The plot!

Does this look nothing more than a pile of weeds attempting to choke a sickly little pear tree? Well, yes, you're quite right, but for me it is a source of delight because AT LAST I've been given an allotment!

This is how it looked when we took it over last weekend, a sorry sight, the soil thin, the weeds, especially bindweed, rampant and the hut with a leaky roof and rotten floorboards. There will be a lot of work to do before the ground is ready for planting. Himself set to work on the hut and I gave an initial skimming to the ground. The business of properly clearing the earth will take time and muscle as fennel and rambling sucker roots have spread all over the place. (My space is actually a half plot but quite enough for me.)

I've chosen forget-me-not blue for the shed and the dry weather was good for painting but rather excessive for spending more than a couple of hours working on the plot. We've had several trips to the tip - those builder's bags are very useful!

Now that the surface weeds have been removed I can see what might be salvaged, a few raspberry canes , strawberry plants, two small, sad pear trees and blackcurrant bushes. My mind is already leaping ahead to next year's crops!

What I haven't mentioned is how friendly the other allotment members are and how varied the plots. On Saturday there is to be a produce show and scarecrow competition. I'm loving it!