Wednesday 24th August 2022

I worked away like a wee horse today. House tidying done, laundry washed and out, flapping in the breeze all by 10 o'clock. After a quick coffee break, I was into the potting shed, sowing a load of seeds for the autumn and winter. I picked some veg to use for dinner, and the ripe raspberries for the bag in the freezer. I'm building up a wee stock to make a few pots of jam. I had a nice chat with a neighbour I hadn't seen since I came back. One of their dogs had recently died, so it was sad to see the other on his own.

After lunch, I prepped dinner (Thai green curry with chicken and veg), then went out to the small polycrub up at the house.

It's been a complete write off this season. It did well over winter and into Spring, keeping us going with fresh greens - chard, kale, cabbage and broccoli, as well as early broad beans, but as the spring went on and into Summer, and we fell victim to the dreaded virus, it all went to seed. When I returned from Canada, it was over run with weeds, and caterpillars. I was also using it as a dumping ground for various pots, cardboard boxes and basically anything I couldn't be bothered to find a home for. In addition, I was concenteating on the big polycrub, which has my fruits and summer crops. The photo is actually my bean tunnel there. It's impressively abundant.

But the year moves on and I'm determined to grow a decent variety of crops this winter, so I want the beds to be ready for the plants. I beavered away, pulling up weeds and overblown brassicas, stacking plant pots and tools neatly in the shed and clearing out rubbish, ready for the recycling park.

I made a real dent in it, and hopefully another shift will see it almost done

Dinner was good, and I got a few rows done on my Mysterium Tee. I'm on the lace border now and it's going really well.

Hoping for another productive day tomorrow.