My but it was warm today! I had the bank cleaned bright and early which was good as I had left something at home that I needed for the day in the garden. So I was able to head home and sort that before devoting myself to the day's activities. Last week's day off shopping was repaid today as the entire garden had been engulfed in stinging nettles. So, since weeding was not a good way to start the day, we planted out the herbs in the garden bed we had prepared then got stuck into the rest.

The food forest bed and the strawberry bed got particular attention, as did the picking bed which had been engulfed with some mustard-flavoured kale. I am afraid that despite Eleanor's affection for kale, to me it is a weed, so any that had run to seed was hauled out and bunged into the compost.

Then vast quantities of plants went into all three beds, with bush pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers, some tomatoes (various types of cherry tomatoes - one of which found its way into my bed in polytunnel), and lettuces, beetroot, chard and various other things.

Then the whole lot was given a deep watering (for some time as the base of the food forest bed had dried out to the point we could not drive in the bamboo stakes for the peas to grow up), and a soaker hose was installed on the herb garden. It will require some refinement next week as, although we made wire hoops to hold it in position we ran into similar problems driving the wire through the cardboard under the straw bales, so that bed too received a thorough soak.

We have given up on the teacher who is supposed to be teaching the local kids how to garden. her approach to weeding is to clear the entire bed, plants and all! Some of the kids rebelled so at least some of their gardens are looking good and potentially productive. She does not listen to our advice, so I guess she will just have to learn the hard way.