19 May - Frantically getting plot ready for holiday

We're going abroad for a week next Friday evening and it's panic stations trying to get everything sorted before we go!

I've put some beans direct into the ground behind the poles on the top plot. Somebody gave me that great tip - it means you can hoe right up the pole.

I've put in (min. 2 at each pole):

3 x Runners - Tender Heart

3 x Runners - White Lady

5 x Cobra

3 x Borlotti

3 x French - Blue Lake

2 x French - Mont D'Or

3 x Dwarf - Opera

3 x Ying Yang

The parsnips have germinated no problem, I also earthed up a few of the potatoes and I put in 4 short rows of leeks behind the beans (about 60 - 70 in total). I used the end of a short hoe to make the holes, popped the leeks in and filled the holes with water and then left them. This method has worked well in the past.

On the bottom allotment I completed the prep on daughter's area and threw some wild poppy and convulvus in. She wants to put some other flowers in too.

At home, I've had a poor showing of the squash, courgettes and pumpkins. I've sown a few more seeds in some of the pots that aren't performing - I'll probably get 2 in a pot now just like the tomatoes.

The peppers are looking fine if a little slow and the tomatoes in the grrenhouse are doing well, second set of flowers coming and the plants are approaching 3 feet tall. The sweet potatoes seem to be alive but not doing much yet - hasn't really been warm enough I suppose although according to my max/min thermometer it's hit 40°C on a few days - phew!

I filled my new raised beds in the back garden with some upside down turf from front garden (soon to be block paved) and then put compost on top. I've put a few peas in toilet rolls from the greenhouse in one of them. I want to get some more stuff in them before we go away. I've arranged for my father to water the allotment if required and a neighbour to do the plants in the conservatory and greenhouse.

The weeds are starting to be a problem so I could do with a hoeing session on the plot one night this week.

I'm hoping there might be a crop of first earlies in the first half of June but they are a bit behind this year.