2023 - What I did today

I've been carrying out an archaeological dig in the old pond, working my way down through the layers
Top layer - gravel and sediment.
Layer 2. - Pond liner
Layer 3 - some sort of fabric to protect the underside of the liner.
Layer 4 - bubblewrap
Layer 5 - carpet
Layer 6 - a big red rug that used to be in the hall! Never thought I'd see it again.
Not sure what lies beneath the rug - I think its a pine table top!! Maybe tomorrow I'll find out.

The gravel has to be constantly raked around the pond because it weighs down the other stuff which needs to be removed.
I've also found a metal "Rat" and a stone tortoise that had fallen in the pond.
The pond liner has been spread out on the grass to dry the mud and the dogs think its just for them to play on. They've been chasing each other round in circles on it.

I've no idea where I'm going to find enough soil to refill the pond, Its deeper than I remembered.

Could you fill the hole lasagne style? Or like a hugelkultur mound that just comes up to surface level? I suspect you've got lots of woody bits dotted about that you can chuck in. It will sink over the years, but that can be a problem for future years unless you are planning to put a greenhouse on top!

That's exactly my plan, Pros.  I'm going to "floor" it with wood/logs and throw in anything that comes along during the year - grass cuttings, frazzled weeds, shredded paper and cardboard - like a BIG Hotbin. Hopefully, it'll be usable by next spring

Planted out:
Dahlia Bishop of Llandaff potted tuber
Dwarf sunflowers Yellow Pygmy (saved seed)
Cosmos Purity (saved seed)
Calendula Nova
Rosakrone pea

The Rosakrone are replacements as half of the original lot were attacked by either a cat or pigeon. Luckily I had spare seed so sowed more and put twiggy sticks around them to hopefully deter critters. 

The forecast tonight goes down to 6c so I've fleeced the three tomatoes and dwarf beans I have in containers. Hardly seems possible that it'll get so cold given how warm it has been today, but I'm not risking it. It's meant to be equally cold the next three nights so I'm waiting until later in the week to plant out the indeterminate tomatoes, sweetcorn and squash.

Planted out:
Dahlia Bishop of Llandaff potted tuber
Dwarf sunflowers Yellow Pygmy (saved seed)
Cosmos Purity (saved seed)
Calendula Nova
Rosakrone pea

The Rosakrone are replacements as half of the original lot were attacked by either a cat or pigeon. Luckily I had spare seed so sowed more and put twiggy sticks around them to hopefully deter critters. 

The forecast tonight goes down to 6c so I've fleeced the three tomatoes and dwarf beans I have in containers. Hardly seems possible that it'll get so cold given how warm it has been today, but I'm not risking it. It's meant to be equally cold the next three nights so I'm waiting until later in the week to plant out the indeterminate tomatoes, sweetcorn and squash.

We've been having 22 or 23°C by day and 5 point something by dawn the next morning for the last few nights. I'm fed up of fleecing. That's when the forecasts have been for 8 or 9 overnight. Quote 'might be a degree or so cooler in rural areas'

I've completed the planting in GH1, if anything needs to go in overnight, tough.

Because my fitness class was cancelled I went to a local car boot sale with my Daughter. I have a greenhouse at the allotment with quite a few panes of glass missing in it, so rather than repair it I decided against any greenhouse gardening this year. Consequently I didn't grow any greenhouse plants from seed.

Unfortunately I picked up six tomato plants from the car boot sale at 50p each so now I have to repair the greenhouse, which even has last years tomato plants still in it!

Guess what I will be doing this  Bank Holiday Monday!

No fleecing happening here. Everything just has to survive the best it can. I'm definitely a tough love gardener!

The only thing I fleece when its cold is ME. Never fleeced a plant in my life.

I only fleece if I think frost is possible, just the one night so far this spring, though Tuesday morning is looking a distinct possibility with 0.5C being forecast currently. Tomorrow 1.4C is forecast. I got a few squash wanting planting out but I'll wait till Tuesday I think. Hopefully the potatoes, french beans and courgettes wont be damaged.

I baked 3 nice looking loaves today. I don't know why they can be so variable when I use exactly the same ingredients each time. Sometimes they stay small and dont seem to want to rise or if they do rise, they have a big bubble of gas just under the top crust. I then watered half the vegetable garden, weeded half the fruit cage that I haven't looked at all this year and pruned half of the cherry trees that were poking through the roof. The roof needs fixing before the red currants start to ripen and I started constructing a cover for the strawberry bed, so a day of jobs half done.

Sowed some Giant Pumpkin seeds to stop SC nagging me. Also some Griller courgettes.
Potted up some courgettes and a couple of sweet peppers.
Pricked out some tiny lettuces into individual modules.
Watered the GHs and the outdoor courgettes and beans.
Weeded the "veg" plot. Need to make room for more courgettes.