A Whole Plotta Love

That’s what L called today. L is a Twitter friend who just happens, coincidentally, to have the allotment opposite us.

Rob and I took the van to the plot today to drop off wood and pallets. Our first setback occurred upon arrival when the van became stuck on our way to the car park. L and her friend P were already on site and came to offer assistance. We tried letting air out of the tyres, digging around them, putting carpet down for traction, adding wood chip to the track, and finally removing the solid wood (and very heavy) pallets from the back of the van.

After an hour of trying, and pushing, the van finally became free. We were so grateful for L and P’s help that we shifted a few wheelbarrow loads of wood chip for them from the car park to their plots. It didn’t help ease the guilt; L has recently had a hip replacement and probably shouldn’t have been pushing a two tonne van around. We’re hoping a tin of posh biscuits will help ease the pain we caused them.

Our second setback was the discovery, upon arrival at our garden, that the greenhouse wasn’t there.

It had blown into the abandoned plot next door. We retrieved it and reassembled it. This time as well as tying it to the fence Rob weighted the guide rope pegs with rocks and pegged the cover into the earth with canes. We’re taking bets on which plot we’ll find it in tomorrow.

We had planned to work on our first vegetable bed today, but we were forced to take shelter in the greenhouse whilst it rained heavily. It gave us chance to eat the snacks we’d brought and to marvel at how wonderful it is to have an allotment. I assume we’re still in the honeymoon period as today’s events have not diminished our enthusiasm. Once the rain stopped we moved a pile of weeds from the site of our new bed, and finished the job L and P started of laying wood chip on the muddy snicket between the plots.

Today definitely didn’t go to plan, but we left the site full of grand ideas.

Incidentally, the ants have moved out.