Grrr slugs & snails !!

Here are the challenges of gardening with a kittie in tow.  Everywhere I go, he follows me ... here he is checking out the melons.

Here is my first casualty of the season.  This is, or was, my Goldena courgette ... I planted it in the covered bed where dratted slugs and snails have been munching away quite happily.

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Another casualty of the covered bed is my beetroot seedlings ... out of sight, out of mind :(

My two courgettes that are in the outside bed are faring well, no munching yet !!

Here is my first broadie ... very exciting !!

I've still not managed to get any pea sticks yet for my pea bed ... they will need netting too very soon otherwise the pigeon buffet will be well and truely open ...

Here are my squashes & spare courgettes.  I've left the courgettes outside, I hope it isn't too cold for them.  The squashes are now in the greenhouse during the night and out during the day.  I picked 12 snails off the squash plant pots when I took them out of the greenhouse :(  They went for a flying lesson :)

I planted out the cauliflowers yesterday.  I hope they are not too small.  I've heard that the bigger the space between them, the more time they spend growing foliage, so I've planted them quite tightly - there are 5 across the bed.  I've got three varieties in total:  All Year Round, Purple Violet Cauliflower:

and Romanesco Cauliflower

The nectarines are developing nicely ... these are just bigger than a thumb nail at the moment.  There are quite a lot developing on the tree ... not sure if I'm supposed to remove some or not. Vic is back soon, so for now I'll just keep watering them. The trees look really healthy

Here is a miniature bunches of grapes developing on one of the vines.  They are so small, its inconceivable to believe they'll develop into huge bunches dripping with grapes by the end of the season.

This spider was in Vic's greenhouse.  It was just about to wrap a wasp up in its silk, until I intervened.  I don't think it was very happy about its lost meal.

The salad greenhouse is progressing nicely, here is a selection of the salads:

I think this might be my first cucumber casualty ... I've been very careful not to get water on its neck, but its leaves have flopped and it is definitely looking droopy ... I don't usually have much luck with them, so I'm surprised that I still have 5, well maybe 4 now ... we'll see.

My french beans look lovely ... I'm having to resist the temptation to plant them out ... I know its too early and they are still too small.  My neighbour planted his out yesterday - they are already 1-2 feet high !

I've still got space for three tomatoes ... but no tomatoes yet haha.  My mum & dad have some for me and my next door neighbour said he is growing on his side shoots for me, so hopefully I'll be able to fill the space soon.

Here are the Strawberries in the raised bed .. lots of flowers !

The damson blossom disappeared during last weeks heavy rain & wind - I wonder whether it had chance to set during its brief appearance.  The pear is just holding on, but the apple trees are still in full bloom.  The apples are in a slightly more sheltered spot or are on dwarf stock.  Last year most of the fruit was left to fall to the ground and rotted ... I will have to encourage Vic to do something with them this year, they were too good to waste last year.

This is the Brambly apple, it's the biggest tree on the plot.  I love looking up into its branches dripping with pink against the blue sky

The allotment was buzzing with bees today, so nice to have them back