This weekend I discovered an ant’s nest in one of my potato bags and probably the source of the bites that caused last week’s swollen hand. We took the potatoes and showered the ants with boiling water. Look I’m all for live and let live but without any rain, ants get out of control and that equals more blackfly.The week was all about watering and picking peas before the pigeons killed them. The weekend was mostly about the Open Day, it was a good day, but busy and so very, very hot. I took one photo but I sold lots of plants and bought a few!Before we opened to the general public Ma and I did some work. I watered and fed and picked salad and beetroot. Ma picked raspberries and peas and cleared the pea bed. Then we tackled the overgrown chard bed.We covered it in more compost and netted it to stop the foxes digging and next week I’ll plant leeks there. Ma and I harvested the anya potatoes, I’d had some in the week t0o. We didn’t get loads about 1.25kg but they were good and I’m happy enough with them.

We aren’t getting loads but things are catching up after the late spring, we have baby french beansBaby cucumbersBaby tomatoesBaby courgettes (one on each plant)Baby crookneck squashI’ve had two blueberriesAnd the winter squash is starting to expandThe cucamelons that I resowed are growingThe three sisters bed (which I know is too small!) is flourishingBut let’s talk about the plants I bought yesterday.9 lavender plants, two summer savory, a mint plant, a carnation, a verbena bonariensis, and a dianthus. My plan for the flowers is the top of the plot, the lavender is going to go along the sides of the plot, bees love lavender and bonariensis and I want to encourage them as much as I can. I didn’t buy another rhubarb crown, please admire my restraint!

It’s going to be hot for a while, I’m watering every other day but I’m giving them more water, the squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash are getting a can more of water and I’m considering watering every day if this weather continues…

This year on the plot is really the year that Ma and I have been more relaxed about self seeding plants, the poppies have always done their thing but the amaranth is everywhere this year. And then there are the nasturtiums, I didn’t sow any this year but some have come up, which I don’t mind and this one is flowering away despite the pigeons devouring the leaves.

The work list for next week is as follows. Sow chard, plant leeks, plant out my new plants, feed and weed. Maybe at the weekend, there will be a courgette or two!