Links to Mr. Middleton's weekly tasks first:
June 1st Week
June 2nd Week
June 3rd Week
June 4th Week
June 5th Week
Sunday, June 1st – Soggy Boots, Sunny Spirits
Fellow growers,
The first of June arrived with the full character of a British summer’s day: a sky full of rainclouds by morning, and golden evening light by supper. While the weather played its games, I kept steady with the work at hand — and there was plenty of it.
🌱 Home Front HQ
Much of the day was spent indoors, but not idly. The kitchen table was pressed into service as a temporary potting shed, and I set to work sowing lettuce and cabbage — steady crops for steady folk. There's something deeply satisfying about the sound of compost hitting a seed tray, the rows lined like little regiments awaiting orders.
Delicate hands were needed for pricking out, and I’m happy to say several trays were upgraded from the nursery to the officers’ mess — or at least to larger pots with a bit more legroom. It's always a joy to see them standing taller, proud and ready for planting.
🌤 Allotment on the Evening Watch
Once the rain took its leave and the sun made a brief but gallant appearance, I dashed up to the allotment for a late shift — just under two hours, but a good session all the same.
With the ground nicely softened, weeding was a breeze. There’s nothing quite like tugging a dandelion from damp earth — the whole root comes out like it’s surrendered. The rows of shallots were cleared with military precision; they’ll breathe easier tonight.
I also delivered reinforcements: a crate of seedlings from home found shelter in the polytunnel. They looked a touch travel-weary but none the worse for it. Courgettes were planted out, too — big, bold leaves like ration books fluttering in the breeze, ready to claim their space.
📌 Notes from the Spade:
Keep an eye on slugs after this rain. They march under cover of darkness and feast like kings.
Rainwater barrels are now brimming — good time to give pots a proper soaking while it’s fresh.
Courgettes like a rich soil and wide berth — treat them well and they’ll feed the whole street.
We may not control the weather, but we do command the soil — and with every weed pulled, every seed sown, we inch closer to victory. Onwards, ever onwards.
Yours, in mud and marrow,
— The Chairman’s Spade 🏡🇬🇧
Monday, June 2nd – Sunshine, Shifts & Strategy
Comrades,
What a scorcher of a day — warm from sun-up to sundown, the sort of June weather that makes even the potatoes perk up and salute. But while the garden basked, I was doing my bit elsewhere — a full 12-hour shift at work, boots on the ground in another field entirely.
No time to make the evening patrol to the allotment, but that doesn’t mean the day was idle on the home front.
🏡 Command Centre: Kitchen & Front Garden
After work, I turned my attention to preparations for Saturday’s allotment self-management committee meeting — papers sorted, notes gathered, and ideas jotted down. It’s not all soil and seeds; sometimes victory requires minutes and motions.
As the light began to soften, I took a brief stroll round the front garden and gave the compost bins a once-over. A bit dry on the top, so I added a healthy helping of greens — mostly peelings and trimmings. The worms seemed content enough, wriggling with quiet approval. A quick splash of water and the bins were back to doing their quiet, noble work.
💧 A Little Water Goes a Long Way
A gentle round of watering for the potted plants — just enough to see them through the night. No waste, no fuss. The evenings are warm now, but we’ve learned not to trust the British climate for too long.
🌱 Seeds of Tomorrow
Finally, by the soft glow of a desk lamp and the rustle of seed packets, I sorted through what to sow in June. Plenty still to go in — beetroot, dwarf beans, kohl rabi, and more lettuce (because you can never have too much in a salad-starved summer).
📌 Chairman’s Notes:
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Even a day off the plot can be a day well spent. Strategy and structure are the gardener’s secret weapons.
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Compost is gold in the making — keep feeding it, and it’ll feed you back come autumn.
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Don’t forget to check your watering cans are filled and your seed box is in order — June won’t wait for the dawdlers!
Rest tonight, dig tomorrow.
Yours in brassicas and bureaucracy,
— The Chairman’s Spade 🏡🇬🇧
Tuesday 3rd June:🌧️ Weather: Wet with brief dry spells
Despite the drizzle and damp, I made good my escape to the plot this evening, boots squelching but spirits high. There’s something comforting about the smell of rain-soaked earth and the low hum of an allotment in quiet evening light.
The gooseberry bushes were positively groaning with fruit — I picked a solid half-bucket’s worth and, joy of joys, the very first raspberries of the season: just six, but sweet as summer itself. A small but mighty milestone.
The tomatoes in the polytunnel appreciated a good drink, and while the ground was still soft from the rain, I took the opportunity to weed here and there. Before packing up, I slipped in a final job — planting out a row of shallots that had been waiting patiently in a seed tray for their turn in the soil.
Left the plot around 9pm, damp around the cuffs but grateful for every moment among the green rows and quiet growth.
— In compost and comradeship,
The Chairman’s Spade
