Earth had been dug out by the shed door when I arrived. I put it down to the nuisance vole that’s busy perforating the whole plot. I went to fill the bird seed and found that most of the bag (a new paper Peckish bag that won’t be bought again!) was gone. I lifted it the bag up onto the stool to look at the little scuffed hole in the bag, still not realising how little seed was in the bag (15kg to liftable is a lot). That revealed a small hole in the shed floor, below which was a huge heap of food. I dropped a couple of pieces of bait down there for a start.

Then going to get the bait station revealed that lots of compost had been kicked out all round the compost heap, and there was a really obvious tunnel system at the front of the heap. So I had to clear up all the spillage – and that gave me almost enough for topping Bed 4. Can’t wait for all the weeds in it to kick off!

All the nettles at the side of the shed had to be cleared out, which was just going to be a future job, so I could clear up more kicked out compost and make it less of a pest haven. I loaded the bait station and put it down there. I’ve also put a couple of my plastic tiles down the side of the heap, just in case they act as a deterrent for a while.

Rain was due for tomorrow, so I came back in the afternoon for actual gardening. I cleared up a bit more of Bed 1, pulling up more plants I’d left. I collected some cornflower seed and started to cover the bed with manure.

I still have nursery plants I need to keep alive for the house. I might make Bed 5 the nursery for those to keep them all together.

I cleared Bed 4 and threw out the couple of beetroot that were still holding on, doing nothing.

I weeded what I could of Bed 3, pulling up nigella and any foxglove stems that came easily. I’ve left most of them though, as they’re such good repeating colour. The dock is still going strong, so I just cut it down as far as I could.

I weeded Bed 5 and left the sunflowers and nasturtiums for food and colour. I dug about a little in a vole hole and disturbed a devil’s coachhorse.

I didn’t mean to weed all of Bed 9, but of course I kept going and finished it. All the canes are down, but I’ve left the nasturtiums and whatever little weeds might be underneath them.

Another small Roma harvest. There are lot more green ones, but I’m not sure if they’ll ripen at this point.

I emptied Bed 7 – lots of parsnip seeds everywhere! – and then added manure to all of it.

I weeded all around the plants in Bed 1. I’ve left the nursery plants in place, along with some cornflowers and marigolds that are still giving some colour. There’s also a random calendula that’s in good shape, but not actually flowering. I want to save the bright pink snapdragons for somewhere – plot or home – as they’re still giving magnificent colour.

The small tomatoes are done, but I did a small Roma harvest.