I added a layer of coffee and compost to Bed 2 and moved the volunteer pink lobelia to Bed 3. I took the lobelia from Bed 9 and added them to the bed too. The fuchsias are doing very nicely and the verbena and yellow thing are still going well too. I might just be getting some longer colour established in this bed.

There was a volunteer fennel plant at the edge of the bed, which I’ve potted up and taken home for the winter. It looked a bit sad in the pot, so we’ll see if it picks up.

I weeded Bed 10 and added coffee and a thick layer of compost; 10 and 2 both had a whole bag. A verbena is left, which may be moved or just left for some colour before removal. There are a lot growing in Bed 10 which may be the ones I use for filler in the spring.

While I was at the back of the plot I saw three blue tits flying around and discovered that they’re the ones who have been eating the sunflower seeds. It’s thrilling to see this actually happen. One of them also clung onto the nest box and looked inside.

I cleared Bed 4, but for the flowers and added coffee. The compost will be done later.

I tidied up Bed 5 a bit, but nasturtiums are still going for now. Note to self: next time I do nasturtiums, make sure I cram lots in.

I’ve made a start on clearing Bed 9, taking out all the weeds and removing the rest of the dead candytuft. I also knocked over the molehill at the front of the triangle and made a small start on clearing up that section. Still lots of work to do there and I’ve realised that the lemon balm has crept too far forward and will need some digging.

I got my step count up in the light drizzle, looking for my glove, which turned out to be at the bottom of my weed bucket. I tidied up the woodland bed, removing the weeds, rediscovering the lungworts, as well as the hellebore that has just re-emerged. Larkspur and cornflowers are being left to seed down.

I saw the robin on one of the perching branches against the fence, so I’d like to find a couple more of those to encourage the bird population to hang around. Sparrows and dunnocks were all around me.

Keeping in mind that the right hand side of the allotment is last to get unnavigable, I set to work on the left hand border, clearing the grass and weeds. I’ve dug up a clump of physostegia to clear space in front of the right hand perovskia and made sure the left one was clearer too. Hopefully they’ll do better next year.

I did lots of general pulling up of dead nigella and poppies etc. I’m gradually clearing the rubbish out of the way to get down to the real mess I’ll need to clear in the soil.

A piece of couch grass had poked its way through the plastic up on the beach. Fortunately not too low and quite obvious, so it was fairly easy to mend. I knew that having one layer of PVC would mean that the pond isn’t permanent, but I hope it’s not about to be attacked by the damn grass all over. I tried to pump the glue into the hole a bit as the grass only broke off, and I’ve added a layer of glue in the area too.

There’s a real hole in the ground to the right of the pond, where a lupin has half-rotted away. It’s by my toad shelter and really needs a bit more of a roof over the hole.

In the afternoon we delivered a couple of bags of compost to the allotment and did a bit more weeding while we were there. Beds 2 and 10 will be done tomorrow.