Drought watch

I'm slightly worried we may have a repeat of last years early summer drought on our plots. To aggrivate the problem, the council have cut off our water supply sompletely while the 'dispute' over the latest bill is settled. Many of us are very annoyed about this having put in a lot of work and spent a lot of money on raising plants only to watch them wither. I'm trying not to find this too dispiriting, but it's difficult, I even lost a brand new watering can in the nearby river yesterday trying to hoik water up...all while 7 months pregnant. I especially find annoying the fact that the chap who's in charge as spokesman lives nearby so waters his plant with water brought from his own supply, and doesn't seem that concerned that others like me have to drive to the plot, so this is impossible. Sometimes it's tempting to give it all up, but this year I'd planned to grow enough to really supplement our family's shopping bill so I don't have much choice but the continue to find ways to try and solve the problem. If there was more of a community spirit, perhaps we could club together to complain to the parish council, but any support I've tried to drum up has failed. I just wish I had got my water but in time to fill it up to have enough for my seedlings during this dry spell. Ho hum.

Anyway, enough of my moan and on to my 'progress' which has halted a bit as a result. Yesterday I got rid of the emerging thistles with my fab new hoe which works like a dream. I uncovered the last of my beds which was covered in black plastic to warm the soil/keep weeds down, and gave it a quick rake and left it to dry out. This bed will house brassicas and sweetcorn. I also removed the fleece from the remaining broad beans which had emerged well, and netted them instead. Pretty much all my beans and peas are netted now, apart from any more peas I will sow in the next couple of weeks. Looks like some slugs have munched some broad bean leaves though.

My wild strawberries look really happy and have started to flower

Onions and garlic growing well

and I'm pleased to report my parsnips have germinated, as well as the rocket. Still no carrots despite having sowed four times since Feb!

My comfrey patch is going bananas

and the raspberries are spreading

 but overall you can see they plot is looking pretty dry, which is a shame as the weather is fantastic at the moment, I think it was almost 25C yesterday which is amazing for this time of year. I think a picnic is planned for this weekend!
..oh and I almost forgot to mention my potatoes have sprouted!

What to do when the rain pours

I'm suffering terribly from pregnancy brain, basically a temporary form of dementia due to baby draining all my resources! This means I make mental plans to do things with my plot, make sowings etc, then utterly forget the next day. That's why this post will be a rambling mental note of what I need to do and have done over the past week.Apologies that it isn't better formulated.

Have sown:

Golden Leaf beet
Red sprouts
Asters
Leeks
Red onions
Two varieties of broad bean, express eleonora and claudia (in pots)

Germinated and potted up:
Koralic tomatos (8)
Ceur de bleu tomatoes
Echinacea white swan

To plant out:
Broad beans
Garlic

Last Monday I visited the plot and covered the sown seeds of carrots with fleece as it was looking to turn colder, but having visited today I cannot see any that have germinated (it's been two and a half weeks) It may just be too cold and wet right now.

Strangely there was a large hole dug in the middle of my strawberry patch. I couldn't work out what could have done it, it looked as though a dog had been digging up a bone! A badger perhaps?