The insect life is going mad at the plot. I’ve got bees robbing the nectar from the irises around the pond. A beautiful blue damselfly flitted around the pond a few times and I spotted the first hoverfly. In the water I saw a diving beetle that was a good bit bigger than the usual little ones, and there are butterfly eggs on the flag iris. Where I dropped seed on the front ledge, there are a few seedlings among the stones.

I mowed the plot to keep on top of it, but when I’m back from Salzburg it’ll need a strim and hopefully a mow on 1.

I’ve weeded around the onions to help them along. The first cucumber has been released from its cloche now. I didn’t give a thought to putting a collar around it – I’m out of practice!

JBM has donated some slabs from his old patio, which I’ve started setting out for somewhere to sit in front of the pond. With the gate, entryway and sloping ground, I’ve got some landscaping ahead of me to get the slabs straight, but also bring the ground up appropriately. This is one bag of top soil. I have two more at the ready, though they’re intended for elsewhere really – all were discounted.