The sun came out yesterday to make it the best days allotmentering of the year so far. It was actually good enough for T shirts which meant peeling off the layers I had put on in preparation of the “heavy showers” the BBC had predicted!!! I don’t seem to have developed a tan though. I guess the March sun is just too low to have that effect.

So it was a full days work by myself and Miss M. Mr S managed to put in a half day which is rare but always appreciated as we always get lots done when he is around. Here is a list of the jobs we managed to do yesterday…

1. Finished the Rabbit-Proof Fence.

2. Built a second raised bed.

3. Re-dug areas of compacted soil.

4. Freshly dug part of the uncultivated half of the allotment.

5. Planted the onion sets.

6. Laid more of the path.

It was a good day because we finished off a couple of long term jobs. The fencing is vital because of the huge number of rabbits on site, but it has taken ages to build it up due to the amount of wood and digging that it required. The raised bed is less vital, but again it is a job that needed doing before the growing season really got going, otherwise we would not have got the benefit from it.

It was a good day to be at the allotment. It was good also to see the gooseberry plants coming into leaf. Each of the five plants we have were cuttings given to us by fellow allotment growers, and each one has started to show leaves. Its great to see the first growth of the year. And it’s really great that other allotmenteers are willing to help newbies like us with cuttings and leftover plants. There really is a community spirit on allotment that seem to have been lost from other aspects of society. Allotments are great places, with great people, that do a lot of good in communities. We need to protect the ones we’ve got and allow more people to enjoy their benefits.