Mid-season Blues

You got an allotment. You went and saw a semi-wasteland jungle stretching out before you. You put on your rose-tinted spectacles, paid your money and dreamed of 'this time next year' when you would never have to buy another vegetable, would have beautiful, neat, organised vegetable beds that would not only be brimming with good food but would look delightful as well. Not only that, but you would be an organic farmer, and you and the slugs and snails and other nasties would co-habit as peaceful neighbours.

You suddenly realise a year later that actually there are still only the two tiny in-roads masquerading as vegetable beds that you dug out in your first flush of enthusiasm, the jungle is very much still like a scene from a Vietnam film and frankly it has all got rather embarassing.

Well panic not, you are not alone.

Unless you are supremely dedicated and have lots of time on your hands, the painful truth is that at some time or another you will feel depressed about your allotment nad wonder what on earth you were thinking. My personal experience is that this usually happens in mid to late spring when somehow all those green-fingered allotmenteers with the plots surrounding yours have dug over their entire ground and have the smug look of someone who will have crops of new potatoes, early peas and onions while you are still weeping over your weeds and dandelions.

Take heart. As the old cry goes, 'Keep Calm, Carry On'! Remember that your allotment is just that, yours. Do not measure yourself against the Percy Thrower style, RHS obsessive allotment owners who are often retired and have the time to do these things to perfection. That is not a criticism on them, but we can hardly be expected to do as well can we?

Don't give up your allotment, follow me with mine and you will not feel so bad!

This weekend I thought about, with a due sense of guilt, the weeds that must be overtaking the beds I have mangaged to salvage, and worse, the slugs and snails and other pests that are bound to have eaten all but the tiniest trace of the brassicas I put in a fortnight ago. The weather was rubbish, so rather than go up and try to wade knee deep in mud to see what could be rescued I decided to be proactive instead of reactive and put up a little greenhouse and planted some more seeds.

If all has gone horribly wrong, I should, in three weeks or so have some lovely cos, lambs and raddichio lettuces to plant out, some Kelevdon Wonder peas and Shirley tomato plants to pot on.

And I am sure that the onions must still be alive.....