It's now three weeks since my last post and a lot has happened at the allotment. Most importantly, the weather has warmed up and there has been an immense amount of growth. I have just looked back at my last post but one (22 April, I think) and looked at the picture of the broad beans quite clearly just beginning to grow. Now they are about two foot high and in full flower and looking really healthy, providing you don't look closely enough to see the gradual encroaching of the blackfly. I read yesterday that I should be pinching out the growing tip to discourage blackfly, so I will do just that tomorrow. There are plenty of ladybirds, hopefully gobbling up the pests, and I have also seen plenty of ladybird larvae as well.

The potatoes are growing, and we have filled in their trenches, the lettuce and radishes have been harvested, and resown and we have also eaten the thinnings of the beetroots. The spinach is almost ready to harvest and most other plants are doing well. The slugs are under control with the help of slug pellets, but the worst damage is being done by the birds. Everything needs to be netted to keep them away, and even then they seem to get to the plants. The pak choi, peas and brussels sprouts have suffered, but hopefully, now they are covered they will do better.

The french beans germinated very poorly, but I think I sowed them a little too early. I have since grown some in peat pots at home and they are doing better. I have transplanted the first batch, and second batch are doing well. I have also sown purple sprouting broccoli and sweet corn and butternut squash and they all seem to be doing fine. One huge disappointment was the runner beans. They germinated very slowly in the ground (I think I sowed them too early as well) so I sowed some at home to fill the gaps. Somehow, however, they sprouted as broad beans. I think I must have had too much to drink that evening. Fortunately, some friends were only too happy to accept our excess broad beans - but that still leaves me a little short of runner beans!

The strawberries flowered prolifically and are now setting fruit, so following advice from other allotmenteers, we bought some straw and tried to place it around and under the fruit. This was not at easy task, but it looks ok at the moment. I have managed to net half the strawberries, and this weekend I will finish the job - hopefully before the birds get too interested in them.The other major task - before this week's rain - was watering. I fear this is going to be a major chore. It's a long walk with a heavy watering can, and there is a lot that needs watering. It can take an hour or so. I discovered that using a wheelbarrow saves my arms a little bit and I can then move two watering cans at once, halving the number of journeys but I really think we will have to invest in a hose, and very long one at that. I have checked and we are allowed to use hoses, provided there is not a hosepipe ban.

The bindweed war continues. I am just about on top of the problem, but it seems to be appear from places that were cleared only the previous day. Following this week's rain I have really tackled the weeds as it is much easier when the soil is damp. The annual weeds are quite satisfactory to deal with and the plot looks so much better when they are gone, and they come up easily. The perennial ones (bindweed, marestail, dandelions etc) are much harder work.

No pics so far, but I think some are in the pipeline. (I have posted the pics for the previous post, finally) Eldest son is back from university for the summer, so hopefully he can help with the watering now and again, and maybe take some photos for me when the tame photographer is unable to come to the allotment.