This is my first Master Plan for the allotment. Given the small amount I have got dug and cleared so far,  and the almighty lack of digging weather (why was everybody on the radio yesterday harping on about the beautiful spring weather?) with time ticking on, I am currently working on plan #2, which has approximately the same areas of the same crops but arranged such that I can have a chap in to rotavate the top half of the plot (where I will plant potatoes and other things that don’t mind it a bit weedy). I can even leave the middle section uncleared and uncultivated until next winter if necesssary although I have yet to decide which veg will be sacrificed if I do so.

The lack of good-enough weather  – while I might be happy in principle to go and work in the rain, I can’t take the kids and our very heavy clay soil wont thank me for it – hasn’t stopped me sowing seeds: so far I have broad beans about 5″ high, tiny cauliflowers and 3″ tomatoes and have sown romanesco caulis, purple-sprouting broccoli, more broad beans, more tomatoes and aubergines, and sweet peas, all sown in an impressively short space of time as Tamsin currently feels she’d like to be held all the time please. Maggie planted the broad beans, which is fantastic as they germinate fast, grow fast, and she loves to pod and eat them.

Both of them! Simultaneously! At the same time! I don’t quite know what to do with myself – must not waste it online – apart from worry that M is sickening for something. She asked to go, with hot milk. Almost unheard of. (Am hoping it is just a combination of not sleeping well last night – next-door’s dog was barking and keeping her awake and frightened – and me really over-acting when she had a nap in the car yesterday “wow! that’s great! isn’t it lovely when you have a daytime sleep! mmm, I always feel great after a snooze…”)

I have a new nephew, so huge congratulations and lots of love to Suzanne, Chris and Mia and welcome to the world baby Callum!

Tamsin did her 16-week growth spurt right on time, so my weekend was mostly occupied with feeding her and changing nappies. She rewarded me with her first few giggles and learning to wave a rattle about. We did manage to fit in the purchase of a new fridge-freezer, and arranged for a man to come and look at our living room with a view to making us a bookcase. Busy busy. Of course it rained all the time so all allotmenteering was off; I am going to forget about growing spuds and take up ark-building.