It was a busy weekend with a couple of sessions on the plot. I snaffled 330l dalek bargain on fleabay and collected it in Mum’s car this morning. The should be enough for me with the other 220l one, being still a beginner at this. I plan to empty out the ageing compost in the 220l bin and use it in old compost bags to grow squashes in next season. Am quite excited by that prospect!

The hard work was digging. I am doggedly still going with it, though it’s very boring. I am trying to make a level path down the side as I dig out the roots. The old hardcore road is good for that.  I can see nettles and other things raring to go on the sidelines…

I’ve also done some better measuring so I can ponder over plot plans in the winter evenings. This is my latest effort. The shed’s at the west end of the plot, the long bed is at the east end and a 6ft hedge runs along the south border. The plot isn’t square, and I have no snazzy drawing programmes, so this is the best that I can do in Excel. It’s pretty much to scale – side paths are mostly 55cm wide and the centre path will be 80cm wide – all woodchip as looking after grass is a proper pain.

I’m still not sure where to put the permanent fruit bushes though, so it might yet change again…I might switch the culticave and the second little East-West bed around and put currant bushes in it. The top strawberry bed might change – it was perfect till my new neighbours put a massive pallet compost bin along their border. I think it will shade that bed, and in any case, I’d like to grow something that screens the bins a bit.

Still no sign of the Carcassone garlic, but the Provence cloves in pots in the shed are beginning to show through. The cavalo nero is growing well and I plan on picking some next week for dinner. Tonight is the start of the snooker, with a celebratory roast dinner, starring my own potatoes, broad beans and carrots, and somebody else’s celeriac, kale & meat. Can’t believe I am saying this, but I really miss courgettes!

The chillies at home are doing ok – though a second Chenzo has decided this overwintering shenanigans is All Too Difficult and has gone brown. But that still leaves me with 3 habaneros, 2 jalapenos, 5 lemon drops. And the last chenzo…

Edit to add: Harvested the last 10 carrots from the little flower bucket on the balcony and they are whoppers!  Most are nearly a foot long, with one hitting the bottom and curling round to get more space. I am so chuffed to have something non-green to harvest – 6 yellow and 4 orange. Also noticed that I must have missed some balcony garlic earlier this year as there are very definitely 2 stalks growing in the old grow-bag under the carrot bucket…