The bigger picture

View from my garden

Allotment fire viewed from the path outside

The allotment viewed from the East Hill

My son and husband (left) on the East Hill

View from the allotment and head in the clouds on the way home

I'm quite often stooped over, looking downwards, earth between my fingers.
I spend a lot of time closely studying the leaves of plants for signs of disease or invading critters.
You may see me in the street with my nose buried in the petals of an overhanging rose bush.
I sometimes see the world from the perspective of a grasshopper through skyscraper blades of grass.
But when I stand back, really far back, I get a different picture completely.
I see what a small role I have in a very busy and beautiful natural world.
I stop and enjoy the view.

My new discovery

I love to try new plants at the allotment and for the first time this year I grew the tomatillo, or husk-tomato from Mexico. I sowed just a few seeds which resulted in three plants. Two went to the allotment and one stayed in a pot at home. The one in the pot produced beautiful flowers and looked stunning but there was no sign of fruit. I then discovered you need two plants for proper pollination. The two plants at the allotment grew large and bushy and produced lots of fruits. The seed variety I sowed is called tomatillo violet, producing dark purple, sweet fruits. I love these sliced up in salad. I also harvested a lot of green ones (many had fallen off the plant) and with these I made chili verde (recipe to follow). These plants are so easy to grow, look pretty and exotic, need very little care, don't suffer from blight like tomatoes, are not available to buy in the shops and will make a delicious meal that you can't buy in any local restaurant. This is why I will be growing lots more next year.

Take Your Time

Sunflower and romanesco calabrese flowers.

Calendula (pot marigold).

Calendula seed head.

Teasel seed head and french bean and borlotti beans.

As I lie on the grass at my allotment, eyes closed feeling the warmth of the sun on me, I can hear the earth being attacked with spades and forks all around. This is the time of year when everyone panics and start frantically clearing patches of land that have become busy with weeds during the summer. Someone will proudly announce, "I've got my onions, broad beans and garlic in". Like they've just run a race and are waiting for a prize. It makes me smile. There is a lot going on in my plot. The badgers have been having a good old munch on my sweetcorn. The slow worms are preparing to bed down for the winter. Seeds are being scattered in the wind. Pods are drying to a hard crisp shell. The worms are mixing in the manure for me. There's no rush.

First potatoes

Summer is here and the dog rose is flourishing. Here is a small but beautiful bouquet from the allotment and my first potato harvest. They are a Scottish heritage variety bred in 1942 that have done well in my English earth, called Red Duke of York. They actually look more like a deep, fuschia pink and are pretty enough to show off beside my flowers. Taste delicious.

The allotment: quirky

I love the personal touches on people's allotments. As I wandered about today I saw some things that made me smile. All the objects I have photographed are from plots worked by men. Although the fairy is for one man's female friend who comes to visit. Allotments are often adorned with imperfect, found objects; bits of throaway trash. They add a fun element like any garden sculpture. Those who are able to spend the most time there are the ones who go one step further and add embellishment to otherwise functional spaces. The plots become an outdoor home from home for many. Others are left untended for months then nature takes over. I love the colours of the strawberry runners creeping over the old bag. The combination of textures from an old door frame and broken piece of glass are quite beautiful.