Under The Cloche

..in the UTC gardening toolkit is definitely the Opinel No. 8 knife that G got me as present a few years ago. With its beech handle and carbon steel locking blade, it’s a french design classic from 1897 that still manages to be function over form.

It started life as a general handy knife, but has become a garden specialist. Razor sharp and just the right size for lots of tasks, cutting twine, opening boxes and packs, nicking out growths that you don’t want. Just a shame I’ve manged to break the tip.

My pocket-sized friend

Keep an eye out for the main couronnée and you can’t go wrong.

OK the title may be an over statement, but it’s time for a sunflower competition update. So here are the latest from me, SiL and FiL.

Let’s start with the previously unseen competitors belonging to FiL, which are also the only competitors planted directly in the ground.

The Tyneside Competitors

As you can see they are obviously in a nice sunny spot, with lots of leaves and what look like fairly sturdy stems. I reckon he’s been keeping these quiet in order for them to be the dark horses of the bunch.

Next up are SiL’s efforts.

The Yorkshire Contingent

In need of a bit of watering by the looks of the lower leaves, but I suspect this is because no-one can get near them as they appear to be protected by a garden Dalek.

Finally are my entrants. Still the runts of the litter, but I think they are catching up with SiL’s (or is that wishful thinking?).

Team Cloche

In conclusion, FiL is definitely in the lead at this stage, a triumph of experience over (not so) youthful exuberance, but it is still not yet full summer, so it’s all to play for.