Oooof! That’s the first full day I’ve spent up at the plots for a long old time, with very little sitting about. I smell of smoke, had to scrub my hands 4 times to get all the dirt off, and wash all the smuts/dirt off my face, but it feels really good.  Topped off with a lovely beef, chilli & tomato stew and a very large glass of wine.

It is work party weekend – and with a few of us the plot next to mine has been flattened and covered with damp-proof membrane and will stay like that for a year or two to knock back the horsetail. I’ve also been carting old, weedy woodchip down to the cleared area, cutting down blackthorn, burning the stuff I cut 2 weeks ago and planting out the broad beans, which are already about 4 inches high.

I buried them deep and hope that that will be good enough. I also have way too many. I thought I’d be doing 6 to a row, but that just looked too tight, so 5/row it is and I think I will end up with 2 beds’ worth. The Wizard beans aren’t even sown yet.

I snagged 2 globe artichokes from the horsetail plot, before what had been left was flattened. Someone else bagsied some herbs and another went off with all the kale. To be on the safe side I washed all the earth off the roots, so I do know that the plants had nothing other than their own roots on them, but they are planted in pots for now anyway. I’m not sure they will survive. Many of their own roots came off in the wash. They had a fairly brutal uprooting, washing and a severe haircut, but if they do I will be very happy. If they don’t, I’ll pop some seeds in in the New Year.

Am spending tonight messing about with seeds – I’ve made labels and the Potimarron, courgette and Trail of Tears beans have had their 2 weeks sitting in rice so can be bagged up. I need to make some more hibiscus cordial, a cake for Piero’s return tomorrow and I brought some rosemary back from the plot to dehydrate. I use an awful lot of it. And dill. Must grow more dill next year.

Tomorrow there is another plot to cover, more blackthorn to take down and I want to get some spare soil to fill up 2 of my paths. Will put wood ash under the redcurrants and where the ancient gooseberries will go.