My Mum and Dad arrived on the weekend for a week-long visit and it hasn’t taken me long to enlist Dad’s help on the allotment. Last night we were there until it was nearly dark planting the sweetcorn and squashes, although today it’s windy again (see previous entry) – typical!
Getting help where you can certainly makes managing a large allotment easier. Last year one of the other allotment holders found it too much as they have a young family, and this year have enlisted the help of friends who will share in the produce in return for a share of the work. Chris and Jimmy are brothers who also share an allotment. And sharing really does seem to be fundamental to a happy community of allotment holders. A few of us chipped in to buy a lawnmower and we take it in (approximate!) turns mowing the grass in front of the sheds and between the allotments. There is a continual exchange of seeds, seedlings and produce between us and there is always someone to lend a tool. It gives you that nice warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Ok, so Dad is not actually sharing the workload, rather, I am taking advantage of him and that leads me onto another aspect of allotment life: taking advantage of opportunities, or in other words, getting it where you can. In my experience, many allotment holders are a bit stingy and I don’t mean they don’t share, as I have already pointed out. No, what I mean is, we don’t generally want to pay too much for anything. Being a seasoned bargain hunter, I fit perfectly into this mould. Over the past year I have gratefully received sheets of black plastic from the local builders’ merchant that were used to smother weeds; a lorry load of wood chippings from a local tree surgeon for the paths, for the price of a bottle of wine and some cans of beer; and various bits of wood and junk retrieved from skips and houses having building work done (removed with permission, of course!).
I do get a thrill – easily pleased some might say – when I strike a deal, ask the impertinent question, get something for nothing, but - and we’re back to that warm fuzzy feeling again - it has been the generosity of our friends that has really made the difference: water butts, compost bin, pane of glass for the shed, and even the shed itself. Thank you to Pete, Nick, Kate and Roley!
Hang on a moment, I just need to show Dad where I want him to start digging! And by the way, thank you Mum for doing all the washing up.
Dad's next job!
Newly planted sweetcorn with squashes planted in-between