I spent the morning shift sorting out the front ledge of the pond. There were lots of diving beetles to watch and there are now flower buds on both chamomiles. I added mud to the front bank and then added the new stones. The farm stone is better than the bluer paddle stones, but it’s not as wide, so the paddle stones really are the only option to overhand the edge and cover the liner. I managed to get the liner pulled up a bit before laying them, so the puffiness is a bit reduced. I sowed a little candytuft to soften the edges of the paddle stones, but really I want something low and evergreen. It’ll probably just end up being creeping jenny. 

Sticks had been pulled out of the bee hotel by something. I managed to get them all off the ground and put them back in.

Bed 3 is moving on to the next stage with poppies now flowering. The candytuft is coming up, nigella and irises too.

The carrot and beetroot are now up. I had a careful dig to see if the cucumber seed has germinated and it has. So the cucurbit-looking plants outside the cloches are definitely  volunteers.

In the afternoon I weeded all along the triangle and trellis beds. I broadcast sowed larkspur, cornflower, godetia and poppy seed. I’m really hoping i might just get a sea of flowers – which I then have to dig up a little to plop in the odd sunflower. I had a few old cerinthe seeds, which I’ve poked into woodland area just for the sake of it.

I’ve dug up the clump of mystery bulbs from Bed 9 and put them in a pot by the shed. no clue as to what they are so far.

The birds are getting the idea of using the feeder while I’m in the plot, though i have to be far away. Today I saw sparrows and a tit feeding. They could probably do with a more cover nearby, but the hawthorn under the elder is growing so fast, they probably won’t have to wait long. 

After its wind burn, flower buds have suddenly appeared on the callicarpa and it looks much better. Just along the bed, the pear tree has lots of pears coming.