2023 - What I did today

I've felt really rough since Saturday. Ended up having to leave work a couple of hours into a long day on Tuesday as I felt so unwell. I've not had time off with anything other than Covid since December 2019 when I had Influenza A so I think my immune system has gone overboard fighting this virus off.

Thankfully, I'd already taken today through to next Tuesday as annual leave so I have since time to recover. I'm definitely a bit better today, though I've not managed to actually do anything. I sat and cut down the peas I sowed for peashoots (now overwhelming my broadbeans), chopped them up and added them to the Hotbin. That was enough for me and I had to come in. Hopefully I'll feel up to getting more done tomorrow.

Get well soon Pros.

Take it easy, Pros. You're more important than a few weeds .x

Hope you're on the road to recovery, Pros.

Went to the allotment with husband and little one. She napped, he did the tasks I was hoping for. Now we have that massive black barrel set up as two compost bays. He also linked up the water barrels so we'll hopefully be set next time it deigns to rain. I could have done these tasks but for the fact that I'm trying to get all my seedlings and plants in the ground and it's his brother's drill that he's borrowed. Anyway, I'm very excited about these improvements.

We chucked most of the black plastic sheeting behind the shed, hopefully to be binned in a skip later this summer. Otherwise I'll be taking it home in the wagon and wrestling it into the wheelie bin.

Shifted the percolating compost from the dalek to one of the new barrel bins. Popped in some nettles and comfrey as well.

Gave the saddest seedlings a water. Didn't have time to plant out the four dahlias I took down. . Still many dahlias to take over and some bulbs to get in the ground. Plus tomatoes and pumpkins!

As hoped I did manage to get in the garden this afternoon after lunch. Got a row of about 30 DFBs planted out. Nautica and Mistik. I'm going to have to go back out after dinner to water, rather than veg out in front of the telly.

Another day another trailer load of plants. And more rock moving and arranging. Planted out the sunflowers

More weeding, more GH watering and seedling shuffling, Nothing momentous.

Earthed up all the potatoes, the earlies should have been done a few weeks ago. As I went down the rows, there were 2 juvenile robins scavenging for tit-bits following me. I thought they were mice at first scurrying in the foliage. While doing this, I could hear a ticking noise on the patio and had visions of triffids shedding their seeds but it was only a thrush helping itself to a serving of escargot.
Then weeded a strawberry bed untouched since last year. I was pleasantly surprised at being able to take off the netting quite easily. The buttercups were setting seeds so I pocketed the seed heads for disposal. I just need to make a frame to keep squirrels out tomorrow and hopefully we will have some strawberries quite soon.
I might water some of the garden after tea.

Cleared some ground by a wire fence and planted Roveja Soup pea seedlings. New to me this year so not sure what to expect - not much probably.
Robin helped me, proudly showing me a caterpillar that he'd caught.
Swapped red cabbage seedlings for brussels sprouts seedlings.
Pulled up more sticky willy, nettles and white comfrey.

Feeling quite a bit better today, but haven't done any gardening. I've had some meetings this afternoon about a potential future job so have basically been out from 10am - 7pm. Hopefully I'll get out there over the weekend, though I do have a lot of work stuff to get done as well.

Took some more plants to the plot. Planted out a few dahlias. Covered a bit more ground with the last of the cardboard and got about 1.5 wheelbarrows worth of compost on the area. Only a couple more barrows full left to shift. It'll be a total bindweed tangle by the end of the year even with the cardboard but should give space for some flowers, tomatoes and pumpkins. Husband put the fascias on the shed.