I sowed the purple French beans this morning and did resows for a couple of runner beans which had set off upside down, and a yellow French bean. I’ve also done another pot of amaranthus velvet curtains, and finished off the half tray with some pink candytuft and physalis. I’ve pinched a couple of cosmos and the tallest zinnia too. I swing between thinking I’ve got enough flowers and thinking I still need more.

At the plot I ended up pulling up some grass before doing my rounds. The ground is quite damp at the moment and you can see where I pulled up lots of grass. Much of it came up by the root, so I’ll have to do a bit more before the ground dries up too much.

The first few beetroot are up and one little carrot has appeared.

The geums are opening, including the first flower on the yellow one.

The speedwell and sweet williams are coming. Bending down to pull up some weeds next to the latter, I could smell them even though they’re barely open.

The right border is filling in with all sorts, but not as much nigella as the year before. So pulling it up carefully certainly reduces it, but maybe next time I won’t be so careful.

The blackly are back as usual on the pear tree, but I’ve given them a good squirt of soapy water, which at least upset the ants. I’ve also spotted one tiny pear.

I laid the tile path in Bed 1 and had magically brought exactly the right number of tiles with me from home. I uncovered Bed 3 and edged it and dug it over. The elder tree is slowly coming back to life, so it’ll probably remain a fairly dry bed.

In the afternoon I planted my new poppy in a gap by the trellis and two pink achillea went into Bed 3. They’re ok in dry conditions. Now to see how well they grow, having become a bit pot bound while they waited.

I’ve started scattering seed in Bed 1. I’m trying to keep a track of what I’ve sown on my phone (seen from the other way). There’s cornflower underneath the arc, poppy to the left, a mix of clary, flax and snapdragons to the right, and calendula on the right below the arc.