Marquee

We spent most of the weekend putting the fleece covers back on the Q- and C-shaped vegetable beds, which we had to take down almost as soon as they were up.

This involved putting reinforcing tape patches along the edges, punching a hole in each, and inserting a brass eyelet, which got—shall we say—a mite tedious. However, they're now done, and do appear to be rather more secure. The winds haven't been testing, though, so we shall see.

The onions appear to be doing rather well: I reckon only about ten of the 360-odd Hyred and New Fen Globe have yet to put on leaves, and about 70% of the Autumn Gold are growing. Of course, they seem to send roots out first, so they may well be doing fine, and start to leaf soon. The potatoes are starting to show, with a dozen or so green tips poking through the soil (predictably, they're mostly from the first earlies). These, I earthed over, to keep encouraging them to form tubers and longer stems.

We then had today working at home, which meant we were able to get outside for a few hours this evening. I've replaced the handle on the front gate (about seven months after it broke...), and we've planted another forty gladioli bulbs and 25 double freesias into pots, which will either be cut, or shuffled around the garden when they come out. I also had to water the fruit beds, for the first time this year (and the pots, for the third or so; they more predictably dry out). While wandering, I spotted the tell-tale sign of Craesus sawfly larvae: a lower leaf riddled with small (millimetre) holes. When you turn it over, you find rows of tiny white eggs. It's easiest to just remove and destroy the affected leaves (which are pretty certain to be skeletonized in short order, anyway). Interestingly, this year and last, it's been Craesus septentrionalis that have attacked the gooseberries, and not the common gooseberry sawfly, Nematus ribesii. It makes little odds: they act in the same way. I'd rather deal with them organically (or mechanically, removing them by hand), but if necessary I'll spray with pyrethrum. Technically, of course, that could still be organic, by drying and crushing chrysanthemum flowers, mixing with water, and spraying.