I did a mammoth 2.5 hours deadheading session in the evening, having a really good clear out of the sweet peas in particular. All the cosmos are done, the calendulas, whatever needed snipping in Bed 3 …

The nasturtiums are starting to wane a bit, so I’ve cut them back roughly. There’s some new foliage coming, so we’ll see if it amounts to anything.

We only went down to do a harvest of runner beans and sweet peas, but as soon as we were through the gate, I saw that the water level in the pond had dropped dramatically. Fortunately I found the damage up on the beach, just about within reach. There was a line of small holes and one bigger hole. It seems like some violent pecking has gone on; I can’t really think what else would have done it.

I cleaned and dried off the area and covered the holes with duct tape. Then I cut a piece of PVC and taped it over that. In order to prevent further beach bed pecking, I put the paddle stone there and half covered it with stones. I would rather use it to cover the side, but it was always slipping down, so I guess it doesn’t matter. I keep meaning to go back and see if there’s any more farm rock to be had, though I think it’s a bit absorbent and wicks the water a little.

Once the fix was done, I refilled the pond with rainwater so it was at least no longer super low. I saw various bits of wildlife while there, so all is well in spite of the dropped level. If the fix doesn’t hold, I’ll have to clear it out again and UHU it, rather than tape it.

The tomatoes are ripening and the first will probably be ready at the weekend.

I’ve finally managed to mow the whole plot on level 1 now. The clover just has such a high water content that I kept having to unclog the bottom of the mower, so I carried a bucket around with me for all the green mulch. I’ve done the deadheading too, so the plot is looking midsummer-great and deserved a few photos.

Cornflowers are blooming in Bed 6 and in the woodland bed, where larkspur has turned up from seed casting too. It’s about time it finally germinated. Hopefully those two will self-seed for next year, along with poppies and corn cockles, taking over a bit from the weeds that I’ve allowed to do their own thing.

I concluded that the suddenly poorly onions all have powdery mildew, so l’ve harvested all 50 before they get any worse. Any marks beyond the mildew are a matter of infection taking hold and becoming worse.

A couple had slightly mouldy bottoms, so they might not dry off all that well. The rest are now laid out in the grow house with the garlic.

The morning was a bit frustrating after good runner bean and sweet pea harvest. I headed off to the garden centre for bedding plants for Bed 3, then to the nursery and then back to the garden centre, ultimately picking up two planters from the front of the shop. I dismantled the pots into their various parts, which were part bedding plants and part white fuchsias. They’ve now gone into Bed 3 with a heavy layer of compost added around them.

I’ve put the remaining stones and gravel into the pond. If the beach becomes low on stones again, I’ll just have to fish them out of the pond and put them back. Things had been rather displaced with evidence of bird bathing this morning.

It’s been a month since I fed the plants, but that’s now finally done again. Mostly with tomato food, but some general fertiliser for Bed 3 and the perovskias. There’s now a new cucumber to encourage. The onions, oca and veg were given water. The last sown seed for the carrots has germinated,  filling the holes.

More deadheading and before I did the mowing, I cut the borage back. It’s now easier to walk down the paths without being scratched. I’ve also made more room around the tomatoes and cucumber. I’ll take off more in due course, but I have visitors coming on Wednesday so I didn’t want to make it look too harshly cut back.

One left – no tomato; on the right – tomato uncovered! I need to look out for trimming the tomatoes too as they look a bit dense in their cages at the moment.

I like the idea of doing more sweet pease next year. If I do them (or anything else) on the netting again, I need to not worry too much about lobelia at the front – candytuft will do and is big enough to hold its own. The lobelia has become completely hidden under the leaning peas.

I did some weeding here and there. Having picked up another sack of coffee grounds at the office, I also finally sorted out my backlog. A bunch went straight onto the compost heap and the rest filled up my bucket.

I’ve harvested the garlic now. A pretty good harvest; just a few had rotted and went straight to the compost bin.

Visits to the allotment are quite generic at this time of year. Just weeding and deadheading and making sure everything’s ok. I’ve cleared the nigella out of Bed 3 and made a start at clearing / tidying the trellis bed now.

It’s going to take a while and I’ve still not got the plants right. While the toadflax and corn cockles have gone to seed, the everlasting pea has fallen forward onto it. I might need to give up on the surviving peas and find the best long-lasting perennials for that provide filler for longer. I think some larger scale logs would be good for better blocking and tessellation.

I did the mowing and managed to do some strimming before the cable ran out (actually it seized with plenty left, which I didn’t discover until John undid it at the office).

I’ve cleared out compost corner at last. The poppy had gone to seed. I’ve saved some seed, but I’m not sure that I’ll use it as the plant was pretty big. Getting into the corner and around the corner of the bin I found some new rat droppings, so I’ve reloaded the bait station.

I trimmed a little of the borage, but it’s going to need more attention. I’m behind on feeding according to my schedule, but there’s been a lot of rain recently, so that’s good. Calendula and nasturtiums are doing well. I’m particularly pleased with the calendulas I’ve managed to raise this year.

The garlic’s done now, so it’s time to take that up and leave the oca to grow.

Another round of deadheading today. On one trip to the compost heap I disturbed a young wren who turned out be one of three, who gathered on next door’s greenhouse among an alarm call from one of them.

I have a new gladiolus out in Bed 3 – one of the new bulbs I planted. No sign of much else, though I put in lots of bulbs for the summer. I also picked my first little bunch of sweet peas.

There are some black fly infestations, but not too bad. So far I’m just gently wiping them off where possible or cutting off the odd leaf.

The transplanted creeping jenny is still alive, so hopefully that will ultimately solve this problem area if the crows don’t get too involved.

The first tomatoes are here – these are the red  Alerts.

I did the mowing today and multiple buckets of deadheading. It takes a long time, but it’s fairly simple and is so worth it. Another lupin has been landed on by something jumping over the fence, so that got cut back.

I worked through multiple showers doing the weeding. The runner beans and sweet peas have been propped up a bit. They’re not doing too badly in understanding that I don’t like the job and they should just do the right thing themselves.

The borage and calendula is doing well. Both are coming up in pretty big plants. The cucumber is now big enough – hidden among the borage – that I’ve been able to tie it to the wigwam.  

Election day – and after voting a quick allotment visit. Some of the wood had been flicked into the pond as usual. Something (fox?) is clearly jumping over my fence by Mr B’s gate and crashing through my poor lupin. The first sweet pea has now flowered, with more buds on the way.