Meanwhile At The Allotment .....

Just getting to my plot is in danger of becoming an extreme sport as you can see from the above photo - maybe slippery, squelchy mud sliding could feature in the imminent Olympiads. Last Saturday though a few of us plot holders ventured out away from our plots. I have mentioned in an earlier post that our allotment association has been successful securing funding towards the purchase and instalment of a composting toilet on site. Between submitting our bid and hearing the outcome, prices rose so we were left with a shortfall. Various fund raising ideas were discussed and inevitably selling plants and produce came up. We were not keen to organise our own plant sale but were quite happy to attend local events. We have been quite fortunate and three such opportunities came our way, the third being last weekend.

After a day of non stop rain on the Friday I must admit that I was not looking forward to braving the elements and being outdoors for a good part of Saturday. However although rather breezy (the gazebo protecting the stall next but one to us blew away mid afternoon) the rain miraculously held off. We had a busy but enjoyable afternoon and were delighted to sell as much as we did. The fresh produce - punnets of strawberries, rhubarb, broad beans, spring onions and new potatoes flew off the table. Made up bunches of flowers - crocosmias, cornflowers, marigolds and little white daisies which we sold for a pound a bunch were popular. Plants were in demand too especially pots of rhubarb, clumps of day lilies, lilies as well as our collection of fifty pence pocket money plants. We tucked in little slips with suggestions of allotment growing reading matter and relevant websites into our customer's bags.

As well as raising money for our funds we were also able to make a contribution to the charitable trust that invited us to have a stall at their annual fun day. This is held in a local green space that was going to be sold for building in the late '90s until a group of residents got together to make sure that this did not happen. The land was bought and has been managed since by volunteers who maintain the green, cut the grass, have installed paths, picnic benches, dog bins etc. as well as developing a wildflower meadow. A free fun day is held each year. They have recently achieved Fields In Trust status but maybe that and the story of our composting toilet are both posts for the future. What was most enjoyable about the afternoon was spending it in the most pleasant company of fellow plot holders - we usually chat on the hoof as it were, so it was great to be able to spend some time together away from homeground. Meanwhile back at the allotment the toilet has been installed and awaits a few finishing touches before it is officially opened.