It is nice to share something positive – a journey of a couple of months of hard work. Being a novice, it was surprising just how quickly a bare allotment can change with the help of a friend who knows a lot more. Of course, one must not compare with others, as there are even more beautiful ones, but they have been tended for several years and are already yielding produce.
Two of us share the allotment and only started this year. The most tiring was the beginning, when it all needed digging over several times before planting. But once seeded, flowers, vegetables, strawberries and salad seemed to appear overnight. The hardest was watering as it needed several trips to the water butt, so we were very happy about the recent rain.
There is a very friendly atmosphere in our corner and as newbies we were offered various items to plant. While I did not expect much from the strawberries this year, several red and ripe ones just had to be picked.
The shed visible in the back was donated to us, very generously, and when it fell over in the wind the owner took it upon himself to find a wooden structure to nail it down, which was much appreciated. It saved us quite a bit of money and time as we were told no new sheds would be delivered and built during Covid-19.
It is a joy to spend time at the allotment especially, in this present climate of staying local but no-where to go and socialise. I would encourage people who do not have a garden to put their name on the plot list at www.ryeallotments.co.uk
Image Credits: Heidi Foster .