Lockdown Day 64 - Watering and allotment update

It is so dry! Whilst we have had a small amount of rain this month the ground is still incredibly dry and I have noticed that the hawthorn tree in our garden is suffering despite me giving it forty litres of water each week myself. I am having to water the allotment every couple of days at the moment, including the fruit trees though apart from one of the apple trees, they seem to be coping ok.

This table gives a good overview of the rainfall situation across various regions of the country

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/886863/Rainfall_and_river_flow_summary_13_to_19_May_2020.pdf

Some good news is that a couple of the borlotti bean plants that I thought had been killed by frost have started sprouting new leaves, they still look a bit sorry for themselves but hopefully they will catch up. The others are fine though and I have lots more growing in the porch at the moment.

There are plenty of blackcurrants forming on our bushes. We have had the bushes for most of the time we have had the allotment, at least fifteen years I think and they are still going well.

There are also plenty of damsons on our Merryweather damson tree and there will be plenty of raspberries too though I think the plants will need refreshing soon to be honest as there's not as many as there used to be.

The local bumble bees love our comfrey plant. I did read today that some bees are struggling with finding nectar due to the drought as it was said that plants do not put out as much nectar when they are not getting enough water. Though the ones in the allotment seem to be getting excited about the comfrey and the raspberries right now!

Three more strawberries this evening, the mesh I have laid across the plants does seem to be doing a good job of keeping the local blackbird from eating them! There's plenty of flowers on the later ones in pots in our back yard too.