I got it dug over, and the seeds sown grew in pots and I planted spuds and decided to increase the size of it – incase all the pumpkins germinated.

We had a load of FYM delivered after I had dug over and used all ours and the field grass grew – we didn’t get the fence done and now we have a problem with deer – we think they have babies in the long grass as their usual birthing ground is already forage harvested and all I can do is put the old horse fence back up and a fencer on it – not working that well though it makes us jump.

The future of these is now uncertain – the deer have eaten the few regenerated cabbage in the garden and stripped the perennial spinach fountains I was keeping around for seed and their majesty. So I think the trays of kale, broccoli are a waste of time putting out – especially as there is no easy solution to the Flea Beetle that that will attack even the bigger plants – and the pigeons, using the water trough, will get the rest. The beans and sweet peas I suspect will be deer fodder or just knocked around – so that leaves leeks, onions and the spuds. The lettuce has been trodden on. I suspect the squash family will be squashed so right now I am deflated about the prospects for produce. Short term there is nothing I can do about the deer.

Deer aside the problem is drought. I have abandoned the extra bit of garden as I was having to water in hard before digging and have still suffered a knee/muscle injury ‘jumper’s knee’. Add in carpal tunnel and elbow issues and I cannot report that this Writer finds gardening at all healthy – of course before I was a Writer I was a fit person…

Not all bad news though – Gordon did a fantastic job on the terrace and slope paths and we even have a few geraniums planted in the walls. I suspect that the tomato and chilli plants will go in pots there rather them let the deer bash them too.