The Last Year or So ...

It's been a looooong time since the last post. Life just got in the way.

Last summer I decided to change my life - I'd spent 10 years as a single parent, working mostly from home, and was bored of my own company, so it was time to change. I reorganised the house, did some decorating and got a lodger in. I then went and got a full time job at the end of August - long hours with a long drive each way every day.

I kept the veggie patch and allotment going, had quite a lot of fruit and veg last year. However, once the full time work started, I didn't get the time to do very much with the veggies. Most of what hadn't been picked by the time I started the job was lost. I did get up to the allotment and dug up loads of spuds though, which was good.

Early this year, I made a pretty good start. I dug over 2 beds on the allotment and planted some seedlings out, and tidied up the whole veggie patch at home, digging up loads of spuds that survived the winter. I sowed loads of seeds in the greenhouse and planted spuds, carrots and onions at home.

But then we had a mini heatwave in about April or May (I forget which) and the seedlings all cooked in the greenhouse. I didn't have time to get to the allotment, so everything there died off too. So many other things happened in life and I just didn't have the time, energy or enthusiasm to start the seeds again. The weeds quickly took hold in the veggie patch and the allotment, so I decided to write the whole year off.

In the summer, I decided it was best to give up the allotment plot to someone who had the time to make good use of it.

Then in late summer, I got myself a girlfriend .... and she loves growing veggies too! Not just that, but she loves to cook - and loves making pickles and chutneys and jams and all sorts! Between us we're tidying up the veggie patch and preparing for a good year of growing. We've already made a start with sowing new veggies for overwintering ....