Even though the date in the calendar shows 1st of December, the weather was very mild today. After a manic morning where I spent at least half an hour on the phone trying to sort out my Mum’s remote control for her TV ( success, she’ll receive a new one in the post after a few days) I went to the allotment.

I knew that I had only a small piece of the last plot to dig – the hardest bit though! This part of the plot wasn’t cultivated during this year, I just didn’t have enough strength or will to dig it over. This is the neglected plot I adopted in the spring. Most of it was very productive, I had a huge pumpkin, loads of courgettes and squashes and a few sacks of wonderful potatoes. This year I shall only cultivate one half, another lady will take the other half, that way we can both manage better.

The soil looks good, very crumbly (now, but when I started it was full of bindweed and couch grass roots!) I always hated rotavators and now I hate them even more, they help to chop the roots into small bits and the bits merrily grow on! Bah!!

My half will just have potatoes, there is a small area of raspberries and one line of climbing beans. I shall have just a single variety of beans in each line, that way it’ll be better organised.

This afternoon was well spent, not only did I manage to finish the digging but I also cleared the polytunnel, ready for action next spring. The plastic on the tunnel is a bit tatty and I’ve decided to replace it with a net, thus creating another net tunnel. The plastic is rather discoloured, it is quite dark inside and I shall make a better use of a net tunnel. I prefer to grow outdoor tomatoes anyway. My veg has to be tough and survive!