You can tell we’re about to go away on holiday. For a start I developed a raging toothache but a visit to the dentist didn’t do much. He seems to want to take out the tooth that hasn’t a problem so I wasn’t keen to say the least. I’m sure it makes sense to him. Anyway, got some antibiotics off him and Val’s ancient super-strong painkillers took effect so floating around to the site in the afternoon.

I wanted to get my beans planted out as they’re pushing the pots and certainly won’t survive until we get back. The house sitter will feed the cats and water the houseplants but draws the line at planting out on the allotment!

I set up 4 teepees of bamboo poles for the climbers. They’re really quite easy and quick to erect, just a bit of a fiddle getting the end of the poles into the plastic wheel thing that holds it all together.

I’ve got runners and climbing French beans in along with a row of Purple Teepee dwarf French beans kindly sent by forum member Dave.  I also sowed a couple of rows of late peas.

Although I’ve rotovated the patch where the beans are going, it’s still a bit rough so I made the drills using the Mantis. It’s a real time saver for this. So the peas and beans go into fine soil in  a tenth of the time doing it by hand would take.

We have a few cats on the allotment site. I recognise one of them as belonging to a lady across the road whose garden backs onto the site. He’s quite friendly in her garden but very skitty on the allotment.

Anyway, I look up from putting in a bean and there’s a young black and white cat looking at me. I said ‘hello’ and he meowed back then trotted over, tail held high in greeting. It was our young cat, Tommy! I’d no idea he came over to the site but that’s cats for you.

He was a great help, rolling over onto the plants for me to tickle his tummy. After a bit he decided to go off to follow catty pursuits and I went off to plant the squash.

They went into the raised deep bed at the bottom of plot 5, three feet spacing. Once again the Mantis came into its own, freshening up the soil. I added a fair amount of fish, blood and bone which was raked in before planting. That should get them off to a good start.

Watered the greenhouses and it was time for home and another painkiller. I’ll end up with bionic teeth at this rate. At least I can post them in for their checkups!