Spring is arriving at Plot 13

By Jean Charlton

As the sun was shining this morning (3rd March 2020), we felt positive and decided a visit to the allotment was a good idea. Wellies in the car boot and dressed ready for muddy conditions we arrived at the site.

The sun was warm with only a light breeze instead of the usual cold wind and the birds were singing and busy in the hedgerows. Our spirits lifted as walked down the slope and listened to the lambs calling to their mothers in the next field.  A great start to the morning.

As usual over the last few visits, we did not want to get our hopes up, however although still wet and muddy, the puddles had more or less disappeared, the garlic was continuing to battle on and even one or two of the onions were popping up.

I had brought the seed potatoes with me as they were making valiant efforts to escape from the depth of the box I had kept them in during the winter. It was much too wet to plant them in the ground, but I had two large plastic boxes with drainage holes, so I planted half a dozen in each box while Tony painted the shed. I am really hoping we will have a few new potatoes in the summer and experimentation seems to be the key this year rejecting all the usual planting rules.

I cut some fresh bright green chard and with huge excitement pulled our first pink sticks of rhubarb!  Energised and refreshed, clutching our produce and pleased that Plot 13 still gives despite all it has had to endure over the last six months.

I don’t know if we will be able to visit Plot 13 again soon because of the coronavirus, but I will keep you posted once it is safe again to do so. Stay safe everyone.