Stunning Day

Even we on the coast got up to 15 C this afternoon although there was that cooling breeze with the SW to contend with.

Last night's rain left the seed beds too wet for planting this morning. So I contented myself with fixing the saw horse with timber from the brilliant Hutchings in Deal. I put in an extra middle fork to hold those logs that always want to fall off as I get half way through the length. Then I planted pots of squash and runner beans (a new 'old' variety - Pink Lady). Then to splitting up the hostas and re-potting. By 1 pm the soil in the seed beds was steaming and ready for sowing - parsnips, beetroot, chard, carrots' leeks, palla rossa, little gem, meraviglia delle quattro stagione and French breakfast radishes.

Then a walk around the circuit with The Principal. Smog or fog hung over the Strait with the cliffs of Blanc and Griz Nez showing above them. At one point I could see five ferries - something I've not clocked before. Coming back the garden was cast in bands of sun and shade. All in a special bumper crop of extras plus the beautiful leaves of the raddichio that has overwintered in the garden.

The challenge now is to eat all those salads and greens that are shooting upwards (kales, cabbage, sprouting broccoli chard and said raddichio) before they flower and go to seed.