Last weekend I was in Kent to visit family, and on the way I went to Wisley, and Costco....! At Costco I got the water butt Pump. This will be a real boon for shifting water around the garden from my 5 water butts.
The other stuff was from Wisley. Another weeding trug, some new garden gloves (x 2! They were only £3.99 a pair and so comfortable), Roundup for the bindweed if it dares to come back (there will be some I have missed. I have a cunning plan for getting rid of the rest involving canes placed near where they sprout and weedkiller!), kneelers.....the strap on kind.....(because!), a new set of rootrainers as my old ones are on their last legs and I need them for sweet peas (free seeds with the rootrainers), some gladioli bulbs which were a bargain (actually they were from Costco too......70 bulbs for £5.79 plus Vat), and some seeds....globe artichoke (because I have lots of room for this kind of thing now), and sweet peas...two kinds.

I also bought a very inspirational book......."All-in-one garden" by Graham Rice. It is about growing flowers and veg together for both horticultural advantage and because it can be aesthetically pleasing. I am slowly reading and absorbing it and hope to put some of it into practice this year in my home kitchen garden. It is probably a bit cissy for the allotment!!!!!!!!!

Today I went to do my usual three buckets of weeds....but it didn't work out that way. I came across some buried carpet and getting all of that out meant that after two buckets I was exhausted. But I have left it in a good state of readiness for finishing digging the second swathe right across the plot.....tomorrow! We are going away for a fortnight as from next Thursday and I want to be able to start some planting in early March when we get home.....so I have to get more dug before we go.

My next door neighbours here at home walked through and spotted me digging. They oohed and aahed, and very kindly admired what I have done so far. I think they think I'm mad.....they can't understand why I need an allotment as well as a kitchen garden when there are only two of us to feed. It may seem really daft, but I don't have room for spuds and bulk crops, like onions, here at home, nor room for fruit. I also want to freeze beans etc for next winter, and tomatoes for soup. And besides...the soil at the plot is infinitely nicer than what we have here, so it is a real pleasure to work. And just being up there..... with others solidly working around me, the glorious view of the Solent, the languid sound of the tennis (men playing today!), and the balmy sunlight....where else would I rather be? Nowhere!