2023 - What I did today

Hoeing seemed a bit pointless in this weather, so I did lots of hand weeding in between the showers.
Weeded the brassica cage and planted out a couple more cabbage, brussels sprouts and kohlrabi.

Planted out some melons, courgettes & tromboncino plus some marigolds & nasturtium to keep them company.
Weeded and mulched buddlejas & roses.

Planted some Weggiser sugarsnap peas (new to me).
Sowed Borage In Bed 2B.
Sowed Purple Orach in modules.
Did some weeding - of course.
Watched a Great Tit eat a ?caterpillar very daintily, bit by bit, as it perched in the oak tree. Keep on snacking, Birdie.

Did some weeding at the house (gasp! Shock!). A woman from a freebie site kindly brought some metal mesh to me. I had placed a wanted listing thinking it might be the type of thing someone had sitting in a garage spare. She responded to offer it and then offered to bring it over when I asked for her post code to check the transport options.

Went to the plot alone. Did some compost spreading and barrowing. Covered a previously weedy bed and finished clearing space for the play house. Found several more buried pavers and bricks. Good progress and now I'm bushed.

Helped a woman carry a large bag of what turned out to be rhubarb while our paths coincided.

Planted the last of my sunflowers, some pansies, nasturtiums, more lettuce.
Lastly Module sown spring onions.

Sowed lots of seeds.
Planted more tomatoes in GH1.
Pulled up some bolting chard in the GH and replanted it so that it can self seed in Bed 3C.
Did some weeding, for a change!

I was up at 5am this morning, so out in the garden not long after 8. I set up my new Hotbin and then added my first big batch of kitchen and garden scraps (plus torn up paper and bulking agent). Nowhere near the line where hot composting should start!

I finally put my three new obelisks in place. I wanted more than three but couldn't get them, so I've created netting between two of them with string to extend my vertical growing area. It looks a bit rubbish right now, but I'm sure it will look good once there are plants growing up it. Might need to pin down the obelisks with tent hooks though, or I could see them collapsing towards the weight in between them!

Then I had a good weeding and tidying session and gathered enough to add another huge batch of waste to the Hotbin. Still not full enough to get it going, but one more big feed should do it.

After that, I direct sowed loads more seed. I'm trying to direct sow as much as possible this year as it is far less work than babying lots of seedlings in pots. I'm not quite caught up yet, but I've made good progress. Came indoors for a much-needed rest only to realise that I haven't watered any of the seeds I've sown. I intended to go out again before dark, but managed to fail at that and fell asleep instead. Never mind, I'll water them tomorrow!

I was up at 5am this morning, so out in the garden not long after 8. I set up my new Hotbin and then added my first big batch of kitchen and garden scraps (plus torn up paper and bulking agent). Nowhere near the line where hot composting should start!

I finally put my three new obelisks in place. I wanted more than three but couldn't get them, so I've created netting between two of them with string to extend my vertical growing area. It looks a bit rubbish right now, but I'm sure it will look good once there are plants growing up it. Might need to pin down the obelisks with tent hooks though, or I could see them collapsing towards the weight in between them!

Then I had a good weeding and tidying session and gathered enough to add another huge batch of waste to the Hotbin. Still not full enough to get it going, but one more big feed should do it.

After that, I direct sowed loads more seed. I'm trying to direct sow as much as possible this year as it is far less work than babying lots of seedlings in pots. I'm not quite caught up yet, but I've made good progress. Came indoors for a much-needed rest only to realise that I haven't watered any of the seeds I've sown. I intended to go out again before dark, but managed to fail at that and fell asleep instead. Never mind, I'll water them tomorrow!

Love the idea of “pants” climbing up your obelisks!!!!

Tied in the sweet peas and mangetout.
Direct sowed nasturtiums outside.
Sowed more Valentine sunflowers.
Thinned out the clarkia seedlings. 
More weeding. So much weeding!

Pulled up/snapped off the rampaging white comfrey - filled 4 wheelbarrows with it and piled them in a heap in a corner where there are too many surface tree roots to grow anything. Hopefully they'll rot down without too much seeding. I try to pull them up before they set seeds and spread even further. I apologised to the bees that were feeding on the flowers and directed them towards so more clumps that I haven't got rid of yet.
Also pulled up lots of cow parsley - another spreader.