Simon,Sam and Iris down on the Allotment

 Another productive morning at the allotment with my team - Sam and Iris. There's something magical about those early hours when the dew is still fresh on the leaves and the promise of a good harvest day stretches ahead of us. We've developed quite a rhythm over the years, the three of us, and today was no exception as we split our tasks and got stuck into the never-ending but deeply satisfying work that comes with maintaining two allotments. Iris Takes Charge of the Flowers and Courgettes  Iris has already developed an eye for detail that would put many seasoned gardeners to shame. This morning, she took on the important task of dead-heading the flowers throughout our plots. It's one of those jobs that might seem simple, but it requires patience and a good understanding of how plants respond to regular maintenance. Dead-heading not only keeps our flower beds looking tidy and attractive, but it also encourages the plants to put their energy into producing more blooms rath...

 There's something magical about stepping out into the garden on a sunny morning, breathing in that fresh air, and seeing my lawn waiting for its trim. Now, I'll be the first to admit – my lawn is far from perfect. It's not the pristine bowling green that some of my neighbors have managed to cultivate. There are bumps, hollows, the odd bare patch, and certainly a few weeds that have made themselves at home among the grass. But you know what? I absolutely love it, imperfections and all. More Than Just Grass My lawn isn't just a patch of green space behind the house – it's become one of my greatest sources of joy and relaxation. After nearly four decades of marriage to Sara and raising six children, with three still at home, life can get pretty hectic. Between my work as a workshop cleaning technician, helping Sam and Iris with our two allotments, and all the usual family commitments, I need something that helps me unwind. That something is my lawn. Twice a week, w...

 This morning started like many others, with the familiar walk down to our beloved plots. The air was hot and humid, making you sweat just from walking, and I could already see the heavy raspberry canes drooping under their load from the path. What I didn't expect was to find myself in the middle of one of those situations that perfectly captures both the best and worst of allotment life. An Unwelcome Discovery No sooner had we settled into our morning routine when Ken appeared, looking more frustrated than I'd seen him in months. As one of our committee members and a good friend, Ken's usually the voice of reason around here, but today he was clearly rattled. He'd been making his way over to collect some free woodchips from that plot where one of our fellow allotmenteers generously allows people to dump burnable rubbish. The arrangement has always worked brilliantly - old pallets, scrap wood, anything that burns cleanly gets deposited there, and our neighbour takes ...

  The Mystery of the Invisible Biters You'd think after three years of having our raspberries take up a full quarter of both allotments, I'd have learned by now. But there I was again this week, picking away with bare arms, and getting bitten by whatever creatures lurk unseen in those canes. It's the same story every time - I never actually see what's doing the biting, but my arms tell the tale afterwards with their collection of itchy bumps. The raspberry canes have become quite the jungle over these three years. What started as neat rows has developed into a proper thicket of growth, which is brilliant for fruit production but creates the perfect hiding spots for all manner of small creatures. You can hear the rustling as you pick, the occasional buzz of something flying past, but you never quite catch sight of what's actually doing the damage to your arms. By the time you notice the stings and bites, whatever caused them has long disappeared back into the green...

 August has arrived at the allotments with all the abundance and chaos that seasoned gardeners know so well. The summer crops are in full swing, and Sara, Sam, Iris and I are working flat out to keep up with what nature is throwing at us. It's the kind of problem every allotment holder dreams of having – too much produce and not enough hours in the day to process it all. The Great Courgette Mystery Our courgette plants have absolutely gone bonkers this year. What started as a few modest seeds from Lidl has turned into an absolute production line of yellow beauties and peculiar round ones that have us scratching our heads daily. The trouble is, I've managed to lose the seed packet labels somewhere between the greenhouse and the compost heap, so these prolific producers must remain nameless mysteries for now. The yellow courgettes are coming thick and fast – some days we're harvesting half a dozen of the things, each one the size of a cricket bat if you leave them for more...

 Well, what a week it's been! I'd planned to spend several days down at the allotment this week, but the weather had other ideas. The rain has been absolutely hammering down, turning the paths into muddy streams and making any outdoor work impossible. There's nothing worse than trying to tend to your plot when you're slipping and sliding about in the mud, so I made the sensible decision to stay put. But as any keen gardener knows, there's always something that needs doing, and being stuck indoors doesn't mean sitting idle. In fact, this enforced break from the allotment turned out to be exactly what I needed to tackle some jobs that have been mounting up around the house. Fixing My Eldest Daughter's Lawn Mower The first job on my list was one that had been nagging at me for weeks. My eldest daughter had been complaining that her lawn mower was playing up - it had developed a fuel leak and was becoming increasingly difficult to start. She'd mentioned i...