The first challenge we faced was against the “beast from the East” that kept bringing us lots of cold weather and snow. That did not phase us though and I remember being up at the allotment one snowy morning whilst my little one was simply enjoying making footprints in the heavy snow and digging it with his spade.
Once the weather started to improve, we were able to get to work digging the ground over and planting our seeds. I make no secret of the fact that we had never grown so much as a sunflower before, but that we were very enthusiastic and keen to learn. If I am honest, I was a little apprehensive about how a young family would be received on to the site but these worries were very quickly elevated as people approached us whilst we were working on our plot to introduce them-selves. We have been given lots of very helpful hints and tips which has undoubtedly led to the success we have had in our first six months.
I had heard that the best vegetables are always ones that are home grown, and that is most certainly the case. We had fantastic success with our spinach which grew so fast we couldn’t pick it quick enough! We are currently digging up our carrots and potatoes to enjoy as well. My little one loves eating produce that has come from there and I think it is no coincidence that it is far easier to get him to eat the vegetables that he has physically brought back and picked from the allotment himself. My little one has loved helping us dig the soil over and having the freedom to play outdoors. We have found many ways to keep him occupied; including “digging for buried treasure” (small toys or items I hid just below the soil) and letting him have his own patch to water and pick his spinach to his hearts content.
Whilst most people’s sheds are full of tools, ours is full of toys. He has a play kitchen in there to keep him entertained as well as a keyboard to play music in to his hearts content! We have also spotted lots of wildlife up on our allotment ranging from all the usual creepy crawlies to hedgehogs, frogs and even a newt that had managed to get into our water barrel that we rescued in a jam jar and safely relocated to one of the ponds on site.
So, to any families who love being outdoors and spending time together, pop your name down for an allotment and you won’t regret it! There are plenty of things you can do on your plot to keep little ones entertained. And finally, thank you to everyone on the site who has made us feel so welcome and anyone that has given us any advice, it really is much appreciated. Carly and Peter
