2026 - What I did today.

Planted out the potted up raspberries, a couple each of Joan J & Autumn Bliss then potted up the Polka bare rooted canes into the freedom up pots. Planted out a few strawberry plants into gaps. Sowed some DFBs.

Potted up some self seeded parsley both curly and flat, they’ll be picked up tomorrow.

Saturday change overs this morning. Luckily only 2 and they were both good. Home for about an hour then had to go do a couple of hours washing up at the cafe. Then pricked out some cosmos & cornflower. Repotted a few things into fresh compost. Planted a couple of phlox. Potted up a few others. About another dozen to do.

Potted up an assortment of cucumber seedlings. Shuffled plant pots around to make room for them in GH2 & 3. All the plants have left the bedroom now - it'll be lonely without them to say Nos Da to.
Did some more old compost sieving - 10 tubs ready. I may risk planting a few with tomatoes tomorrow - I have plenty of spares if the worst happens.

I had a day out with DiL. In the meantime, himself, having emptied two water butts on his precious grass seed, decided to scrub the butts out. They live behind a summerhouse under the copper beech. The beech debris (bud casings and flowers) always manage to contaminate the water, no matter what filters we install, and they make the water stink to high heaven, hence the cleaning. Having got the tubs empty and away from the summerhouse he's now rubbing down and retreating the timber. All we need now is some rain to refill the butts.

My tasks today are myriad; I can choose from planting out peas from modules, gh shuffle, potting on toms and cucs, pricking out flowers, planting raspberries and strawberries, weeding, trying to break up solid dried out ground, digging up bluebells. The list is endless.

Rock splitting. Finished edging the eye bed.      .

Potted on some more toms into bigger pots, these are the ones I'm going to keep. Planted out some module grown mangetout. Prepared ground for tomorrow's planting out of tenderstem broc.

Planted 5 tomatoes into their final positions in tubs. It would have been 6 tubs but one had been invaded by ants! I chose the 5 sturdiest plants - Aurora x 3 and Derby Striped x 2. The early tomatoes have flower buds - can't wait to eat a tomato again. I refuse to buy them!
Went out this afternoon to collect some free odds and ends of gardening stuff - then to Morries hoping for YS items.

Went to the allotment with the whole crew. Husband put together another cheap arch and did some weeding. I planted out and covered Snowball and Romanesco cauliflower. Also planted out a few ranunculus. Never had much success but given my flower fever I had to try again. Did some weeding at the plot and the house. Transferred some seedlings to the cold frame at the plot now that everything has had a few days in and out of the greenhouse at home. Planning to order some raised beds to squeeze into the tiny and terribly messy back garden. Think of it as an enrichment area for the rats.

Finished planting out this year's pea crop, about 50'. I still have one tray left so may plant out another may be 12' if I get some umph. Though I need to plant out my leek, toms. peppers and aubergines first. The beans are raising their heads in the trays and will be ready for planting in the next few days. The sooner I can get everything in the ground the better to reduce watering.