Potager Paradise

Today started off rather dull and gloomy and it was a bit nippy as well, around 14 C. In the late afternoon the sun came out and I felt like working in the potager aka the ornamental kitchen garden. It is south facing, very sheltered and even on a not so warm day it is nice to work there as long as the sun is out.

The sun is already quite strong this time of year, so very soon the air warmed up and it was very nice to be out and about in the sun again. The birds thought so too because quite a lot of them were merrily chirping and chattering away.

The path above leads to the potato bed and my 3 sisters bed behind it. The potatoes are growing fast and furious now, courtesy of all that rain we've been having lately.
They are almost ready to flower and as soon as they do there's only 2 to 3 weeks til harvest time. Can't wait to get the tatties from this plot onto my plate!
The 3 sisters bed planted with squash, corn and beans is growing away merrily too. I'm very curious to see how this will all work out as this is my first 3 sisters bed ever. It needs some weeding though, I will probably do that this weekend.

Such a cheerful sight my cold frames filled with salads for the plate and Sweet Williams for the vase. In the background the broad beans have almost finished flowering. Hopefully we'll have several nice harvests of broad beans this year as they are one of my favorite vegetables.
The herb bed is growing like there's no tomorrow too. Love that combination of the yellow flowers of the rue and the lilac flowers of the chives.
This is Satureja montana, a herb that goes very well with broad beans. Just pick a handful of leaves and sprinkle over your cooked broad beans; a match made in heaven.
Last year we planted a plum tree (Opal) in the potager and I am happy to say that it flowered this year. And look what's growing on it, can't wait to get a taste of that once it's ripe.

The potager is slowly turning into a jungle, everything is so lush and green. It smells so nice too! The herb bed is close to the path and it's fun to run your hands through the lavender or fennel. A good garden is not only a joy to behold but also a feast for the nose and very tactile too. The added bonus of a potager is that you can eat most of what grows there. What more could you possible ask for? My terracotta pot runneth over!
The chives are doing really great, frame the path very nicely and the flowers are nice in a salad. Do you see that little blob, on the left of the pot? Guess what that is?
A little frog that had come out to play in the rain before but was caught on camera while he was basking in the sun afterwards. Cute little fellow, isn't he? And he's good at keeping the slug population down in my potager as well.
The strawberries are growing and will start to ripen soon. Hopefully I will get a taste of them before my cat Pippa does as she loves strawberries, or the birds do as they love strawberries as well.

As per usual I was under strict supervision, but this time my supervisor got a bit distracted. It's funny how some cats go bananas and others have no reaction to catnip whatsoever. I grow catnip in the potager for my cats because all nine of them love it too bits.
Have a lovely weekend everyone!

The Catnip Dance

Oh, the catnip dance, the catnip dance
Come and join the catnip dance
Leap in the air and then touch down
And away we go, around and around
Fly away, fly away, higher and higher
With a catnip flame and a catnip fire
Roll in the catnip
Whirl in the catnip
Pirouette and prance
Come along, come along, come along
All cats join the catnip dance.
Paul Gallico, Honourable Cat