2024 - What I did today

Removed pumpkin. Finished putting stones around the base of the tunnel. Yet again laid out the boundaries of the veg garden and location of the tunnels. Tied in the sunflowers.

Weeded VP1 (old pond and shelter bed).
Its Roots and shoots day but I didn't sow any seeds today. However, I have a new cunning plan for carrots on Roots Day. I'm going to sow 3 buckets of carrots that can move into the GH when the weather turns colder. I'll be able to "harvest" one bucket a week through winter. I started by finding 3 suitable flower buckets and sieving some hotbin compost. I'm going to mix this compost with coir, then fill the buckets later this week.

I pruned some more tomato leaves where they were shading trusses and took some cucumber leaves off too, did some watering in the gh and harvested. Only had a couple of hours in the garden but achieved something at least.

Apart from weeding allotment I finally got round to fixing a holiday destination for myself and two sons to go fishing for three days. We are going by car and wild camping & fishing lochs (motorhome is staying at home) and we are going to the isle of Rum!(leaving car as no cars allowed on island) Not far away from SC methinks? Ferry is now booked so this is deffo our destination for the bank hol weekend.

Weeded VP1. Hacked my way through to some gooseberry bushes. They're in a really painful place, with brambles and a big hawthorn tree alongside the gooseberries. Hawthorn thorns are the most vicious, brambles and gooseberries tie for second place.
In my dream garden there are no plants with thorns and no weeds with seeds. Every evening I have to pick over the dogs to remove the seeds - mostly grass seed, sticky willie and enchanter's nightshade.

Strimmed the cottage garden. Started strimming paths around where the tunnels will be in the veg garden.
Then moved the herb shelves and the pathetic bit of weed membrane it was sat on. Strimmed ( scalped ) the area. Put membrane back. Put down new bigger sheets. Put shelves back. The covered all the membrane with stones. Need a few more stones. It’s definitely better. A couple more bits of fiddly strimming removed from the veg garden. Bob fitted a stand pipe & tape for me . So I’ve got water in my veg garden. Without dragging the hose from the garage.

Before and after of the herb shelves           

Strimmed the cottage garden. Started strimming paths around where the tunnels will be in the veg garden.
Then moved the herb shelves and the pathetic bit of weed membrane it was sat on. Strimmed ( scalped ) the area. Put membrane back. Put down new bigger sheets. Put shelves back. The covered all the membrane with stones. Need a few more stones. It’s definitely better. A couple more bits of fiddly strimming removed from the veg garden. Bob fitted a stand pipe & tape for me . So I’ve got water in my veg garden. Without dragging the hose from the garage.

Before and after of the herb shelves  

What a transformation SC, all the better for it.

I had a day out and came home to find a young bunny in the garden. In years gone by we have barricaded the perimeter with chicken wire as they used to come over and have all my newly planted sweetcorn for breakfast but over the years there might be a few undiscovered holes.
He must have been around for a while as I found his latrine. Set a humane trap baited with bits of broccoli, carrot and apple. The very clever bunny ignored it completely. He just sat there and thumbed his nose at me this morning and scurried away when I wasn't looking. The fight will continue.

I pruned some more tomato leaves where they were shading trusses and took some cucumber leaves off too, did some watering in the gh and harvested. Only had a couple of hours in the garden but achieved something at least.

Tomatoes don't need sun to ripen, if that's the reason you're taking leaves off.

I pruned some more tomato leaves where they were shading trusses and took some cucumber leaves off too, did some watering in the gh and harvested. Only had a couple of hours in the garden but achieved something at least.

Tomatoes don't need sun to ripen, if that's the reason you're taking leaves off.

A bit of both, unshading a few and giving the plants a bit more air around the lower areas , taking of some browning leaves and giving me some room to walk in the gh.  Nothing too drastic. If they don't need sun, why are we told by pundits to unshate trusses, I wonder?