We’ve had wonderfully hot weather this summer but inevitably rising the to usual English summer climax of storms. We’ve just recovered from the weekend of very heavy rain (yippee!) and high winds (boo …) and temperatures now are significantly lower – under 20C. The water butts are full and the plants are not gasping anymore.

We had a great work session yesterday – probably for two reasons: 1) Sara made the massive courgette she took home last week into the most delicious courgette cake for this week’s work session, and 2) we didn’t have to spend the whole afternoon hefting loaded watering cans about the station. And 3) we put in seeds.

Daphne and Marlene at our new seed bed while Sara tends the tomato plants

We’ve cleared the chard, improved the soil with Veolia’s soil enhancer and nature has lavished it with rain. The soil is good and crumbly, and still lovely and warm. We’ve sown mostly leaf seeds: from right to left – curly endive, Italian Bondi lettuce, red ‘Mordore’ lettuce, ‘Kopsla’ lettuce, oriental greens and then a row of calendula. We’ll see what comes up. The curly leaves and the oriental leaves tend to be very robust. We may even be able to overwinter them.

I also managed to do some work on the shady triangle, clearing branches and sycamore leaves and ‘parachute’ seeds.

The new heuchera and fuchsias are looking lovely in the central area, and I found space for the lovely lime-leaved fuchsias which a neighbour, David in Stanley Road, had brought back to life after they’d been abandoned by a garden centre.

David had passed by while we were working at Preston Circus planters a couple of weeks ago, and kindly offered us some of his many cast-off fuchsias. He had a wonderful back garden with a tropical feel, full of rescued and foraged plants – quite an inspiration!