I had an amazing time hanging out with my dear friend
today. After a quick cup of coffee and some marmite toast, we mosied on up to her beautiful allotment. This was the first time I have been there. The allotments are set on a plot of land which extends around an old fort tucked up behind the houses, and away from the main road. We walked the long way round to her plot so I could enjoy the views and get a grand tour of the whole area. I was graced by an abundance of greenery where vegetables, fruits, and wild patches extend their reaches and the views of both sides of the peninsula provide a pleasant backdrop of calm sea serenity. The edges are lined with hedgerows bursting with an abundance of hawthorn flowers, whilst ground elder, and cow parsley dances around below guided by the cool spring sea breeze. Birds are in their element here, darting around the trees, singing songs of happiness with every chirp whilst bees and other pollinators float around working their magic on the plants.
We brought our ukeleles and kazoos with us so we could practice a few songs we have wanted to work on. As we approached her plot, my eyes were greeted by a shed adorned with a stunning painting which Ruth tells me is a work in progress by her partner 
It is permaculture heaven, filled with an abundance of perennial fruits, vegetables, wildflowers. A reclaimed polytunnel shelters less cold-tolerant salads leaves and tomatoes. Plenty of herbs are dotted around and I was in love with the many varieties of thyme. Lemon thyme is one of my favorites. Comfrey grows in abundance and variety here, I think I saw white and pink flowered types. It is used as a compost activator but Ruth is also a medicine lady who tells me that she can make a lovely healing cream with it.
There are a few things to tend to. We watered the plants in the polytunnel and cut back some comfrey to make way for a raspberry cane that had become a little shy. As we wander back up toward the shed, Ruth neatens up the edges of the borders a little. Although this is a permaculture plot, the majority of allotment owners don't grow this way opting for a more conventional style of growing. They see dandelions and scruffy edges as a nuisance so this is done to prevent letters of complaint.
Once back at the shed we sit down out of the brisk wind that whipped up, bringing the promise of rain. We pull out the Ukes and begin playing a few tunes and pretty soon we are harmonizing in complete synchronicity. Even though we hadn't practiced them before, we both seem to hold this kindred vibe. It probably helped that all but one of the songs we played had the same 3 chords with the odd variation here and there. Haha.
The damp air brought a chill so we decided to get the rest of the jobs done and harvest some veggies. We planted some potatoes and picked the flowering mizuna, some asparagus which I must say was very sweet and absolutely delicious raw. Oregano, chicory, and spinach were added to the pile of veggies. Ruth gave me a rather generous share of the pickings and so my dinner was sorted. I am not really a cut flower person but at my dear friend's suggestion, I added the mizuna flowers to a tall glass that is sitting proudly on my dining table.
It really was a day well spent. There's no greater feeling in the world than just simply being yourself in the comfort of others who uplift your spirits and share a love of nature and music. It is so important, now more than ever as the world is slowly starting to come out of this forced hibernation, to live in the present and experience every moment. When the connection has been so disjointed for so long, reconnecting feels like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. We need community and human contact to preserve our emotional wellbeing. We need nature and fresh air and happy songs to keep our spirits lifted. Without these things we are but lost souls wandering aimlessly through the journey of life. I am so grateful to have met wonderful friends who are shining examples of true inner beauty. Whose energy radiates good vibrational frequencies and who you can feel comfortable enough to be yourself around and
~ONE LOVE~
The view from the other side of the allotment
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