What Allotmenteering is really all about!!

Forget all the hard graft, the digging, planning, planting up, tearing down, composting. Forget the uncooperative weather, the seed catalogues, trips to the nursery or timber merchant. Forget even the committees, Fun Days, blogging and documenting everything with a million photos.

I tell you what...this is true Allotmenteering....

Eating soup made from the stuff you grew (see Squash Soup recipe below) on a slightly chilly evening with the wood stove going beside you warming you up nicely. Listening to the birds, especially the cheeky Robin standing on top of the water tap 10 meters away. Having your Hubby and your dog with you and watching the sunset.

That is why you should either get a plot, visit a friend's or spend more time at the one you're neglecting (you know who you are!)

Yes it is hard work having a lottie but nights like we had last Sunday, that makes all the mistakes, the money spent, the working in the rain and freezing winter wind, the worry about little seedlings and dreaded diseases (blight, whisper it) all seem to melt away. Enjoy this lovely harvest time, enjoy it on the plot if you can, it's wonderful in the true sense of the word.

A Great Day

Thanks for all the Birthday Wishes xxx

My Birthday centred around the lottie! At 2pm Andrew picked me up and we went to the gardens, I noticed my Mother in law's car there and thought ah ha, something is up! I wasn't wrong, there was a super duper little tea party awaiting me. And this fabulous sign that my darling Hubby made all by himself (I love it, I have it here, no idea what I 'm going to do with it..)

I was jumped out at by my niece and Mamma G singing 'Happy Birthday' and wielding party poppers! There were other people down there working a way quietly but we were the rowdy, giggling kids for that afternoon. After opening gorgeous pressies,(one of which was from my little grand nephew for the lottie - a glow in the dark butterfly!) we had sandwiches and loads of cake. Brilliant. Then I got the bumps!!!!! Austin and Pauline came over from next door and Andrew and Austin managed to give me 5 bumps - scary but I couldn't stop laughing.

What a fab time and all a surprise.

Later after dinner out we went back, all of us from earlier and my sister in law and grand nephew, Robert. He dug up some potatoes, so much fun to do with a kid I heartily recommend it. Plus I got 2 more presents! Meta had made some gorgeous Strawberry jam (so good I think I'll hide it from Andrew...) and Bill had made a wood stove for us. Well had I not been laughing so much I think I would have cried a river right there and then.

Of course the family had to go on their merry way but we stayed in A24a and lit our burner. Fire - it is so comforting, do you end up in your own world just staring into the flames? It's like meditation. We stayed until it began to rain and was really rather dark, unfortunately Meta and Bill couldn't come over for cake and tea with us so that was the only sad thing about it.

Allotments rock; a fabulous surprise tea party, presents and laughing with friends in the sunshine. Oh, I love it!

Tomorrow I promise to write up some of the other fab things other plot holders have been up to!