2023 - What I did today

More mown grass made its way into the old pond. Tomorrow, if I'm not sidetracked, I'm going to make planting holes in the grass, fill them with compost and plant some courgettes. That's the plan, whether it will work or not, I've no idea. Nothing ventured etc.
Watered the GHs, so many seedlings I'd like to plant out but the ground is so dry that I fear they'd struggle as I can't water everything.

Potted on 2 cucumbers that decided to grow instead of flopping over.
Potted up Lemon balm then some general weeding.

Whole crew went to the allotment. Little one napped, oldest got a chocolate breakfast treat (?) from her allotment friend's trip to Norway. We watered a bunch because we haven't been and I don't think we can hold out until next weekend with possible scattered showers. We need to replace the roof netting on the fruit cage. Red currants are ripening and strawberries are developing! Had a look around the shed but found the netting must have made its way back home. Good news is I tidied the shed finally after being annoyed that it was too messy to tell with just a look. Brought a few flowers home but lost a couple to my oldest and her friend on the way. Why would I begrudge an enthusiastic four year old a flower?

Dug a bit more of the ditch around bed 2.
Put some small rocks around the patch of ground to the sides & behind the post box. Planted a few more daffodils in that area.
Planted a tomato & marigold in a hanging basket.
Took a trailer load of plants & the first couple of fish boxes to the new garden. And a trailer load of slabs. Now we have a path to the caravan.
Watering.
Then went beach combing. Collected some quite nice bits of driftwood and collected a bag full of rubbish.

Over the last 2 days I spent cutting grass, cutting weeds, strimming borders, clipping back trees and shrubs. We had No Mow May here in Ireland to promote keeping wild flowers for the bees and butterflies, I have still kept the back garden and one side of the front garden wild, but the main lawn had to be cut and tidied, 3 trailer loads of grass weeds clippings etc. down onto the bog for natural recycling and composting. I also watered all the patio plants, hanging baskets etc. Then spent the afternoon in the poly tunnel tying up 18 tomato plants, feeding my tomatoes and chilli’s, I dug out a few onions that were bolting, they will do for curry tomorrow evening. Watered all my cabbage, kale and strawberries outside and even gave the onions a quick spray they were looking a bit parched.

This morning I've planted out the last 2 courgettes.

My new gloves arrived so I managed to weed the tunnel pots (mostly nettles).
Dead headed avens .
Rest of day was cleaning the caravan.

Planted 16 courgettes & winter squashes in the old pond.
I found 6 Plant Halos and 10 bottomless buckets and set them out in hollows in the cut grass-filled "pond", Put some grass in the bottom of the pots and watered it, Then topped up the pots with coir and planted the cucurbits into that. Now, we wait.

Finally finished planting up the last gh border. It meant removing my potting area to make room but sacrifices have to be made Planted 9 courgettes and that fills up one plot. Found the blackfly having a party on the broadies so nipped the tips off. I hate doing it as I wonder whether I'm chopping off nascent beans. Some stalks are setting well, others are failing to set at all. I've no idea why.

Potted up some more courgettes, squash and cucumbers. I may have sown too many! Last year the cucurbits were hopeless so I thought I'd grow extra this year. I may still need them all as I haven't picked any yet.
Watered the 16 cucurbits in the old pond. They haven't died overnight so that's a positive.
More weeding and watering of GHs.