18 May

Well, Mid May and time to put the child labour to work! Only just dried up enough to do some work. Grabbed a few hours in the sun this week - nice stripy sunburn but at least the plants I bought weeks ago from a nursery are in. Probably cost a lot from being pot bound and drowned in the rain, but nature survives :)

Jumping straight to the end result - beginning to look like a plot again. Winter bed doing ok and has provided a number of lettuces. Brassicas also doing ok - kale lost to variable conditions but some summer cabbages coming along.. Shallots and onions doing well, albeit in small numbers. Ground nearly all prepped for planting and beginning to get some of the bits in.

I've never grown through fabric before but its got to be done - I just can't get down the plot enough to deal with the weeds. This was strawb effort. All runners from last year (nice and cheap ;) ) but will need to buy a few plants to fill the bed. £1.25 per meter of fabric (2m wide) from local allotment association shop - bargin! I bought 10m.

Get some leaves growing...

Just showing shallots, winter bed and brassicas (front to back).

Prepped and ready for planting. I've been slow of the mark with seeds in the back garden but once they germinate (of I find a few in a  garden center ;) ) I'll get my runners in. Some fabric behind waiting for squashes to grow a little for planting out.