Keeping us sweet ...

Sweetcorn, tomatoes, Thai basil

Veg 5

Spinach, sweet pea, sweetcorn

On the left, spinach (Medina?) in B2. Behind the spinach, our attempts to keep the birds from eating our cauliflower (on the left) and our Brussels sprouts (on the right). The Brussels sprouts in their temporary shelter have mostly been eaten by the slugs. We welcomed this.

In the middle, sweet pea King Navy. D's construction.

On the right, sweetcorn Xtra Early. The two surviving plants from the greenhouse and eight new seeds under two mini-greenhouses. Fingers crossed.

Mowing and sowing and planting

Last Thursday:

Having made the astute observation that RKF was mowing his plot but not ours, we went back to plan A. Do our own mowing. Did I report that Bowler D said that Chef T was considering giving us his push mower? Well, he did, but I suppose it'll mean us getting a shed as soon as possible.

The green wheelbarrow. I woke up far too early the other day, remembering that I'd seen a green wheelbarrow on one of Forester B's derelict plots ...

Last Friday:

A planted eight cosmos plants in A4 and elsewhere as they were pot-bound. She re-potted the remaining five, transplanted two courgette plants (Nero di Melano) "on the compost heap" (we have two of these as well as compost bins) whilst mulching them with the manure/straw concoction from a local farm.

Last Saturday:

I transplanted 13 leeks into C4 as the seedlings are now more than 20 cm tall, weeded C3 and C4, prepared the remainder of bed A4 (more French beans to go in) by weeding it, cutting up the large clods, then stamping on it, then soaking it.

Yesterday:

Sowed lovage into two pots, five seeds each, dug and weeded new bed, C1, partly, transplanted the two surviving sweetcorn (D said they're looking v dry and should go in) sowed more sweetcorn 2 x 4 in same bed, sowed more baby kale, 30 to a tray, fed asparagus in H4, is anybody reading this.

It's been hot this week, necessitating up to six trips to the communal water butt. Our bath is not only showing signs of leakage, it also harbours hundreds of tadpole-like creatures ...

Weeding, feeding, watering, slugs, deer

Last Saturday:

• Weeded potato bed D2 in preparation for main crop tubers
• Weeded out some nasty big weeds (plantain?)
• Fed the artichoke plants

Yesterday:

• Hot day - all outdoor veg and greenhouse inhabitants required watering twice (by A)
• A tied in the blackberry Fantasia as it was flapping about due to sudden growth

Today, a.m.:

When A was at the communal water butt, she saw a deer. She warned it about Forester B (who shoots them). Then she:

• watered everything
• planted more Little Gems in with the raspberries in C6
• had a deeply depressing conversation with the Ms re slug pellets, derris and ash?
• noted slugs are attacking the beans
• made a mental note to buy shading paint for the greenhouse

Today, p.m.:

I went round to water (again) and weed (again). I had to throw out six of the eight sweetcorn plants due to slug damage to the inner stem. I found the thing in the actual tray and discarded it with uncharacteristic feelings of rage. I was so proud of the fact that all of the seedlings had emerged ...

Sorry, still no pictures ...