2024 - What I did today

P dug out last year's chard, a bit of a shame but I needed the space to plant out B beans. The ground was very claggy. He said he'd fork it over when the wind had dried it a bit....then it rained! I found the strawberry tower had VW grubs, so gave Robin a hot meal or two. He and others were very grateful.

It's dry and sunny so I'm planting out the broad bean plants. They've been waiting rather a long time and are 2ft tall in root trainers. By the end of the day they'll all be in their forever home. I'm going to have to give them some support with the wind as it is. P is continuing to dig for Britain. We're off to IOW this weekend so I'm scurrying to get planting done, indoor tomatoes into the greenhouse instead of under lights. I wasn't sure of the effect of being under lights for a continuous 4 days. The light don't work with a timer and they only cycle 3,9 or 12 hourly.
If it rains on IOW I am NOT putting the car in the garage. It's still going well BTW.

Forecast for the weekend looks promising, JJB. Glad the submarine has recovered.

Mostly potting on and weeding.

Cleared enough vinca and brambles to be able to walk around the outside of the chicken run, Cut back some overhanging holly, hawthorn and hazel (3 x H ).
Raked the soil inside the run so its ready to plant/sow/whatever.
Planted some Bijou/Golden Sweet mangetout at the other end of the garden - just before the rain started.

Sowed courgettes and cucumbers. Supported newly planted BBeans with string and sticks.

Tidied up the strawberries, cut off old foliage and dug out old plants and replaced them with the runners potted up last autumn.
Took some more Sungold tomato cuttings, chucked the overwintered parent plant. 
Took the fleece off the shallots and constructed a makeshift protective bird cover using strawberry netting, yakult pots and short bamboo canes.
Sowed more tender flowers indoors. 
Potted up the last remaining tomato and pepper seedlings.

Cut down a lot of hazel, hawthorn & holly to give more light to the "Old Chicken Run". Piled the spiky stuff in the bonfire pit and stacked the hazel ready for shredding or cutting for firewood.
Sowed mangetout and brassicas.

I started filling on of the raised beds in the polytunnel. For the 3 time I’ve put up a climbing frame for the sweet peas. It will not be falling over again. It’s been a challenge because it’s in a fish box. So not much depth for staking. Sown seeds. Pricked out some pak Choi. Into its final pot. Covering the top of the compost and all round the little plant with sheep’s fleece. That should keep the slugs off.

I've spent the morning wondering whether the tenders in the gh are OK with the possible frosts forecast and whether the spindly broad beans have survived the winds. I'll know for sure tomorrow night. Nextdoor lady is covering stuff with fleece each night so all should be well.