Splodgenessabounds

The hot spell earlier in the year is now just a distant memory, like summers of youth. Torrential downpours have left everything soaked and near gale force winds have battered and blown over tall plants. 'At least you won't have to water the allotment', they say, not realising that that's part of the fun of it. After waiting in the wings, snails and slugs make the most of the damp, seeking out seedlings and horizontal sunflowers. Badgers dig more easily in the wet turf and soil, finding worms and crane fly larvae and not replacing their divots: worse, one took out an entire small crop of carrots, easily pushing aside some chicken wire. They'll be back for the sweetcorn before long.