It is fecking hot and we haven't had rain for what seems like ages. Too hot to work in the sun or in the tunnel by 11:15am until late afternoon. No rain at all during June so far and precious little in May. Bringing up 6-8 buckets a day from the stream (thank goodness that is still flowing) for the tunnel and the young plants. The 'no watering' principle does not seem like such a sensible idea in these conditions - they need something, although there is still some slight dampness about 4 inches down. No sign of a change forecast for the next week.

Been a busy three weeks. Much mowing of course. Got a new snath from Kevin at Skyegrove ok and continued with both 65cm and 85cm blades. The new 85cm seems good so I took it to the Green Scythe Fair at Mulchenley - a bad call! Grass there very different; denser and heavy - I kept digging the nose it so barely did 2.1m in the heats and nowhere near qualifying. Did pick up a Norway Maple though, now planted in the entrance grove, and a free small oak and a Love-Lies-Bleeding.

Bank Holiday - not that it matters except that unusually for such a day the sun doth shine. Lovely hot sunny late spring/early summer day with intermittent fluffy white clouds. Been up here most of the day.

Over the last week it has been pretty dry - water butts running out despite a too-short downpour on Saturday evening. Have acquired some runner bean seedlings (Scarlet emperor) from a stall at Central Methodist as too many of my sowings seem to have failed this year. The runners didn't germinate at all. Apparently many gardeners are having similar problems with poor germination this year which made me feel a bit better. Anyway they are in next to the potatoes.

A fullish day - 11am to 5:30pm but with 90 mins off for lunch to go home for a delivery. Much mowing in the morning including preparing the new 85cm blade, stripping off the wax and paint and peening up the edge. Tried it out on some good grass and it works well.

Afternoon spent racking up and stacking and then planted another two rows of onions (one red, one white) plus a full row of Ambassador peas. Also got some weeding and mulching done around the blueberries.

A lovely early morning mow for an hour in the sunshine amongst the tall grasses and patches of dock and buttercup in full flower. Today the small leaf lime has its first leaf and the buds on the large leaf lime are swelling.

Yesterday was sunny too and I had a half day having spent the morning assembling the new battery solar charger interface box. Got a fair amount done, mowing in the pears and planting the last of the onions and a patch of french beans in the new bed next to the tunnel.

The Cresta saga continues plus we have been away to family in Bristol for the weekend so only some morning mowing really over the last week. Nearly finished the apple orchard.

In Bristol I found lime trees in full leaf - I wonder why mine are so slow; is it because they are young?

This evening planted sweetcorn (25 pairs) and sunflowers in the new area to the east of the tunnel - the bottom half of it. Top half will be for courgettes, squash and beans this year.

Also got a row of carrots in in place of the missing early spud row - about 2'6" of old Autumn King seed and the rest James Scarlet. The celariac seedlings don't seem to be moving on at all - still in small pots/trays.

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