early next year!
The Malling strawberry had five ripe fruits, so I picked them this morning, they will be eaten later - looking forward to them, I understand it is the choice of variety for Wimbledon this year 
We ate our Malling strawberries last night, along with a dozen from the old plants. There was no comparison, the Malling was dark, shiny and a lovely flavor, I highly recommend them. We will be potting up the runners and phasing out the old ones, that we’ll use for jam.
Pah! My gooseberry plants didn’t like being neglected while I was away and I have…ONE gooseberry! Better luck next year
Had the first of my strawberries today ‘Mara de Bois’ . They are perpetual and go on fruiting until autumn providing you keep picking them
Our Stella cherry tree is fruiting for the first time - we have quite a few fruits, and I’m hoping they will hold off until our son comes, so that he can pick them (it was a gift from him)
Still picking strawberries, and dug up some garlic yesterday … about half a dozen were ready, they are all a jolly good size and we are hoping to plait some again. (have to keep them hidden though - our daughter and dil had the last lot)
Happy gardening all.
Hi Janela I have had a few strawberries and my Grandaughter Hannah was horrified when she caught Chloe dog stealing them off the plants
I haven’t tried my garlic yet but the plants look huge.
Have you netted the cherries, the starlings used to fight over mine at dawn each day and we never had any. They weren’t very nice anyway and I cut the tree back because it was always covered in blackfly.
I hope you enjoy your cherries
Good morning Meg, yes we netted the cherry, it’s about 7 foot tall and managable still. Woodpigeons are our problem and no sign of blackfly.
We both have bad backs at the moment, though Wal’s is much worse, and he has been using the wheelchair, so the strawberries are tormenting me!
(I’m going to try using a long handled cutter and the pick-up stick)
Poor Hannah, having to share with Chloe
I bought 6 cucamelon plants to try this year … decided to grow them in pots outside the front of the greenhouse, looking forward to trying them.
Will report on their progress.
Oh dear Janela a bad back is not the best thing for a gardener and it must be very frustrating not being able to get to things.
Good luck with the cucamelons
Hi Janela, I grew a cucamelon last year for the first time and won’t bother again. They are rather like gooseberries but a bit more oval in appearance and don’t have much flavour but they’re OK to chop up and add to a mixed salad. Their growing habit is like a climber with shoots about 6 feet long.
I’ve never heard of them!
I just did a quick search, and they sure are ‘cute’ looking.
So they don’t taste much like cucumbers Alan?
Hope they grow well for you Janela. Will be waiting to here what you think of them.
‘‘Cucamelons are grape-sized ‘watermelons’ that taste of pure cucumber with a tinge of lime’’
Yum I bet they are lovely in a dressed salad
Oh boy, I’d be eating them straight off the plant!