The runner beans are coming up and the re-sown nasturtiums are good and stout. Their leggy predecessors seem ok down at the allotment, so who knows. I went down to the plot after work and dug over quinoa bed, which I’d opened at lunchtime, hoping that birds would help reduce the red ants’ nest. I hear the birds when I’m gardening, but don’t often see them helping me out with all the grubs and slugs I’m finding. I turned the bed over and it was in good condition – only one volunteer potato to be found. The clay was in that perfect damp, crumbly mode, so I’ll re-cover it to delay the transformation to hard rock!

I uncovered the tomato bed that didn’t get much attention last autumn. There is some mare’s tail and a few docks to come out and the soil is a bit wet, so I left this one uncovered for the slugs be found by the birds.

Seedlings are coming up, which I hope relate to the seeds I have sown. There’s just no way of knowing yet. It would be good to actually see some flax though after it failed last time I tried.