A visit after tea on the solstice. Heat is keeping me away from the plot; I’ve just had to make my peace with the idea that I can’t be down there in the heat. The grass needs a mow – it’ll probably have to start off with a 3.

I tied up the beans and peas at last. Some of them were on the ground last time and one needed unwinding from having grown through a large nasturtium. If the pole hadn’t fallen down, the netting would have gone up and these things would be half way up it by now. It’s just a weird year.

I watered the veg, but there’s very little growing. I think the crow has been messing about in the bed. So I really should have just put up the tunnel, but I thought I’d find it a hassle to do on my own. Maybe it wouldn’t be. I do have a random sweetcorn in the veg bed though. I lost one of the remaining 4 I managed to plant at the back, so this is its resurrection.

I did a round of bare-hand weeding, so various nettles and thistles were left behind. I’ve made a good difference though. There’s a huge amount of corn marigold in Bed 1, self-sown from last year.

The pond’s not too low and I gave it the remainder of watering cans as I was watering. The dead thyme has revived a bit and is creeping through the rocks in a pretty way. The way thymes grow make them a good pond accompaniment.