I feel like I really got on top things today. I stayed four hours, figuring that it was easier to stay hot than go home and try and come back out into it. I finally did all the deadheading and got rid of the really big weeds that have been bugging me for weeks. I’ve not done the sweet william yet as I want to save some seed.

I did lots of ripping up of grass edges as I went. There are lots of creeping buttercups taking over. I pulled a load out of a hole by the apple tree. The whole place really needs mechanically scarifying as the mower just glides over everything.

I managed to feed the tomatoes and beans for the first time this season.

Some big thistles had been sitting on the King Edward potatoes, so they were a bit squashed and yellow. I’ve tried to stand the haulms up again.

I had two or three blue tits on the nuts in the pear tree. It’s an interesting note that they like the feeder and the tree although both are small and low.

I was finally able to do some proper weeding today, making the place look so much better by getting rid of 3 buckets and thistles, weeds, and nettles. I resowed the beetroot (I’m out of carrot seed) and watered it – the compost was dry as a bone -, but it’s too late now to put the tunnel up thanks to a big beetroot and the random volunteer sweetcorn.

I mowed on 2, which made moving around easier. Hopefully I can get it down further soon.

In weeding the onions I “harvested” one and took it home. The rest are doing ok, and should do better now without big weeds in the way.

I’ve got more parsnips than I thought, but this sections needs weeding too. The poppies are turning and I need to start collecting poppy seed, partly for the house, and partly to stop them sticking to me while I’m weeding.

I managed to strim most of the edges in the evening, but then the cable ran out before my energy did.

I cut back my hawthorns a bit, keeping them branchy, rather than dense hedges. In Bed 1 the aquilegia looks recovered, and in Bed 9 the first sweet peas are open.

More compost has been kicked out, so that needs tidying up if it ever cools down. There are lots of brambles and nettles to be cut down, and thistles to  be dug up.