One potato, two potato, three potato... more?

There comes a time in every allotmenteer's life when you just have to let those babies that have been chitting on the windowsill for weeks go forth and multiply! Grow, my pretties, grow!

Good news is that my earlies have already happily sprouted in a bucket on the patio, which is thoroughly thrilling.

Gordano Valley

North Weston allotments, in the Gordano Valley, are arguably the northernmost outpost of the beautiful Somerset levels, transversed by reens and rich in wildlife. It's wonderful to be able to have a plot in such an atmospheric place. I took this pic last Autumn after a few hours' hacking back the weeds on my plot.

Watching the wildlife

We get all sorts of beasts at North Weston. There are ravenous hordes of fat, lazy and fearless rabbits (must build fence). Ditto deer (though I've cheated in the picture - that one was eating the plants on my patio). My exclusive mole is a super little digging machine who likes to excavate my jerusalem artichokes, and is getting braver and coming further up the plot. Now I know why the soil by the reen was the best on the whole plot.

Of course my piece de resistance is compost bin number 2; I was just digging out some lovely compost for the fruit bed, when one shovelful eyed me irritably and ran off into a bush, looking very well fed and sleek. None of your dirty, mangy city rats on my plot, oh no. These aren't just rats, these are North Weston rats...

Here's one I prepared earlier

Today the plot looks like this - not bad considering it was a wilderness six months ago, if I say so myself!

Any ideas on why the perpetual spinach in the cold frame on the left isn't appearing, please let me know...

The green shoots of... radish!

Nothing more exciting than the very first green shoots from what was a grotty plot... and I've got some. Radish, lettuce and some tiny carrot tops have all made an appearance under my oh-so-fashionable plastic cloche from the reduced section at Argos. While there's still loads of heavy digging to do, it does feel better to have some li'l crops on their way; but oh the heartbreak of thinning!

Lost, but without the fuselage

Once upon a time, there was a little allotment plot in North Weston. It had been a proud and well-cultivated plot, but had (over)grown sad and weedy. aaaaaah.

Then I got the the top of the waiting list and I'm bringing it back to its former glory!

North Weston 5 became mine in September last year - taller than me with weeds, and with matted frames, nets and weeds making it look like a set from Lost (but without the fuselage), and with a heavy clay soil. I've tamed it all on my own using hand tools; we don't get a scrape, plough and free compost service like they do on Gardener's World! It's a gradual process, so I'm prioritising hard, and concentrating on things that are particularly expensive in the shops... I'm going to be organic, and try to encourage as much (beneficial!!) wildlife onto the plot as I can.

So far this year I've planted fruit bushes: three gooseberries, five raspberries, a blackcurrant and three rhubarb crowns. Everything is putting up shoots, which feels like a miracle (except the perpetual spinach which is putting up nothing at all). I've also cleared a bed where I've put the April staples: onions, shallots and garlic, and some potatoes, to get me started.

This week's focus is the bean bed, so I've had two tough digging sessions breaking up the clods of clay soil, and trying to dig out the mare's tail (we've all got it). On previous experience, it takes about four digs to get it ready for planting. Still, it's nice to be able to sit in the dirt and squish it between your hands, and have no one tell you not to!

Ok, I know I should be down there clearing the mare's tail and digging till I drop, but there's a bitterly cold east wind despite the sunshine...