Making a start - longing for salad

Thought it was all over....

The last few years have been basically crap for my allotment.  But I only have myself to blame.  I have compared having a neglected allotment to having a dog you don't walk.  The horrible guilt!!
By the end of last summer I was ready and willing to give up half of my plot at least, and just attempt the polytunnel.

This is because:
a)  The digging was too much to contemplate at the start of the year.
b)  I love going away in my camper van in the summer when the garden needs oodles of attention.
c)  I am just generally busier than I used to be, particularly in the growing months.

So things had changed, I was choosing other things in my life, I knew could grow stuff again when I had more time, desire and enthusiasm.

This may still be true to an extent, but right now I feel particularly motivated to grow food again.
This is because:
a)  I am involved in a new local group encouraging people to live greener lives, Greener Tywyn Gwyrdd.
b)  I am enjoying following a more plant-based diet.
c)  We have invested in a petrol rotavator.

The concept of permaculture has also captured my interest hugely and the thought of having a more natural, lower maintenance but high yielding garden is very appealing,

Today - new beginnings

It was cold, often wet, occasional hailstones.  But I had enthusiasm, a polytunnel to shelter in, and Oscar, who at 16 assiduously toiled with the new second hand rotavator and a chainsaw.  Fully power-tooled up, he was happy as he merrily sound-polluted the peaceful village and filled the air with petrol fumes as he churned up the earth and cut up a previously felled tree.  

The earth-churning was something of a miracle for me, as the sight of the allotment which had turned into basically a field again over winter, was enough to make me head home swiftly and never darken the gate of my plot again.  

From previous years, I knew how many back-breaking hours it took to dig even a bit of a bed totally by hand.  

The rotavator has left all the weeds and grass in the soil, just chopped them up a bit, but it's all looking more hopeful and with sensible planting, I reckon we can put home grown produce right back at the top of the Hutchinson menu.

It was all going so well until the rotavator broke....  the pull cord disattached itself which is apparently no big deal if you know how to fix it. I really don't care anyway - so much has been achieved by that noisy smelly engined bit of kit that I forgive it everything.

The heavy showers of hail meant that I worked in the tunnel which was great as I managed to clear one side and even get a row of basil and another of spinach sowed.  I am longing to pick my own salad leaves - especially spinach, which is mighty pricey in the supermarket and so utterly delish.

The tunnel before and after...

I'd planned to get my broad beans and parsnips in the outside ground, but the earth was so supercloggy and full of weeds and grass that I couldn't face trying to deweed any of it so I've saved it for another day... praying for a dry spell as I want parsnips bigger than Strongbow cans again this year!

All in all it was a great first session over the plot and Oscar and I spent precious time together.  The world felt a little bit shinier when we returned home.  The seeds of food were planted and we had hung out and worked hard.  I felt really fortunate and rich with affection.