Making cages - to keep da wabbits out!

Hard work in the scorching sun today. The plot has really come to life. Happy to see a lot of plants that have been struggling looking good. Tomatoes are still alive but something is still chomping through the beetroot and even my broccoli which has been under netting.


The answer appeared in a flash of grey fur when I approached the compost heap - a rabbit! He shot off down the other end of the plot to hide in the weeds.


I spent most of the day pulling out grass and other weeds that are going to seed. Cut back a lot of the overgrown areas. Was pleased to see a lot of Marigolds, Poppies and Comfrey in amongst the weeds. Have pretty much given up hope for my parsnips though - they were swamped by weeds before they'd even got started.


I ended up making a cage for the beetroot and spinach with chicken wire - easier than fixing the whole fence.


By the time I got round to the main order of the day - building a net frame to keep the birds (and rabbits) off my broccoli, it was almost dark. Dad came down to give me a hand watering everything, which was nice of him. As we were packing up I found an altogether more welcome visitor to the compost heap - a small toad. Must be having a field day with all the slugs!

i

Toady and some greens

On slug patrol last night I found this toad on the lawn by the large conifer. He didn't seem to be in much of a hurry to eat the slugs on the veg patch though. I found a frog siting in my lettuces one night last week as well!


I thought that some of my Little Gem lettuce might be ready by now but have decided it needs another few weeks. Following some instructions in my book, I loosley tied up the leaves with gardening string. Should keep them out of easy reach for the slugs.


I also planted two of the Purple Sprouting Broccoli seedlings out on the patch. I'm hoping that 4 will make it, although not many survived the whitefly, slugs by the backdoor and my over/under watering, so there's only 6 left now! The area I'm putting them in is already a bit crowded with stray lettuce thinnings, rocket and a renegade tomato plant from the compost. Will see how they cope.

Finally, I keep forgetting to mention, but a few weeks ago Mum got some Rhubarb off one of her friends at work who I gave some tomatoes to. Despite being stuck in a bucket for three days and looking pretty wilted at first, it has now made a full recovery and is looking healthy.