My mail order seedlings arrived yesterday. 3 Victoria Rhubarbs and about 20 leeks. They are so tiny but will give me a head start as we have so little space for propagating at home. I have asparagus, baby gem lettuce and wild rocket coming soon too.

I am gutted as I have really nastily pulled a muscle in my middle back so wont be able to make the most of the bank holiday weekend. I could always just boss Nick about but then again I don’t think he’d like that. We are picking up a new car/tool shed at the weekend so I will be able to sort out some of the rubbish from my site once my pain stops. It is our wedding anniversary today and we (really I, poor Nick) got some lovely alloment related gifts. Firstly a Squires planting DVD which has given me some ideas on planting cottage type flowers to encourage wildlife around my veggies and secondly a book dedicated to allotment gardening. Has kept me occupied as I have been signed off work. I am so bored I am going to venture in tomorrow.

Completely, embarassingly sunburnt. Was up at the allotment by 8am this morning. I love the fact that my fellow lot people are quite slow to arrive. It lets me cycle the wrong way round the plots to see what/where everyone else is up to. I love the different styles. It is so peaceful.

I decided to plant today. The ground was warm and the rain was forecast. I planted the rest of my onion sets (about 20), 3 rows of cos lettuce, 3 rows of radishes, 3 long rows of carrots.

I dillydallyed about potatoes and missed my opportunity. However today when I was digging one of the beds I discovered some sprouting old potatoes. I collected them up (about 10) and replanted in mounds. I hope something comes of them.

I also planted some more gladioli bulbs and checked on the rhubarb plant my mum brought me yesterday.I have started some peas & tomatoes off at home and am waiting for some seedlings to be delivered. I have forgotten what I ordered – but that makes it more fun when they arrive…! It’s annoying that I wont get up there again until next weekend. (I dont get home from work until 7.30pm) but I really feel like I have achieved something this weekend.

Glorious sunshine today! My mum and I dug over one of the beds – destined for peas. I put down the weed covering felt on the top right bed which has quite a bit of couch grass in it. I have decided that I may ‘rest that bed for the summer and maybe weedkill it later in the year. The jury is out on it at the mo. We meaasured up for the wire and posts which will eventually be replaced around the plot. It works out about £50 to go around all my beds individually or £40 to go round the whole plot! I was suprised at this but it makes sense. This is a future job for my lovely husband (who is not involved in the growing side of the allotment). Along with maybe making two of my beds raised ones.

We did a bit of weeding and then went to the pub for lunch!

OK so the rotovation happened - immediately! I didn’t even get a chance to take a picture pre ‘weed chopping up and distributing’.

I revised, revised, revised – more than I have ever done in my life. Plans were started and discarded in a crazy scientist like fashion. A spreadsheet was born showing sowing, planting out and harvest patterns. It was colour coded beautifully linking what grew best with what. By the time I had heard ’ Do you not think you might be being a bit amibitious’ for the 15th time I had started to scare myself. 

I took a step back and started to prioritise. I pulled out the following sensible advise from other resources and a few at the end of my own!

1. Don’t rotovate regardless of the state of the plot. BUT Don’t lose heart though if you have. It just means you have to work your socks off. There is mixed feeling on using weedkiller. I haven’t used it but it is early days so never say never…

2. Only grow the things you really, really like. Crops you don’t really like take up space and will make you grumpy that you don’t want to eat them.

3. Don’t overdo it when you first start. It is easy to get carried away. The first day I could, I was digging like crazy. The next day when I woke up I was pinned to my back like an upturned turtle – I could only just move my arms.

4. Everyone has their own opinion but as my mum said the other day. There may be easier ways of growing things but essentially there is no right or wrong.

5. Remember it’s all yours, yours, yours! Do what you like and don’t pay heed to the occasional grumpy people who maybe don’t think you have will have the staying power cause you may be under 40 or female or don’t wear the right clothing ( or maybe they know a friend that would like an alloment – how annoying that you got yours)    ;-)   I have noticed that there a lot of strong opinions on my allotment site!

I have always wanted an allotment to nurture so put my name on the council list when we moved to the area a year ago. It took about 10 months to get that call! It was worth it though. £16 bought me a half plot of surrey countryside to play with. I was so excited I took the day off and met the chap down there. Having not been down there before (not being from the area) I couldn’t believe my luck. Rugby club behind, rolling fields in front. The allotment man seemed slightly amused with my enthusiasm. In hindsight I wonder if he changed the plot he was going to show me when he saw my naiviety. Anyway, lot 15 was totally grassed over. The previous owner had passed away a while ago and it had gone to seed. I foolishly agreed to have it rotovated. I now know this was a mistake but hey what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I am so excited.