Another sunny day. First job was to get 16 runner beans sown and into the grow house, along with all the other seed trays out there. Later in the day I did a little experimental potting on – seeing how a few zinnias and tomatoes might feel about bigger pots of their own. I also moved three weedy little amaranthus seedlings into their own pots. Two of them were utterly intertwined and I thought at first it wouldn’t be possible to separate them. I think they’d grown into the same dense lump of compost.

I did a 3-hour stint at the allotment, in wonderful sunshine. The farmer’s tan is coming on nicely. I planted out the white everlasting sweet pea on the right-hand fence. Swathes of that newly weeded soil now have flower seed sown in it too: flax and calendula. Gilia and more calendula are in the front bed, along with the last four nasturtium seeds, just stuck unceremoniously into the ground. The candytuft seed has gone around the elder and to the right of the apple tree, where the border straightens out.

I scurfed off the top layer of the vegetable bed, which seemed to have too much soil on it to deal with. Two buckets of horrible clay can now be used as hole filling in the paths when necessary. That opened up a damper layer of soil, which was easier to dig, so I managed to get it to a reasonable tilth to sow a row of carrots and half a row each of beetroot and rainbow beetroot. The second sowing lines are already marked out and the soil will just need a bit more digging to break it down.

I gave the chrysanthemum bed by the shed another dig and it’s gradually breaking down in size. Looks like this turn and turn again approach is a good way to go. There’s no need to get the job finished on the first dig.

The pear tree is starting to blossom, but it doesn’t look like there will be many flowers. The apple blossom isn’t open yet, but there are lots of buds. I might need to knock a few off the branch, if I’m to do anything about this bi-annual rhythm the trees are in.

The ledge is springing to life nicely. That renovation with the topsoil and seeds was one of the best jobs I could have done. Lots of nigella and aquilegia coming and the speedwells are coming up nicely too. I just really need to get the back fence covered if I can.