My Bristol Allotment
I have a little half plot on the edge of Bristol, tucked neatly alongside the rambling Ashton Court Estate, where I grow organic organic fruits and vegetables.
Standing on the edge of the plot and looking towards my lopsided shed, I can see deer grazing on the slopes of Ashton Court. On all sides, my plot neighbours grow vegetables in joyful abundance, pink rhubarb, green pears and sweet peas that climb in tangly knots over the sheds.
In my first year, sandwiched between these beautiful growing spaces, I remember worrying whether my seasoned neighbours were laughing behind their hands at me making it up as I went along, but rather than raised eyebrows I received their overflowing bounty and wisdom. Three years on I can hold my own in a conversation about compost, but I'm happy to say I still have a lot to learn.