The week started badly when I tried to fit the netting to the fruit cage frame over the redcurrants (which have set and will attract blackbirds shortly) and discovered that blooming Gardens Naturally had only sent me 10.5m instead of the 12m needed. Grrrr - emails phone calls ensued.

Sowed another set of Black Beauty Aubergine to replace the ones from a month ago which never germinated, also some peppers.

Its not been as sunny this week, in fact it rained Monday night and drizzled most of Tuesday which replenished the water butts. A bit more on Wednesday morning. Pulled some rhubarb and plucked some lettuce leaves.

Thursday I did more sowing - a row of Webbs lettuce and half a row of Salad bowl in plot 6, a row of perpetual spinach in middle of plot 3/4. Earthed up first two rows of spuds, moved some spare broad beans to replace gaps in the first row. Planted out another batch of, now overgrown, cabbages in plot1. Transplanted some peppers in the tunnel and did much general weeding. 

Rained again Thursday night but got much mowing done on Friday and Saturday.

After getting up at (literally) crack of dawn to hear the Dawn Chorus I failed to come back later to do any more work. Got a bit of mowing done whilst enjoying the birdsong - which stopped fairly abruptly as the sun rose.

Apparently the first Sunday in May is designated International Dawn Chorus day (another spurious attempt by humans to 'own' nature - at least the greeting card industry hasn't got in on the act...yet). 

Well it was being promoted by the Wildlife Trusts as a way to encourage people to take note, so since I've never made a extra special effort before I thought I would and set an alarm for 5:00am (the official guidance suggested a quarter to five). 

Sunrise today was about 05:45, but it was already pretty light by 5 and the birds were in full throat.

Down to Gwel Dulas where there was far more bird noise than usual, and lots of different sorts, so I recorded some as I moved gently from the shed down to the stream under the oaks.

 

This was about 05:30, just before the sun would have appeared had it not been grey and mizzly. The amazing thing was that by 6pm the whole thing had died down to a more normal level of birdsong. I hadn't realised it did that so quickly as the sun came up, an hour of chorus and then back to background chatter.

Another largely sunny week with no rain. Having to bring up 8-10 buckets of water each day. Mowing mst mornings and then running out of time to do other stuff.

A fairly busy week with fine weather, we had a little bit of light rain on Friday morning and again the following night. Basically dry and pretty sunny. Slight frost on Monday and Tuesday nights.

Monday I did mowing in the early morning - trying to resist the temptation to lie around in bed and have a slow start.

Tuesday I transplanted some Savoy cabbage seedling - 15 into little pots left in the tunnel, and another dozen straight into the ground in plot 1.  Also plated one and a third rows of Maris Peer spuds in plot 3.

Wednesday I planted on some lettuce seedlings in the tunnel (Webs and Salad Bowl). Also a row of Vales Savor spuds in plot 3.

Thursday was tree photo day and I sowed broad beans in plot 2 and planted out a row of 12 red cabbage seedlings in plot 1. Also built the frame for runner beans in plot 6.

Friday I sowed  the runner beans and also a short row of half a dozen french beans in plot 6.

Saturday was a very lazy day and only popped up late afternoon to do some watering - I've been relying on buckets from the stream this week. Have also done other bits of mowing and tidying but the grass is starting to take off now...

Today I planted out a row of Cauliflower in plot 1, filled in the missing peas in the first row where the old stock failed to germinate. Also sowed Moneymaker tomatoes directly in NE corner of tunnel in plugs of compost and moved a few self seeded toms there to better positions. Sowed balck beauty corgettes in pots and also re-did the aubergines and peppers that hadn't germinated.

Another dry week - water levels in the butts falling and have started supplementing with the odd bucket from the stream to eek it out.

There was a little rain overnight Sunday-Monday, but barely enough to put an half an inch in the butt by the big shed.

Monday to Thursday was mowing for an hour or two and tidying up.

Saturday planted one and a third rows (8 plus 3 spuds) of Red Duke of York potato in Plot 3 rows 3 & 4. 

Also sowed second row of Greenshaft peas in plot 2 row 4.

Weather has been very good, sun and some hazy high cloud.

This week have been mostly mowing, tiding up and watering. Weather dry and mostly sunny, a couple of more overcast days, Winds started off easterly but now mostly round to more southerly and lighter so feeling warmer. It rained a bit overnight on Thursday, but aside from that have been having to water all seed beds and seedlings.

Planted a row each of white (Stuggart) and red (Red Karnon) onions in plot 1 on Tuesday.

So this week the sun has shone and ,much progress has been made - by everything that is growing and bursting into bloom and also some progress in getting things planted and sowed and general tidying up.

Winds went round to the east for the week and clear days with barely a cloud for most of the week. Chill in the wind of course when it was more than light, and some nighttime frosts with the clear skies.