Spring

Well, here we are in a brand new year and looking forward to a whole new growing season. I cannot begin to count the things I learned last year; what to grow, what not to grow, what to put where and how many of it to grow.

I learned that with growing food comes the responsibility to actually eat it. There is no point growing something only to realise that you don't like it all that much and it ends up in the compost bin.

I also learned that no matter what I grew for me, nature intended to get to it first! Ignoring black fly does not make them go away and not protecting cabbages from butterflies and moths means that some little hairy chaps are going to get a very good meal indeed.

That being said I dined on the most wonderful peas, beans, beetroot, tomatoes, chillis, onions, potatoes and garlic before autumn came. The effort was most definitely worth it and silly though it may sound, dear reader, I am excited at the thought of what this year's labours will bring.

I can't wait to get my hands in soil again, to plant the seeds and watch each one appear, tiny sentinels of spring lined up in my front room window. I can't wait to clean the greenhouse ready for this year's tomatoes and melons. I can't wait to get compost under my fingernails and grit in my wellies!

And I really can't wait for the whole marvellous cycle to start over again and to be a part of it.