Restless Legs

The comfrey is in bloom and the bees can't keep away. Chopped some down today as an activator for the compost heap which is full to the brim with the woody remains for the purple sprouting broccoli.

Pinky Blue

After all the rain this week the plants have gone into overdrive. Sunshine today meant I spent a few hours on the lottie which is looking pretty unkempt - truth be told. Planted out some kale and calabrese and earthed up the potatoes which are growing really well. The purple sprouting broccoli has all gone into flower so will need to make room for the beetroots and spinach that are to follow. The flowers are rather beautiful in their own right and the bumble bees were all over them.

The early peas are developing and I ate my first ones straight from the pod today - sooo sweet. It will be a week or so though before there are enough to cook with.

The first pea flowers were pure white but those further up are a pink and burgundy shade. Wondered if this could this be cross pollination with the broad beans growing alongside?


Spotted these peacock butterfly caterpillars munching their way though the nettles in the borders.

Introducing the Liverpool Beetles

I'm not sure what the collective term for ladybirds is but those of the seven spot variety have been hanging out and sunning themselves on the verges of the allotment.

Meanwhile, on the broadbeans, the ants have have been active for the past couple of weeks tending to the blackfly, carrying them to the tender recesses of the bean tips and using them as 'cattle' for their sticky productions. I'll have to try squirting them with water as all of this does not make for healthy plants. In the meantime I hope our spotted friends are hungry as dinner is ready.