I dragged the children down to the allotment today. It had been a while. There's not much to be done down there when the soil is wet, but today was perfect weather for weeding. It went surprisingly well. The littlest boy tidied all of the old brown foliage from the strawberries and then snipped things with the snippers. Some of the snipping was useful. The biggest boy took a very long time to do a small amount of weeding, but nonetheless weeding was done and I was grateful. The middle boy tidied up sticks and put away netting and hoops and generally helped out.
After a while they all disappeared into the woodland and stream bit with knives and saws and snippers and it was just me and a robin. I weeded and tidied and even found a couple of rogue potatoes. I pulled some of the biggest boy's leeks and when we got home I made leek and potato soup. At this time of year allotment/home grown vegetables are a rare and precious treat.
I talked to the littlest boy while we worked together in a moment of complete harmony about how it would all be worth it in a few months when we would be carrying home full trugs of fruit and vegetables. He particularly likes the fruit part of it all, most especially strawberries.
I'm feeling quite positive about the allotment today. It's a rollercoaster ride, sometimes it threatens to overwhelm me. But there was clear soil in places when we left, and some bits were even almost neat. I've mentioned before that I'm not aiming for show garden perfection, just a fair amount of produce. If I can just about keep (loose) control over it that's good enough.
It's the time of year for big dreams of bumper harvests and summer abundance. All the failures are forgotten, pests are a distant memory and the coming year is going to be amazing. I'm off to sort through the seed box.
There's some allotment tidying waiting for us.
ReplyDeleteWe have been tidying up our front flower beds near Portland, OR, and today I brought home some peachy-red primroses to add to the assorted color of primroses I was given last February. The fellow at the local nursery told me that we are in a wonderful area for primroses and they can often last through all the seasons which so surprised me. My 40 year old son was given a lot of root vegetables yesterday and today he made a fabulous soup: parsnips, carrots, onions and a couple of potatoes...so yummy. I'm glad you had a good day at the allotment and hope you have a happy growing season. xx
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you got so much done and and got food for dinner too! Success! And to have they boys help and then get an adventure in the bargain.. all good stuff! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteHome grown leek and potato soup - yummy. E would be very envious as it's her favourite soup - mostly she tends to get 'lurky' soup, ie. made with anything lurking in the fridge at the end of the week, so she does get excited about soup with a proper name! I've been eyeing our veggie patch and wondering how high a fence we would need to keep the dratted deer out - maybe an allotment is the way to go?! Have fun with the seeds. xx
ReplyDeleteI am sure the produce you will harvest later in the year will make all the effort you put in worthwhile. There is nothing like fresh veg and fruit, my Dad always grew his own produce and shop-bought is just not the same. Your leek and potato soup sounds wonderful. xx
ReplyDeleteI see you are practising many hands make light work. Great stuff CJ. The benches against the old wall look a perfect place to rest awhile. I think we need a bench or two at my allotment site although we do have a hut surrounded by a decking area (built by allotmenteer folk) which is a lovely place to hang out especially if someone is making tea. One of the best things about the allotment is that every year is blank sheet, a fresh start. Let's not dwell on the past but enjoy the present and look forward to all the good things to come.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely rose coloured spectacles time of year. But every year we go into it with greater experience and even more hope. It can only get better, can't it?!
ReplyDeleteI admire anyone who can manage a productive allotment, a home garden and everyday life! It's such a lot of work, so roping in your boys to help is brilliant -it's great to teach them about growing food and then eating the delicious food you've grown. Our children are beyond the persuadable age for helping in the garden but they enjoy eating any produce. Here's to a good season ahead. Sam x
ReplyDeleteexciting times ahead, I love seed packets! we got down to our Ranger's allotment plot at half term, many hands made light work and it's looking so much better already. We've decided just how much we're going to take on, marked it out and are very excited about it. The fire pit we've built is the most popular thing of course! marshmallow toasting will commence soon, and the weeds will be forgotten about....
ReplyDeleteWe have just got the seed box out and are start to plan our garden, hopefully this week some real work will start.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a productive day, it's exciting to think of spring and summer outdoors again.
