This was our third and final year of growing on this allotment plot. We're very grateful to have had it and as we worked together to clear the first stage, I was thinking of how growing fruit and vegetables has changed my life...
Sewing seeds. Potting on. Transplanting. Watering. Feeding. Tending. Cycling. Driving. Digging. Weeding. Sweating. Swearing at slugs, snails and cat poo. Laughing. Harvesting. Eating. Sharing with friends. Cooking. Preserving. Planning.
I never anticipated to get as interested as I have. There really is magic in the soil... magic and lots of worms! Thanks to using horse manure from our family stables, organic feed, compost and soil, the plot has been buzzing with life. Bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies, spiders, millions of creepy crawlies, frogs and more have all enjoyed our organically maintained allotment. Growing organic and well means tasty produce which is obviously the end goal... I mean, why bother if your crop doesn't taste good? It does help when you have a conservation centred garden designer boyfriend on hand too, I guess!
I'm excited to put everything that I've learned into our next project - selling up and going south! It's going to be a big change and commitment but I'm looking forward to it. As we round off our home renovations, I'm also looking forward to spending the colder months writing about our allotment failures and triumphs. We've learned a lot and it's going to be interesting to see what we grow in the future. At least we'll definitely be taking some of our strawberry plants with us but we really do need to get thinking about what plants we'll be taking with us.
As the leaves slowly change from green to gold to red to brown, I'm seeking their wisdom in embracing the seasons and change. The final harvest is in. Time to preserve, plan, reflect and restore.