Yesterday I took the water bottle cloches off the tomatoes in the garden. The plants look bigger but sunburned. Hopefully they will recover. If they don’t, I’ll have to use my ‘backup’ plants instead of giving them away. Note to self – start earlier next year and take them off sooner. We really need to get the last six beds made. The Longkeeper tomatoes are getting way too tall and need to get outside. Some of them are blooming. And if I want those lovely big paste tomatoes, the Opalka needs to get out there too.

Today I planted out two kinds of corn, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and broccoli. I planted nasturtium seeds in with all the brassicas. Most of the seed looked ‘funny’ – either old or dried out – but I planted them anyway. If they don’t grow, at least I didn’t just throw out the seed, and if they do grow – bonus!

The potato plants (Russian Blue) are looking very vigorous and healthy with nice dark green leaves. I really haven’t grown potatoes before, so it’s exciting to watch them. Soon I will have to start hilling them up. I still have Banana Potatoes to plant – another reason we need to get the last of the beds built.

Lastly, when my back couldn’t take any more, I watered everything with the hose. There’s a forecast for thunder showers this evening, but I couldn’t take the chance that the weatherman is wrong (surprise surprise!).