2025 - What I did today

Pretended to be an archaeologist and "discovered" a paved path between GH 1 and 2. Pulled up lots of montbretia, grape vine, and some oregano (which I will replant somewhere).
Planted some gherkin seedlings in a pot in GH2 - they deserved a chance but the odds aren't high.

One of the apple trees is so laden with fruit that a branch has snapped and the apples were resting on the ground. Thinned out the apples and cut out some small branches. Still far too many apples on it but I can't reach most of them.

Cut off some lower leaves from the tomatoes. Pulled up one of the calendulas plants from the tomato bed. Put it in its own pot and moved it to the veg garden. Cut all the flowers off the one that is still in the tomato bed. Because I want to save seeds from this one and they were different varieties. Didn’t want them to cross ( not sure if they do or not, didn’t want to risk it). Repotted begonia Rex. Left him in the tunnel to hopefully enjoy some warmth and light.

I sowed herbs today, before work.

Jay sent me this video of the birds raiding my slug pots lol

https://youtu.be/-QtTy9vJpLQ?si=GHopHFYxsh1kdjYK

Started clearing a strip of ground (about 3' wide) in front of a 6' high chickenwire fence. My cunning plan is to stick some soft fruit cuttings (red & black currants) in the ground and create a new fruit bed. I'll be able to attach some bird netting to the wire and drop it down, over the fruit bushes. It won't stop the small birds but should stop the pigeons and blackbirds from pinching all the fruit - as they have this year.

I found a way by mishap of saving my redcurrants and blackcurrants from the birds on a previous allotment plot I had........nettles! I wasn't fastidious about the weeding and huge 6 foot high nettles grew through my currant bushes! Once I had pulled the nettles out, I had the best crop of soft fruit I've ever had!

Maybe similar to my philosophy about thistles with my raspberries