The February allotment

There are little shoots appearing down at the plot.  Garlic and onions, rhubarb and sedums.  I spent the morning there today, pulling out a few weeds, picking some of the biggest boy's precious leeks, spreading precious compost over the bare earth and making a short paved path to the water butt.  It was deliciously warm, once I got moving, almost t-shirt weather.

A robin watched me closely, waiting for worms.  Birds were flitting about in the trees around the edge of the site.  It occurred to me that I have one of the nicest plots.  Away from the road, next to the trees.  I can hear the stream flowing past just a few feet away.  The water is beautifully clear.  The little hazel copse has been trimmed back.  The harvested hazel will be used for bean sticks.  I took a nest box with me to put up, but in the end I didn't have the necessary equipment.  I'll do it next time.  Ideally it should be up already, but better late than never.

A couple of derelict plots have been taken over by the most enthusiastic people.  It's great to see overgrown patches of couch grass and bindweed turned into clean bare earth ready for spring planting.  Fruit bushes have been put in, sheds erected, broad beans sown.  Vive allotments and vive enthusiastic allotmenteers.

The leeks were pretty good.  The biggest boy did almost all the work himself, sowing them, potting them up, planting them out, weeding and watering.  I took over when he broke his knee cap.  It seems quite a long time ago.  Thankfully he's back at full throttle now.  There will be football this weekend, probably a hard-fought match.  I will be watching two matches at the same time.  Not sure how that will work.  I hope you have a good weekend, whatever you will be doing.