June 2026

OBJECTIVES FOR JUNE 

Weed, weed, weed

Support the broad beans if necessary

Turn the compost heaps

Keep on top of the green herbs

Water as necessary

June 2

Put the radish seeds in

June 4

Welcome additions from Chris:

Two tomato plants

Four more runner beans (added to support area)

Two more very healthy courgettes to replace the previous lost ones 

One cucumber

Peas getting ready:

Speckler lettuce ready

June 5

Quick visit to water in newcomers. All looking healthy 

Chard gone to seed.  Have taken it out soon before it has chance to broadcast

Globe Artichoke bearing fruit, plus blackfly.

Wiii spray with soapy water as last year.  Also broad beans.

Put some supports in for broad beans. A couple had taken on a distinct list following strong winds yesterday afternoon.

May 2026

OBJECTIVES FOR MAY

Plant out as stuff becomes available

Keep on top of the weeds

Water during dry spells

Turn and repair compost heaps

Trim flower heads on herbs (except chives)

May 4

All the new arrivals have perked up following Sunday's rain.

And a doggie seems to have left his calling card

May 5

Called in. Did a bit of hoeing 

May 6

Mary watering

May 7

Old lilac had died off.    Replaced with new one from allotment.

May 9

Nice and fresh today after the morning showers

more rain on the way this aft, methinks!

May 12

Hoed around

Currants and gooseberries coming along

May 18

New additions:

May 21

Chris brought down some sprouts, leeks, runner beans, rocket, russian kale plants and some radish seeds.

Planted out the sprouts:

The ground was quite wet when these were put in, but they may need a drop of water if the weather behaves according to the forecast.

I'm afraid the two courgettes are on their way out. Too wet for them I think 

May 22

Mary (very early morning session) has planted out the rest of the veggies, except for the runner beans, and Graeme has done the runner beans, with substantial supports.

Thank you both.

May 30

Back from holidays. Visited early morning and watered new stuff 

Hoed a bit

The two young rosemary bushes have disappeared.

Lots of rhubarb ready to harvest. Just twist and pull individual stalks.

Spring onions ( that's the small ones in the raised bed, not the large versions which should be left to groe ) are ready, plus chives - did you know that the lovely purple chive flower is also edible - good for decorating salads and has a subtle chive-y taste!

Also green herbs doing very well and could do with being cut and used. You might also find the odd alpine strawberry ready - small but delicious!

APRIL 2026

OBJECTIVES FOR APRIL

Keep on top of emerging annual weeds

Dig out dandelion & dock roots

Restrain Jerusalem Artichoke

Inspect compost heaps and perhaps spread some throughout if useable

Plant out stuff as it becomes available

April 2

Dug out lots of dandelions and docks.

Removed last years Red Russian. Getting too big for its boots.

April 6

Hoed blunt end

April 14

Hoed throughout. Still a few dandelions to dig out.

One or two broad Beans tentatively poking through

Chives coming along well

New labels look great. Thank you Jane.

April 18

Quick tidy up.  Weeds coming fast now.

Beans now recognisable as Beans

The small gooseberry bush from the front of the compost heaps has disappeared 

No ransom note received as yet....

April 20

Quick hand hoe round the compost heap and onion area.

April 27

Chris brought down some peas, lettuce, cav nero. Mary planted out the peas and transplanted the remainder of last year's rainbow chard

Beans marching along nicely

April 28

Handweeded throughout, and redefined the main pathway

Mary had done a good job weeding the raised bed yesterday

April 28

Graeme gets the courgettes in:

April 29

...and the chard

...and the cav nero & lettuce

April 29

Mary's transplanted chard looking very tired in the sun, so gave it a drink.

If we get no rain an evening watering for all the new introductions might be required if you are passing.  I am away from now until next Tuesday.

All looking good under azure skies.

March 2026

March Springs in like a lamb ....

OBJECTIVES FOR MARCH

Keep the annual weeds down

Tidy up the herbs

Cut out the old Fennel stalks when new growth established

March 3

Lovely sunny day today  both D && G visit in the morning... at slightly different times.

Weeding around the onions, dandelion 🌼 removal, and a bit of fine tuning to the pruning.

Rhubarb winning through

Globe artichoke recovering a bit

March 23

Good session this morning.

Old cavali nero, Spring cabbage, and some Russian kale taken up as now going to flower.... and we know what follows flowers.....

Put in three dozen or so Broad Beans in locations shown in photos.

Hoed the sharp end, leaving dandelions and dicks as they need deep trowelling out individually.

Big wait for bus back in afternoon, so hoed the rest of it whilst waiting....

February 2026

OBJECTIVES FOR FEBRUARY

Stay dry

Exercise patience

Still far too wet to do anything,despite a brief spell of winter sunshine.

February 23

Quick look round this morning. The rhubarb is gearing up to have another try:

The fennel is starting new shoots:

And the Spring cabbage is looking good:

And Spring itself has arrived just up the road!!

February 27

At last, dry enough to get on!

Hoed throughout, including taking out the remains of last year's carrots, radishes, rocket and beetroot (except those in the raised seedbed). Plently of room now for some new annual plantings.....

Joined by Graeme, who did some pruning to the red & white currant and raspberries.

garlic and onions looking a bit tired, with garlic showing yellow at the tips. Perhaps had a little too much water of late??

A helpful lady passer- by from Gipton gave us some constructive criticism about having made the compost heap the main feature of the garden. Does stick out a bit just now as nothing growing around the front to screen it. She will bring a couple of plants in for us which would help to hide it away.

January 2026

OBJECTIVES FOR JANUARY 

Keep on top of annual weeds with regular hoeing

Turn the compost heaps 

Too wet to do much. 

16 January

Looking good in the winter sun

New rhubarb given up again

26 January

Too wet to do anything really.

Obtained some nice willow wands from RAGA boundary hedge for plant supports/ bean wigwam construction. Maybe some repairs to the central support feature - but maybe not thin long, or supple for this??

Last year's Russian kale about reached the end of its days??? Hansnt been very well taken up - perhaps it's something in the name putting people off???

January 31

Hoed over