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Spring is in the air, and plants are beginning to shake off their winter dormancy. The birds and bees are making a cautious appearance, along with my fellow allotmenteers.My neighbours Ron and Mrs Ron were hard at it last weekend - they've got three

At last! A spell of dry weather - and it's even warm and sunny at times too! The site is buzzing with activity as everyone makes the most of the weather and gets on with all those jobs they couldn't face doing in the dismal weather of August

I have a confession to make: I haven't been up to the plot for a week or so and, what's more I can't see me getting up there for the next week or two either... I know it's the right time of year to get on top of digging, manuring and tidying

and everything, and buckets of basil for pasta sauces. I always mean to get round to making my own pesto - it's so simple! - but time slips away and before I know it I'm grabbing what's left of the annuals to try to make the most of them before the frosts finish

and barbecues. It's supposed to be getting better in September; I'm quietly hopeful but not making any plans just yet.But back to my lovely, though largely untouched, lettuces. I started them all off in cells (this method makes it so much easier to protect them

It suddenly feels like summer is gone! The days are shorter almost overnight and there's that autumnal nip in the air of a morning, which is making me think that my summer harvests are going to start drawing to a close very quickly. There was even a

I'm always rather staggered by Jerusalem artichokes. Firstly, by their impressive and evocative name; it makes me think of exotic locations with correspondingly interesting cuisine and highly sought-after seasonal foods of subtle flavour. Secondly

It may have been a lousy summer for growing many crops but the wet weather bodes well for my compost.It's always 'alright' rather than 'wonderful', unlike the stuff I make at work, which is always lovely: friable, richly dark and full of worms, just

Hooray - it's officially turning wintry! We've had a couple of good sharp frosts - the kind that make your scalp shrink with the cold, and knock all those leaves that have been hanging onto the trees rather annoyingly off in one fell swoop

I always leave my crop rotation plan to the last minute. I guess I'll just have to accept the fact that I'm one of life's 'last minuters' and get on with doing my rotation plan at the eleventh hour yet again.However late, I do always make sure I