Gardeners are happily harvesting the fruits of their labours now and many fruits and vegetables are at their peak

Salads, carrots, runner beans, beetroot, salad onions
The Dog Days and the Silly Season

As summer gets underway in earnest this period is often
referred to as ‘the dog days of summer’ in reference to the balmy heat and absence of rain and ‘the silly season in reference to the nature of the stories sporadically appearing in the newspapers.

The Dog Days refers to the height of the hot weather during July and August. The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests it is from July 3rd to August 11th, the Book of Common Prayer between July 6th and August 17th. Others believe it runs all the way through July and August until September. The origin of the term dog days refers to Sirius, the Dog Star, rising in the sky and setting with the sun at this time, and influencing events on Earth.

Dogs were said to go mad and it was believed rabies was at its worst.



 The Silly Season came about because newspaper editors, desperate to attract readers were finding more serious news thin on the ground and were having to resort to more light hearted – some would say completely fanciful, stories.

With Parliament in recess, the Law Courts not sitting, the Royal Family, and many other people besides, out of London and major advertisers reluctant to commit themselves, it is time for desperate measures.

This is why you see so many stories about Crop Circles, the Beast of Bodmin (and of anywhere else) the Loch Ness Monster, Killer Wasps, Alien Invasion and all the rest of it!

Time to relax in your deckchair in a shady spot in the garden with a cup of tea – and read all about it!
Salads

Lettuces and salad leaves are going well now and there is still
time to sow more. Try to sow a short row every couple of weeks to avoid a glut – mark it on the calendar so you don’t forget. If the weather is very hot, delay sowing lettuce as it is unlikely to germinate over 25C. Now is a good time to sow claytonia, corn salad, endive, land cress, and oriental leaves such as mustards, mizuna, pak choi and tatsoi.


 
 Photo courtesy of
Joe Hashman/Dirty Nails
 

Strawberries
 
Strawberries are flourishing this month, if you grow your own you may have even have a glut! It’s time for cream teas and smoothies, jam and strawberries on your cereal or with yoghurt every morning for breakfast. 
 




Photo courtesy of
Joe Hashman/Dirty Nails
 
Courgettes

Courgettes are rampaging through gardens and allotments all over the country now. See this month’s recipes for ideas.



Soft Fruit

And of course, soft fruits are plentiful: there are still strawberries around and raspberries, cherries, black, red and white currants and gooseberries. See ‘Cooking with Mrs Simkins’ for Gooseberry Fool and Gooseberry Fool Ice Cream recipes.


Fresh Fish

Now is a good time for fresh fish, particularly fresh caught mackerel and lobster.