Garden Supervisor Rick Prepares for Seaside Break


It’s been a busy few days here, with lovely weather and a long list of jobs to tackle before we head off on holiday. Rick, of course, has been right in the thick of it—or at least supervising in his own special way!

Rick has been chilling out in the garden, supposedly helping me sort out the lawn and veggie patch. His idea of “help” mostly involves chasing the mower and trying to bite the wheels. When that gets too boring, he drops his ball right in the mower’s path, forcing a quick game of fetch. I'm convinced the lawn now takes twice as long to mow.

The spring-planted first early potatoes—Maris Peer—were ready to crop, so that was next on the list. Rick took up his preferred supervisory spot under the apple tree. It’s a strategic location where he can keep an eye on me and stay alert for his arch-nemesis, the postman. We ended up with a pretty good haul! Pro tip: cook way too many and enjoy the leftovers fried with chorizo the next day. You won’t regret it.

While I was under the apple tree, I also took the opportunity to thin out some of the fruit. Thinning helps the remaining apples grow better and reduces the risk of branches getting overloaded. While doing that, I spotted something I hadn’t seen before—a small nest-like cluster in the leaves that looked like cotton wool. On closer inspection, it was full of tiny caterpillars. A quick bit of research confirmed it was an apple moth nest. Hopefully, it won’t affect the crop too much, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.



There's still a bit more to plant—leeks, French beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes are all prepped and ready for the ground. It’s going to be a bit of a job for my neighbour to keep everything watered while we’re away. Sorry in advance! Maybe a few potatoes in return.

Now that everything’s looking in order, I’m off for a quick evening bowling session before our morning getaway. No cycling this week—Rick’s seaside adventure is calling!

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