Wooosh - and we're off!

So if you want to know what a week of sunshine does in May after a very wet but mild Spring, you only have to blink at the Hill (alright - a week since previous attendence) to find that there has been a collective explosion of growth. 

In the weeds on the paths mainly (MUST get round to covering and chippings there) but also with the broad beans and garlic - both of which are looking superb.

An hour this evening saw me filling one of the daleks with pulled up weeds (they disappear into nothing in a few days) and fluffing over the bed with the most recent Dalek compost spread about. 

Some of the more straw-like went back into the dalek for a another go, but this is now looking more like somewhere you can plant things rather than something you would feed to a horse.  

Meanwhile, in the kitchen last week I had a mammoth seed sowing session in front of the tele - most relaxing.  Runners, dwarf and climbing french beans, sweetcorn, leeks (bit late in according to the packet) and 4 varieties of courgette - the quantity of which I am already regretting.  

Wig Wam Bam!

What lovely weather for this bank holiday weekend!  Lots of outside activities in the sunshine which included climbing around on the flat roof to clean the window paintwork, soffits and clear out the gutter, going out for a long run (v hot!), visiting friends, a trip out to the farm shop all on top of normal weekend activities.

But I also went to the Hill in the sunshine and got a few jobs done.  First of all I was delighted to see the Pentland Javelin potatoes planted four weeks ago are now showing the first shoots - hurrah!

I pulled up the last of the leeks which I'd left to flower on the basis that they are not actually flowering, and this year is not the one with the time to bugger about with experimental leek seed/seedlings which may or may not come to anything.
 

This left a lovely quarter of a bed at the end of the potatos which raked over and planted a score each of red and white onions bought ealier from Poundland; and then treated both potato beds with a few handfuls of BFB.

That just left me time to put up a couple of wigwams for the beans on one of the beds which I limed earlier in the week.  Not that I've got any beans sown yet - although I did look out a bad of compost, pots, trays and some of last year's saved bean seeds when I got home - but alas - actually sowing them is a job for another day

A Quick Hour

I'm very much enjoying the evenings getting lighter!  I managed to sneak an hour in after tonight's club run - even though it was definitely on the night side of dusk at 9.15pm.

I finished turning the lime into what will be the beans and peas beds this year.  It's May, so with these two allocated beds ready, I'd better acually sow some seeds.  I very rarely sow direct, it's all a bit more controllable in pots at home then when you plant them out - voila - instant allotment!  I must get on with that, and I need to put a wigwam up too for the climbing beans. 

I never really have the knack of peas - I can't settle on what's best in terms of protection or support, and end up with peas full of pea moth grubs, and looking a right ol' straggly mess. I do like peas though!

Before I left, I emptied the last of the daleks which has been full for a year and moved the empty to the next bed along.  The contents of this one are particularly dry and not well rotted, so a lot will have to go back for another go.  

Well, I say not well rotted, but I couldn't actually see what I was doing by this point, so did the sensible thing and retired to the clubhouse for a beer.