Mmmm… It’s been a pretty mixed bag, really. I’ve managed to fry a fair few of my chillies under the new lights, and seriously under-water those remaining (the 4:1 mix is obviously more freely draining than anticipated)! As a result, I have, as of today’s potting on session only 1 or 2 of everything, which doesn’t really leave much room for “attrition” later on!

Couple this with a serious aphid infestation which appeared overnight while I was away recently, and which I’m struggling to get on top of, the early start seems to have been rather more trouble than it’s worth. I’ve been squishing, washing, and dunking in garlic and chilli solution, and the little s***s seem to be completely unphased by it all. Don’t want to resort to poison, but if it comes to a choice between that and no Chillies, I’m afraid my lofty organic principles are flying straight out of the window!

To top it all off, there’s been a complete and utter rota failure at work (not my fault), and it turns out that I’m on Nights this weekend (and should have been there yesterday evening, rather than drinking wine and watching “The Killing”!)

But to end on a positve note: The geraniums are budding, the Camellia is about to burst into bloom, the Blueberry is also budding, I’ve harvested more salad than 2 people can reasonably eat (it seems it was just pretending to be dead, and the recent sunny/warm weather has induced a Lazarus-style resurrection), and the Hellebore that was the subject of the “Nephew + Weedkiller Attack Incident” is now blooming merrily! The Mini Iris continue to look beautiful, and I’ve spent much of the morning watching 3 squrrels play/squabble/procreate. Although I’ve lost a Sorrel, and several of the Oregano, there’s hope in the herb-garden in the form of some gorgeous fresh shoots of Tarragon and the Mint and Lemon Balm have also decided to put in an appearance

Another upside: The unexpected Night shifts mean that I get most of next week off to spend as I will: let’s just hope that the predicted freeze doesn’t arrive