Watering the plot has always been quite a major job, multiple trips to the water trough up and down the hill The potato plants and fruit bushes normally have to go without as any amount of water from the watering can is never going to give enough to be worth the while. I decided it was about time I got a hose pipe, which probably means at some point this year the council will ban hose pipes and turn the water off…. I ended up with a 100ft spring loaded hose which grows 3 times it’s length when you put water through, and then springs back to 3 times shorted when you disconnect it, normally covering yourself with water as it splurts out with the recoil of the spring. Potatoes really suffer when they don’t get enough water and so having the hose pipe will help here. I must say, it’s the first time I’ve seen the strawberry plants look healthy and not starved of water for a while. Talking of which, mice or something is eating the strawberries, a bit of an annoyance which happened last year too.

With all the hot weather for the last couple of days and the prospect of more hot weather and little rain, I was a bit reluctant to plant out the leeks as they might just frazzle up to nothing in the heat. I thought I had better get them out though, so I have put in a couple of rows, dibbing down deep and putting the young plants in their holes. I added plenty of water to each hole.

Broadbeans still suffering from blackfly, but I was able to pick a number of pods to brings home. Likewise, pigeons are loving the peas and so I have draped over some netting to hopefully stop them. This is the problem with peas at the plot, but with minimal room at home it has meant most pea plants are on the plot. Next year I’ll get them all back in the garden at home again so that I can keep an eye on things.