Thursday 14 April 2011

My allotment - its April and my raspberry wires are up - photos!!

I am so pleased that so many of you are interested in my little vegetable plot! I am completely obsessed with it and could quite happily give up work to spend time on it!! However - I can't actually do that practicably so its slow and steady we go.



My friendship with L is coming along like purple sprouting broccoli.... He seems to be down the allotment most days and is putting me to shame! He is such a great old boy. He is incredibly rude, with a line in banter that would make you blush! Underneath all his bluster though is a heart of gold and a mine of fascinating information.

Today I took my son down there and L was lovely to him. He has a brusque, countryman's way of putting you down while at the same time teaching you and building you up. He said to my son 'Your mum's alright for an old'un.' He had brought us down 2 jars of his home made produce - damson jam and orange marmalade. He had also done lots more digging and had planted 4 little gem lettuces for me. At this very moment I have a lemon drizzle cake in my oven for him as I want to give something back to him!



My son helped me by shovelling bags of rubbish ( roots, old plastic pots and so on) whilst I put up my raspberry wires on the posts I concreted the other day. L showed him how to fill the bags and how to put the shovel down safely - telling him 'Try not to fill 'em up too heavy - your mum's getting old - think of her old back!'


After he went my son and I worked together for about an hour and had a lovely time. I plan to keep digging and I need to measure my beds and order wood . I think I will start planting as well. I hadn't planned on planting anything this year, but its coming along so well that I want to put something in - maybe butternut squash or cucumbers, maybe some carrots. I am waiting until all the frosts have passed before I set my runner bean seeds.




How gardenery does that sound??? Who would have thought this time last year that I would be talking about setting seeds? Never mind have a little plot of land of my own, growing veg and fruit... I was given the best compliment today... my other friend P said that I dig like her and L. How about that??

I love that about life.... You just don't know what's around the corner.

5 comments:

Inkling said...

I'm telling you, this is the stuff that makes great books that make me want to read all day. I'm loving the ongoing story of the friendship that is growing up out of the ground, as it were, just like your garden. The mutual give-and-take is a picture of real community, and I love it. Keep on sharing the pics and stories, for they are a treat!

Caz said...

I think maybe I should take up gardening! I love your passion.

Lorraine said...

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and your very kind comments.
How wonderful to see someone with such a passion for an allotment. I have a friend on Twitter you might like to follow. Lovely chap called Wayne. He too has an allotment and gets lots of wildlife visits. He uploads the photo's. If you want to follow him, he is called @placepot
You an he will have much to discuss. Lovely blog, Lorraine x

E. M. Prokop said...

This is wonderful Sarah! I am doing a garden of mostly flowers in planters on my patio...yours looks great! I'd love to try some of that lemon cake! Sounds excellent

Louise said...

My raspberry canes are looking good, setting lots of fruit. x

PS. If you get a follow on Twitter from loueezecee, that's me!