Sunshine, sunflowers and jolly good company

What a lovely afternoon we had at our Step Outside Gardening Group on Friday. We really were spoilt with the weather too – blue skies, sunshine and a very welcome 22 degrees made it feel properly like spring had arrived.

It was lovely to welcome new guests Valerie and Karen, with Valerie sharing how comfortable she felt knowing there was no pressure to garden at all, whether that meant sowing seeds, getting stuck into jobs outdoors or simply enjoying a chat in beautiful surroundings.

Karen and Nonny got busy potting the sunflowers sown at our last session, getting them ready for planting out next time. Sweet peas were transplanted, and cosmos and tithonia flowers were sown too.

Meanwhile, Richard and Max completed the golden gravel path around the pond, while Max also worked on sorting the pond stone benches. Rob, Jo and Leslie sowed French runner beans, now safely tucked up in the polytunnel, ready to grow. Max and other volunteers also tackled some of the more overgrown flower areas, clearing and weeding as they went.

The allotment beds are thriving at the moment, full of lettuce, spinach, broad beans and peas, and guests were able to head home with freshly harvested leeks and spinach too.

We also loved welcoming Karen’s son, Sam, after school. It was such a pleasure to show a young visitor around the allotment and share a little of what we do, and lovely for him to see how his mum had spent the afternoon.

As always, it was a wonderfully productive afternoon, but just as importantly, a chance to sit together, chat, share stories and enjoy plenty of refreshments, cake and biscuits. There’s something very special about the community growing at the allotment.