ReplyDeleteCathy x
Sounds like you've got a brilliant little team there...love the part where you mention some of the snipping was useful! I'd love an allotment, for the community spirit, I know I've not got the energy for one, so my garden is fine and I can just shout over to Nigel next door who grows stacks of produce! ;) xxx
ReplyDeleteWe're a least a month away from even getting into the 'tidying' phase, but I'm already eyeing up the veg garden, every time I walk past. Oh, the optimism at this time of year! Time to sort the seed packets indeed! Nothing I love more than perusing a seed catalogue......xo
ReplyDeleteI love the 'dragged the children down to the allotment'. Sounds like me when I take my two anywhere :) It is an exciting phase of planning and dreaming and I can imagine you sitting on one of those benches next to that fantastic wall and writing it all down. Enjoy sorting out the seed packets!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good feeling when you have accomplished so much in your allotment, great to have your helpers. As soon as I saw those leeks and potatoes I thought of some delicious soup. I am looking forward to seeing the photos of your wonderful produce in the months ahead.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
I like the row of seats to sit on and a look at the allotments and hearing how your boys helped. Isn't it a lovely time of the year - a time to plan. I am still quite a way from seeing soil - I am in Winnipeg and we have snow- my grandson was talking of digging down to find grass the other day! I liked the potato and leek soup plan, so lovely to use home grown vegetables.Jean
ReplyDeleteIt will be worth it in the end and you are teaching your sons about growing their own food, that is a wonderful lesson.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
Having a piece of land to work with and enjoy calls to something ancient in the soul. Roll on Spring xx
ReplyDeleteA nice plot post and good pictures. I agree with your last paragraph so fingers crossed for all of us. Happy gardening. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI love that you made a meal from what you had growing there right then. I enjoyed seeing all of your allotment growth, especially the stonecrop, which is at exactly the same growth point as mine is. I hope this comment goes through; Blogger is giving me a headache at the moment, losing comments everywhere I try to leave them.
ReplyDeleteJust got back from the allotment myself. It was the sun that encouraged me out:) I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at all that needs doing too, but just a short while doing some tidying, a chat with some allotment neighbours and I felt more positive. Here's to a good growing year! Hope littlest's strawberries grow well. Plus I love that stone wall and the benches.
ReplyDeleteNever had an allotment (my dad's friend had one and I remember him coming round to ours one time trying to offload a Morris 1000 vanful of caulis) but I so enjoy reading your posts about yours. I think your penultimate sentence is going to be my mantra for every new year from now on!
ReplyDeleteI actually did a bit of garden work today - a rare Spring like day for us here in February. Soup with your own veg sounds like a great way to end a day in the garden.
ReplyDeleteI know from experience that things don't always go according to plan in the garden or the allotment. It is however to come home laden with produce and any help however small was appreciated. The only problem was if the children got bored before you had finished all you wanted to do! Looking forward to following your progress and hope it turns out better than last year. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteHa, I love that optimism at the end of your blog, I'm the same about my garden, or was when I used to grow more in it. I think that passion will reappear once all children leave home (not that I am hurrying that moment on). Love the last photo with those gorgeous houses peaking over the top of the wall. Hope you and the robin had a productive time.
ReplyDeleteCaz xx
I can hardly wait to do some gardening. Beautiful sun light!
ReplyDeleteI love the bench near the stone wall and daffodils. sigh, all gardening should be that picturesque and restful :-)
ReplyDeletesome of your words struck a chord with me - gardening can be a real roller coaster and yes there are times I feel completely overwhelmed by what I have taken on! I am at the end of summer though and am turning my mind to finishing the garden, pulling out and digging in things - and after this very dry season, I am very much looking forward to it.
Love your captures of the allotment! I love the idea but have no time to do the work. I envy you, of all your hopes and dreams for the next growing year.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should get a tub and try and grow something I can eat.
Have a good week.
It has been a good weekend for being outside. This year's allotment adventure will be the best so far, I am sure of it. I am looking forward to seeing this year's selection of beautiful produce. Me, I am not keen on my garden. I did clear up the flower beds yesterday, directed some plant stock moving and did some general clearing up but my heart is not in it. I much prefer sitting on the decking, stitching endless rows of running stitches on my quilt.... also, we'll have the garden completely destroyed once building work commences, probably at the end of summer. I guess that leaves a few months to enjoy the beauty.... have a lovely week. x
ReplyDeleteIt's fantastic that the boys put in their time at the allotment as a family. I love potato and leek soup. Actually I love putting leeks in my potato galette :)
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of your afternoon. This is the time of year when I think, hopefully, about the garden and all the things I'll do this year. It's good to dream. Xx
ReplyDeleteWe've been getting stuck in too but sadly without the aid of child labour, haha. I love your allotments and the benches and wall. Ahh spring is coming! xxx
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of your afternoon. This is the time of year when I think, hopefully, about the garden and all the things I'll do this year. It's good to dream. Xx
ReplyDeleteSounds like the boys were quite helpful ;-) Love leek and potato soup, especially home grown. It's looking a bit springish where you are CJ. xx
ReplyDeleteA perfect afternoon. I adored the comment 'Some of the snipping was useful' xx
ReplyDeleteAllotmenteering is quite an emotional roller coaster I find. Your optimism has just made me feel optimistic about mine, after a winter of "will we give it up/will we keep it". However I am safely hundreds of miles away in Europe just now so it may wear off when I get back.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the snipping was hilarious.