Work mostly and life (partly) have meant the plot and the allotment have been pretty much neglected.  While I have been in a long, time-eating, tunnel of work all the plots have been a persistent, low level guilty niggle at the back of my mind instead of the usual pleasure. The garden at home and all the plants (going past their best) around the house have been a daily reminder of the fact that you need to give time to keep what you grow healthy and flourishing. At home it has been easier to squeeze in a minute or two for deadheading and the roses have been wonderful.

Blowsy and beautiful, Rosa Graham Thomas

Hoping that the avalanche of work has been shifted and that today marks the day that I will have space in daylight hours to get outside and sort everything out.

Had a flying visit to the plot two weeks ago which was just long enough to pick the first five fragrant, long stemmed sweet peas and to notice the burgeoning docks, thistles and grasses pushing their way up at the edges of unplanted beds. Going there today, knew they would be even more vigorous and they were…

But so were the sweet peas which are starting to cover their support. Picked three big bunches with lots more to come.

Two of the bunches from the plot

Everywhere around the plot, there are weeds and flowers cheerfully going to seed and the trick is going to be to try to snip off as many seed heads as possible. But there are so many.

Cornflowers bright and blue some going to seed

Shared my weed wrestling time between the plot and the allotment. They’ve both beaten me in the first round, but I’ll be back and perhaps by the end of the summer there will be order and not just pretty chaos.