Planting summer

The chard has had to go, the first sowing of peas too. They've both been productive - and this year we've had the best crops ever of broad beans and peas, perhaps because the spring has been relatively wet. But the chard is about to bolt, the peas are all eaten or in the freezer and we need the space for the summer planting.

We've planted 40 tomato plants so far, a mix of Carmelo, Montecarlo, Coeur de Boeuf, ananas (a new variety for us, but an old traditional one which is popular here), and Roma, which we found last year was very good for preserving. We've also planted 18 pepper plants of different varieties, some cucumber plants and courgettes. We've still got to find space for chilli peppers and cherry tomatoes. We've had to buy a lot of these plants as the ones we sowed grew so slowly in the cold spring we've had. We've planted the tomatoes and peppers in long beds with a raised dyke around them to keep the water in, and support frames made from the bamboo which grows at the edge of the garden.

This iris flower was opening as we ate our lunch in the garden today.

The lemon tree is covered in flower.

This cistus flower lasted a day ... it was there yesterday, petals like crumpled tissue paper, today the petals lay on the ground around the plant. There'll be more soon.