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Monday, 6 October 2025
Sunday, 10 August 2025
August 2025
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8th Friday 8th August 2025 – Pottering Day in the Garden
Today was one of those gentle, ambling garden days where there’s no grand master plan — just a bit of this, a bit of that, and plenty of fresh air.
I started with the lavender. A few healthy stems caught my eye, so I took some cuttings for next year’s plants, and while I was there, I collected a handful of seeds. There’s something very satisfying about sowing them straight away — the quiet promise of next summer already tucked into the soil.
The greenhouse was my next port of call. My flat-leaf parsley seedlings were ready for a change of scenery, so I potted them on and settled them in among the other leafy residents. While I was in there, I gave the lettuce the same treatment, ensuring they had space to stretch their roots.
Outside, the front of the garage was looking a little shaggy, so I strimmed the grass into something neater. Then I got down to the fiddly but oddly satisfying job of weeding between the paving stones — a slow but worthwhile battle.
By the end of the afternoon, I’d done quite a bit without ever feeling rushed. The garden feels tidier, the greenhouse is fuller, and I have the happy sense of having nudged everything along nicely.
9th Saturday 9th August 2025 – BBQ & Planting
BBQ day at the allotment! My wife and I were manning the grill this afternoon, serving up burgers and sausages while catching up with fellow plot holders and their families. Sunshine, good food, and a lot of laughter – exactly what summer’s for.
Later in the day I got some planting done: Christmas potatoes are now in a large pot, along with two types of beetroot. In the front garden, flowers I started from seed a couple of months ago have finally been planted out – always satisfying to see them make it from tray to soil.
I’ve been gathering seeds for this month’s sowing and doing a bit of homework on what’s still worth planting now. Turns out, there’s more time left in the season than you’d think – so the plan is to keep the allotment busy right into winter.
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11th Monday, 11th August 2025
The whistle blew early this morning—not from the factory yard, but from my alarm clock. After a week of tending the home front full-time, I’ve returned to the ranks of paid work today. The change of pace felt rather like swapping the spade for a shovel in the coal yard—different tools, same spirit of effort.
No sowing in the veg patch today; instead, I brought home a little something to strengthen the troops: a fresh tin of rooting powder. It stands ready on the shelf like a ration tin, waiting for the next batch of cuttings to report for duty.
Another heatwave has marched in—third one this summer—so the afternoon was spent on the vital work of keeping the ranks alive. All seedlings transplanted yesterday were given a good drink and a hearty feed. They looked rather like weary soldiers being handed a tin mug of tea after a long march.
The war against waste and want is never won in a day, but with steady hands, a watchful eye, and the odd dab of rooting powder, the garden battalion will hold the line until the autumn reinforcements arrive.
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Sunday, 1 June 2025
Sunday, 18 May 2025
May 2025
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🌿 Dig for Victory – Final Dispatch of May, 2025 🌿
🗓️ Saturday, 31st May, 2025
✍️ By the Chairman's Spade
As the month of May draws to a close, it does so under the proud banner of remembrance and resolve. This month marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and across the nation — from cathedrals to kitchen gardens — we have honoured the spirit of those who dug, grew, and stood resilient in times of hardship.
And on this final day of May, with the sun obligingly bright and the soil yielding, we continued that legacy.
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⏰ Four Hours on the Front Line of Food Security
Today began with a solid four-hour shift on the allotment. The first three hours were not spent with spade or hoe, but in the service of community stewardship — as any true Dig for Victory volunteer knows, the fight is won not only in the furrows, but in the planning.
Together with three stalwart committee members, we paced out the ground, made precise measurements, and marked the positions for two new storage sheds for Association use. These will soon stand ready to serve the needs of every plot-holder — tools dry, seeds safe, and order restored.
Our discussions also prepared us for a forthcoming meeting — where matters of good husbandry, community cooperation, and resource management will take centre stage. Let it never be said the war against disorder is not fought with earnest minds and muddy boots.
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🌱 Hoe, Water, Repeat
The final hour was spent in the time-honoured fashion — weeding and watering. It may not grab headlines, but it is the quiet, regular acts of care that yield the greatest harvest. A few thistles removed now are bushels of beans tomorrow.
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🌒 Evening Round: A Gate Left Ajar
Returning in the evening, weeds in sack, I made my way to the local recycling centre. A small but vital act — even waste must be repurposed in the campaign of cultivation.
However, when I returned I discovered the site gate left unlocked. A gentle reminder to all: check, turn, and tug when leaving. Our allotment is only as secure as our last lock.
A message has gone out to tenants — and I trust vigilance will return as readily as the morning sun.
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🇬🇧 Forward into June – Onward with Purpose
As we move into June, let us carry forward the spirit of VE Day not just in flag-waving, but in soil-turning, weed-pulling, and community-building. For though the war ended 80 years ago, the battle for good food, strong communities, and a greener tomorrow still calls us to action.
Dig well. Grow wisely. Lock the gate!
Saturday, 15 March 2025
Thursday, 2 January 2025
January 2025
Click on the links to Mr. Middleton's tasks for January below:
My 2025
Allotment/Garden/Kitchen Diary below:
1st Heavy rain all New Year's Eve with flooding on the allotments last night and into tonight.
2nd Woke up to sunshine, not seen the forecast for the day.
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