Today’s the longest day – it’s important for some plants as to whether they have increasing day light hours or reducing as to what they do. Fennel bulbs only form bulbs if they’re grown after the longest day, before that they try to set seeds!

On the allotment we did a couple of hours of weeding, pulling out some plants that have died after getting accidentally sprayed with weedkiller (I don’t recommend it at all – it’s very depressing)

Planted some more basil seeds as most of the previous ones have been slug nibbled. They’ve also eaten all three of the butternut squash plants I have here at home. I have planted some lettuce today, and some peas on the allotment.

Accidents can happen with weedkiller – always label bottles properly so you know what’s in them! Have two separate sprayers – one for good stuff and one for the dangerous weedkillers!

On a brighter note the jerusalem artichokes are going mad! We’ve got a huge wooden box structure off a neighbouring plot to either use as a compost bin or a tidy holdall for the side of the shed. A nice cover on it and we’ll keep all the weed buckets, canes and chairs in it, making out seating area look perhaps tidier. If we use it as a compost bin we’ll need to line it as it’s open sides, but you can never have too many compost bins. It’s mean we’d be able to bring back our black plastic compost bin that we took over and have that back in the garden here.

One lot of broad beans is looking good and should bring us some beans sooner or later, we’ve had some strawberries and raspberries too and the grapes are looking impressive.