The next battle ! So much to learn with this gardening lark !

So we seem to be constantly battling the bindweed outbreaks still but nowhere near as bad as it was.....I'm not going to tempt fate by saying anymore on that front though !

Just as you start to make some headway another problem rears its head, this time birds ! It appears that the local feathered fraternity have taken a liking to our pea shoots. The new growth has been well and truly nibbled .

So a plan was hatched and a quick trip to Wood's the builders merchants (the place that sells all), and then on to the lotty to put things into action. Oh after a call in at Wilburs for a breakfast to put me on til teatime.

We knocked together some chicken wire tunnels to keep the little nibblers at bay and maybe we might see a pea come summer......maybe !

Seeing as the weather forecast was for rain, Kim escaped her shed painting duties and so after finishing the pea tunnels we made for home and whilst Kim did some "women's work " around the house I got a couple of rows of carrots and spring onions sown into the bed with the mesh cover in the house veg garden.

The rain didn't appear though, so rather than be bored this afternoon I headed back to the allotment to do battle with the wind and try to get some Sprouts, Cabbages and Cauliflowers in the ground........oh and cover them in meshing to protect them from the insects and pigeons. At times it was like flying a 6 metre mesh kite trying to get the covers attached to the hoops on my own in a very fresh South West breeze. Eventually though after a few choice words and a helping hand from Kim who called by, the covers were done and mighty fine they look as well, even if I do say so myself !

 You can just make out the rows of little plants under the blue mesh.

 Things are starting to fill more of the plot than is left empty now, still a lot to plant out though. I might do the French beans and the butter beans tomorrow morning.......or the Kale, I'll see how I feel in the morning.

 Oh and finally a few more of the spuds are sticking their heads up through the earth mounds........mix and match spuds that is !

After a couple of hours the meshing was up and the plants in the ground, I was going to plant some Kale as well but I ran out of steam so they will have to wait until next time.......maybe in the morning, definitely not tomorrow afternoon though as we are heading off to Castleford to watch the Leeds Rhino's versus Castleford Tigers superleague game.......can't wait it should be a great game and not supporting either team means we won t be upset whoever wins........come on Leeds ! ....lol

A quick update.....  Leeds won get in!
Oh and its not birds eating the peas but pea weevils my mate Trev put me right.  Apparently most plots are suffering with them.  We've sprayed ours now and they seem to be still growing so perhaps we ll have some peas yet.