A bit of late #woodbutchering on the sunken greenhouse 🌱. Staging. It's either too hot to go in there, or too dark to see 'owt. Hope to be finished tomorrow.

Reported yesterday, that we'd put up the Sweetcorn rat defences. No-one noticed that we'd planted Cosmos 🌱 in a veg bed, right in front of the frame. Cosmos has been in for a month already and will totally envelope the frame as the corn ripens. Did it last year too. A bit of diversity and 🐝 👍 ❤️

Whilst temps have dropped to Summer average, Sun is very strong. Had an hours walk in our local wood this afternoon, then popped to #allotment to check the Cukes 🌱 They were not happy. Watered and added shade cloth. Some general watering: GH, tunnel, leeks, potatoes and these cabbages. Happy Days

Last #allotment job before the Composting begins... Assemble Fort Knox for the Sweetcorn 🌱 to keep ratty out 🐀 Mesh is buried 15cms down. It works great but not the easiest thing to assemble - particularly with dripline irrigation underneath. Done!!

Everywhere that we looked on the #allotment, there were bees and other pollinators! Literally hundreds and hundreds. Here's a few on Lavender 🌱

Our Purple Sprouting Broccoli, tiny but safe now, under deep shade netting. A bit of a respite from the weather now means that they'll be safe. 🌱 Grow babies! @littlegreentip1.bsky.social 's too.

The weatherman says that us folks on the East Coast are going to have some respite from the heat tomorrow, as low cloud moves in from the North Sea.. That'll be nice, says greenhouse! Greenhouse thermometer at 10:15pm.

Bees, in the evening on the #allotment, on a "WhatdoYaMaCallit" plant 🌱

It's lovely to watch the bees in the evening. Across the #allotment, the lavender, korean mint and the multitude of flowering plants, there must have been several hundred still, all hard at work

popped up to the allotment earlier, as the sun started to dip. It's been warm and a couple of plants were a bit stressed 🌱 So much nicer on the allotment in the evening. There should be a law, that everyone should do it... the World would be a much nicer and friendlier place..... (methinks)

so much vigour, probably as a result of all the extra watering we're giving them. I normally summer prune at end of August. Some of these new shoots are going to be so thick. The pear trees aren't anywhere like so bad. What do you plan to do?

It's hard to believe that there are 50 cooking apples on this espaliered tree 🌱. I can't see any in the photo. This tree is 12 years old. They're completely swamped with new growth. I feel the need to summer prune, but it's much too early and it'll really confuse the trees if I do it twice.

Good night Sun. Thanks for the wonderful day. See you in 6.5hrs. Currently 27.1ºC in greenhouse at home. Can you hear the Aubergines 🌱 singing?

The rear of our #allotment is an absolute suntrap. It was literally heaving with pollinators today

A recently pruned plum tree offering scant protection for heavily earthed up maincrop potatoes on our #allotment Wow! it's been warm today.

yes, we know... madness!

Stifling midday heat in the polytunnel and greenhouses. Toms 🌱 can take it with roots deep in the beds, but potted peppers and cukes are needing reflective covers and shade netting. Brits! - always complaining about the weather 😂

The new drip line irrigation is really earning it's keep just now. Maybe a flow rate of 20 litres in an hour across 10 🌱 beds - almost nothing and delivered right where it's needed.

A truly beautiful, stunning morning on the #allotment but too hot for us in the end. Did manage to get lots done, but oh man.... 🌱

Have always thought that this was a British thing and that the humble sprout would never make it across the pond. What joy!!! 🙏

End of 1st wk of July. Composting 🌱 season is about to begin. Most other chores done now! We do it very differently from most. All ingredients are stacked/bagged & dry. We'll shred & mix & water. Then the alchemy begins 🙏. We'll make precisely 1 ton of finished compost, like we did last year

Yes, I did add Lime and FBB, then forked it in. There was not a lot of moisture in the soil. They have 2 chances.

more garlic 🌱 lifted. These were the smallest cloves, yet have provided absolute belter bulbs. Amazing condition & therefore so pleased.

The last 4 cucumber 🌱 plants taken to the #allotment and planted. Left to sprawl. Sprawl babies... !

our raspberries 🌱 are all Autumn varieties, so it's wait awhile yet for us. ... so imagine the joy of being given 1lb of fruit by your #allotment neighbour.. 😘

Some say that a soil test is advisable before using. But Brassicas prefer slightly alkaline soils. Ours is clay, the organics that we're adding is slightly acidic so we add before all Brassicas and lightly incorporate. We add a pound per square yard. They look well on it I think...

Rare Monday visit to #allotment tomorrow. That nearest empty bed, is heavily mulched. Will add Lime and FBB tomorrow and transplant the Winter Brassicas, PSB etc and net up. Heatwave coming, so possibly the only chance in the next foreseeable week to get the plants in. #GYO #GardeningLife

Yes, it looks kinda strange! Various oases (plural of oasis) of vegetables 🌱 growing in a sea of woodchip. It'll all mellow in a month or so. It'll lock moisture in. lower soil temps and most importantly, it'll reduce weed pressure from wind borne seeds... ... as you can see, it was very windy

Despite the early start, we managed to get ourselves a little 'cooked' this morning on the #allotment. Finished dressing all the old woodchip with fresh. Looks so much better now, will hold moisture in and keep annual weed seeds at bay. Really pleased 👌

A handful of fresh dill 🌱, rather than shrivelled stuff that you get at the supermarket...