Three weeks, or is it four weeks, it might even be five weeks – it seems like a long time and it is normal now to see no-one in the street, hardly any cars, and total quiet a lot of the time. It’s nice in a way. We left the allotment last month, making sure everything was set to look after itself, it looked like the lock down could go quite extreme and so there was a fear of not being permitted out (let’s face it, nationwide lock down in the UK is not something that would normally come up as a risk when planning the year ahead). As it has happened, so far, this extra strictness did not come about. All the same, I’ve always thought the single entry/exit to the plot and the extra activity has made the allotment busier than the town centre and risks heightened accordingly.

With the allotment “set to automatic”, the veg plot at home came about which is all good stuff. We have not needed to go to the allotment as most plants are still seedlings and all the bits we have either planted out or sowed are just as fine at home. Give it another three or four weeks and the picture might be different as we start needing to plant out more long term and larger plants – or grow less of it at home.

We decided we would have a walk out to the allotment today and doing so pick some rhubarb. This would be the first time we had ventured out any distance for a long time and the first time noticing people either stop to get out of the way or cross the road as they come across others. The walk was amazing busy with cyclists (for some reason on the pavement even though the road had hardly any cars) and people jogging, suddenly a nation of people exercising…

The allotment site was not as busy as it has been on previous visits, but the field next to it had what seemed like hundreds of people walking dogs it seemed, making it feel a lot busier than it really was. We were equipped with “hand washing facilities”….

The plot itself was looking good. We left it having just planted potatoes and onion sets. I had hurried to bank up the newly planted potatoes whereas normally I would bank up each time shoots were seen. Our re-visit showed potatoes starting to show and all of the onions and shallots growing well which was nice to see.

Weed wise nothing was too bad, although not as neat as I would normally have it but still spotless compared to a lot of plots. Ground that I had not had chance to prep was where most of the weeds were but if I were to spend a small amount of time hoeing it would all be sorted. We picked a load of rhubarb, put netting over the gooseberries and put protection against the birds over the strawberries.

It was good to have “a passing visit”. The weather at the plot was very hot and calm, a complete difference to the bottom of the hill where it was sunny but cool and windy. Maybe, in another three or four weeks we’ll do the same again….

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