005: The Allotment Diaries

asparagus on toast

I was feeling an urgent need to get out of my head this morning, to give my brain a rest from the relentlessness of just about everything. I doubt I’m alone in this. Thankfully my three year old was in a similar mood, declaring that she would cycle ‘all the way!’ to the allotment. Suffice to say, she managed about half of the journey, at which point she went on my shoulders. At least shepherding her along (even at a glacial pace) was a good distraction for my stewing brain.

Since I last wrote about plot 60A there has been lots of progress to report. Mulch has now been spread over all the beds, and the sweetcorn, beetroot, carrots and radishes have been sown and are even starting to show early signs of life. Our asparagus, which grows unbelievably quickly, has also been on a roll. Anyone who has been to our house recently has found themselves having it with almost every meal, and Owen has pretty much perfected his signature dish of poached egg and asparagus on toast, dusted with some parmesan. I think he got the parmesan tip from an italian colleague – but you heard it here first!

Unsurprisingly, water is already in short supply; I eeked out the last few dribbles from the communal water butt this morning and have my fingers crossed for a thunder storm forecast in the next 24 hours.

At home, the next wave of plants are being nursed until they are ready to join the big boys down at the plot. Our tomato plants are looking particularly healthy thanks to all the sun.

Today I feel grateful to have a place like this in my life, to take refuge from the ‘luminous doom’ that the poet Mary Oliver so eloquently spoke of.

I hope you’ve had a good weekend.

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P.S. ICYMI - I’m opening up my editorial books and have space to work with writers on novels and narrative nonfiction. Get in touch → grace@gracepengelly.co.uk to discuss your project :)