Uh-oh! Jamie broke our fork!

Jamie is still digging, but snapped the fork! Plot 8 really is proving to be hard work and there's still more to dig...
I put some asters in where Jamie dug compost in today.

It was a fabulous sunny day so I had no intention of digging, but I did do a lot of weeding.
At least now we can leave the weeds to dry out so they don't just replant themselves!

Our shallots are drying out nicely in the warm temperature and there are lots of bees around - but also quite a few butterflies, so they'll start laying eggs soon I expect.

I'm intending to do the big butterfly count - just 15 minutes. Haven't decided whether to do it from our plot or at the top of the allotments where there is tall grass and lots of butterflies - is that cheating??

I chopped back the chives and thyme which had got a bit huge and planted a Greek Oregano which I bought yesterday at the AONB event. I realise I've erred regarding the fennel - I was thinking that I would just be using the leaves.... not sure I'll get a bit fennel output in a pot... well, I'll have another go next year instead and just use the leaves as a bit of flavouring this year.

We got a nice harvest of broad beans to have for dinner along with the last of the potatoes we pulled last week and some chives to have in the melted butter - yum!

Preparing the way

As well as planting the potatoes we did some tidying. Jamie edged the plot and I mowed the paths to get the grass cuttings for adding to the potato trenches.

The excess earth from the potato trenches was dug into the other plot quarters and we dug a circular trench (1m round) for the runner bean wigwam. We filled the trench with 2 bags of Countrycare Products mushroom compost which we use for water retention but have found previously that it all disappears over the year so the beans and worms must like it!

Look at these silly ducks - they seem not to have noticed the canal running alongside our allotments so were drinking out of a tiny puddle!

There were quite a few other people on the site even though the weather wasn't too great. We spotted Malcolm converting his old divan into carrot cloches covered with fleece.
Aren't zoom lenses good?  :-)

And lastly, if anyone in a position of power reads this blog - we really need a shed!!

Jamie carrying everything to reduce the number of trips to the container