Tuesday 10th June 2008 - Weather: hot but cloudy

A brief visit to the allotment today, only 3 hours before back home to change to go to the kids school sports day. So the plan of attack, cut back all the daff foliage and plant a row of tomatos over them, plant the rest of the young dahlia plants, get in the 2 cucumber plants I had to buy after the slugs scoffed my home grown offerings and weed my seedlings. A very productive 3 hours during which time I mananged to once again get sunburnt on my neck, and yes, I did have suncream on. One minor crisis, the bl**dy pigeons have strolled under my netting and make a meal of my brassicas, so I spent a good 40 minutes sorting out the netting and blocking all possible entrance holes. Hopefully the brassicas will grow away again and catch up. If we get the expected rain over the next few days, I am certain they will put on plenty of new growth.

The last job of the day was to have a peak at the garlics as they had flower buds developing. Because I have such rampant white rot on the allotments I keep the alliums in for as short a time as possible and as soon as I am suspicious that the plants look poorly, the lot come out. Well, apart from lots of rust, the garlic plants looked healthy enough, and just look what I discovered as I dug! These were purple necks I think - the label is still on the plot with the other block of plants. They aren't quite as advanced as these as they went in a month later. Thrilled to bits with this harvest, and they are now in the conservatory to dry before being platted.

Back at the allotment Thursday afternoon for a couple of hours where I will be sowing yet more seeds, and hopefully getting some leeks in, if only I knew where!