Dear reader...

MARCH BRINGS A much anticipated palette of uplifting colour, as the subdued greys and browns of winter are painted over with the pastel yellows, pinks and blues of early spring. Bare branches, buds poised throughout winter, will gradually open, their leaves a verdant green that only appears at this time of year. This new growth is familiar, but nevertheless the joy of its arrival and the anticipation of what is to follow never diminishes. During the colder months, I filled the longer evenings making comforting blankets and garments to layer against the chill. My tools were knitting needles and crochet hooks; now, they are my trusty hoe and spade. Passed down from my grandfather, these are sharpened and worn with age, their wooden handles shiny from the pressure of hardworking hands. It is with these tools that I return to my allotment, my head full of plans for the year ahead and my pockets bulging with seed packets, their tiny contents bearing no resemblance to the flowers and vegetables they will soon become. I take my time, preparing the beds with care, enjoying making a new home for my precious crops. But it is not all work: tea breaks are just as important, giving me time to watch blue tits darting between the apple trees and crows skipping from plot to plot surveying the ground for anything to pinch. Soon there will be plenty for them to choose from, and for the most part I am happy to share, so long as they stay away from my lunch…