All from nothing... (part 3)

Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. 


Day 4:


Day four has dawned, and to be honest, I wasn't exactly looking forward to another day turning sod. Still, it's not like I'd actually turn my back on this project now, so after breakfast, along to the allotment I went. 


I seem to be at my most productive in the morning, and I made good progress. Not long after I started, Clare and the kids came to help out. Clare begin forking the cleared soil, breaking it up and making it ready for growing veg.  Thomas collected rocks and put them in a pile - which would have been great (as we'll need to clear the worst of the stones and rocks) but soon decided he'd have more fun throwing the collected rocks into the sod mound. Isabelle slept, oblivious to the hard work going on about her.

Isabelle on the allotment

I kept turning sod. By the time Clare was going home to get the kids their lunch, I had a decent amount more sod turned. I kept going for another hour, before heading home for lunch - reasonably satisfied with my morning's work.

Much as I'm keen to see this job finished, it took serious resolve to drag myself back down to the plot. Sod, sod and more sod. By this stage my second mound of sod was reaching Babel-like proportions. However, I had nowhere else to put it. While they're taking up good space, and something of an eyesore, I understand that this allotment is currently a work in progress (and probably always will be). I'll get rid of the sod mounds soon, but there are more pressing tasks to complete first. 


By six I had the majority of the sod turned (thank God!) and decided to call it quits. When I look at the allotment as it is now, I feel a small amount of pride, given that this day last week it was merely an overgrown piece of land.

There's a body of work to be done yet, but I think the back of it is broken. It's been an interesting few days, both grueling and yet satisfying simultaneously. Now it's back to the day job, and we'll only be able to focus on the allotment when I'm home. We'll get there.