IT’S CHILD'S PLAY DOWN ON OUR ALLOTMENT

Conservation and ecology expert Anna Haines explains what an enriching experience taking on an allotment has been for her young family

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Good news Anna. There's an allotment available! It's the one that backs on to the fields, with the shed and fruit cage. It's yours if you want it, cheers, Rob!

Our outdoors-loving family had been on the local allotment waiting list for two years, and it was with nervous trepidation tinged with excitement that we set off down to the allotments with our six children one spring afternoon after school, not knowing what to expect.

It was love at first sight. The charming plot, with its dilapidated shed, was dotted with fruit trees and raspberry bushes. Squealing with delight, the children discovered a hidden pond, brimming with frogspawn and resident newts, and went about their business making acquaintances with the chickens in the neighbouring plots.

We eagerly set to work, planning the year's harvest. Noah (12) marked and prepared new plots, while I turned over existing ones, ready for planting. Leah (9) designed a wildlife zone around the pond, and Naomi (8) and Eleanor (6) pored over seed packets and designed a planting schedule. Meanwhile, Eli (2) and Mabel (1) got busy caring for the allotment's worms and snails.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

We had a few hard lessons to learn, the first being that timing is everything. Although Naomi's seedlings grew in her greenhouse, planting these out early left them vulnerable to late frosts. When seed packets state 'plant out Mar-Apr', up north you can add on a few months at least!