Last year we had two gooseberries before the birds found them and overnight stripped the bushes of everything, at the same time breaking off branches and generally making a mess. This year I have reduced the bushes down from four to three, making them less crowded, I spotted quite a number of baby gooseberries appearing. I had been given some blue water pipes and I already have some old netting, so I made up something which should hopefully stop the birds. The three currant bushes further on down the plot are also a huge target for birds, I will need to work out something similar for those.

Lots of sowing going on at home, in the last two days I have sowed in modules:

• marigolds
• winter cabbage
• more beetroot
• more radish
• more peas
• more french and yellow beans as not much happened on the last lot

Sometimes it is sunny and the temperature in the mini greenhouse goes way up, so I’ve put these sowing undercover round the side of the house. Experiments earlier on in the year showed little difference, so I’m thinking any seeds would probably preferred not to be roasted for three or four hours a day. In the mini greenhouse then are chilies and cucumbers.

An afternoon visit to the plot there I sorted out the old leek bed. Not digging, but loosening up the soil and removing stones, making level and covering in the last lot of mushroom compost.

I also sowed a second lot of carrots, a mix of Nantes and some rainbow ones, fingers crossed these will germinate. Carrots are about the only think I am sowing direct this year, prepping the ground by deep hoeing and removing of stones – I covered in fleece. The lettuce and radish that I already have under fleece are doing very well, I think I will be picking lettuce leaves mid week.

We have a small see-thru plastic enclosure which has been on the plot since we got it and we have not really used. I plan this year to put some tomato plants in it, not to keep them warm (there is no top to it for a start) but to keep the wind off them and so in theory keep them happier than just being outside. The main reason for this is to actually do something with it, otherwise it just gets in the way. We have a huge rosemary bush that is very woody and old. It’s pretty in the middle of summer but that’s about it, herbs are really needed closer to home (in the garden for example). The plan is to remove it and put this enclosure in its place… sometime.

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