1st - 3rd June

1^st June

It has been an absolutely stinking hot day. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far and today has topped that. When I checked on the allotment I found that the tray of cauliflowers had wilted rather significantly so I dug a trench and planted them all out in the middle of the section and drowned them in water and hoped for the best. I attempted to put up the netting over the larger brassica enclosure and managed one length with the springy netting which I had measured earlier and found that I could cover the entire patch with 2 lengthwise strips. However, by the time I had pegged it out it was too far stretched in one direction to meet in the middle with any more lengths from the other side. I left it at that – time that was wasted as far as I could see as I would need 3 lengths, more stitching or sewing and I might not have enough netting for that amount. On my travels I had to buy another large bag of compost (£4.99).

Back home I tied in all the sweet peas along the fence, at the wigwams and in the containers which now have wigwams of their own with twine wrapped round to climb up.

2^nd June

I’d had time to think about the brassica netting overnight and decided that I would attempt to use the scaffolding netting that made the walls as a roof as well. It rolls up at the edge very well to peg together without leaving gaps for animals to get in through. After watering the cauliflowers  again (they seem to be responding well) I got on with the task of the netting roof and managed one strip at one end. It went up pretty well and I’m very optimistic about this scheme. I planted out my spare sweet peas – 2 wigwams in section 1 by the garlic and a row in section 9 where there is a wider portion by the compost bin.

3^rd June

I am determined to crack on with the tasks at the allotment before it gets too late to be planting out so it was a lunchtime trip to finish the netting – 2 more strips and it looks great – all finished. After work there followed another trip to plant out 20 fillbasket sprouts plants into section 4 with freshly laid weed suppressing membrane down as well. It’s the watering that adds on so much time down there. I didn’t want to stop before I’d finished planting all the sprouts, and then of course, each one needs watering too. Anyway, I am very pleased with a good couple of tasks completed.

At home I potted up the fifth hanging basket with 2 salvias for bright colour, a chilli pepper for foliage plus I needed somewhere to plant it, and some laurentias. Unfortunately, the sweet peppers looked like the cauliflowers did after the weekend, all dry and limp so they had a good drenching, as did the rest of the garden. Temperatures continue to be high and I would feel we were entering decent summer weather were it not for the fact that this warm spell is forecast to break up by the end of the week – typical!

As far as progress goes in the garden, there are some flowers on the surfinas in the baskets, the roses are out, the white rose bush is a wonderful flurry of blooms and the carnations in the rockery are the best they have been. There are many carnations out in bloom and more buds ready to come on a little later. The salvias in the tray show evidence of slug attack though.