First Potatoes

First crop of potatoes from the dark earth
grown by my own fair hand
in the 'no dig' plots I got ready last year
down on our small plot of land
And this bumper crop is just the start
there's plenty more plants growing there
So for salad and mash and roasties and more
we'll have spuds for ourselves and to share

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Almost time

There amongst the wilding
grown without much trying
this year on our allotment
I'll admit with no denying
The lavender that I planted
blooms flowers quite abundant
so I think that it is almost time
before they are redundant
to harvest all these purple flowers
and fill my home with fragrance
just a few more weeks to wait
here in temporary abeyance

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Earth and loam

I laid down several barrowfulls
of mulch upon the ground
covering the remaining grass
that's evident around
Not 'cos we don't like it
but on an allotment it's a pain
as every time we go there
it's strimming time again

And then I planted lavenders
because it seemed the thing to do
and with that fragrance come the summer
more good vibes will accrue
Then with this work my hands had done
with fruits of labour shown
I sat a while with Badger beer
to breathe in earth and loam

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Back to the lotty

Went back to the lotty, it's looking so good
but from the work Sal has done I knew that it would
It's the first time I've been here so far this year
but as always this place oozes fun times and cheer

So I set out with a plan I had made in advance
with gaffer tape ready prepared for a chance
and fixed the loose panes in the greenhouse with ease
cable ties for the job with which I am pleased

Then armed with a fork I dug out five holes
for the fruit trees we've saved supported by poles
before taking a seat and surveying the plot
satisfied in the moment with all here we've got

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Erf

No. 5 in the ‘Colloquy’ series

This twenty rod* plot, our 'erf', our realm
our saving grace, our haven
is such to bring a 'joie de vivre'
and oft a cause for 'pavan'*
As though each year we toil for long
to dig and plant and sow
the reward of produce that it brings
gives reason more to grow

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

[In the ‘Colloquy’ series, I’m exploring some the of English language’s more obscure words. Some little used, some no longer used but all recondite. ‘Erf’ is an adjective for a plot of land; an allotment, for example]

*’rod’ – from the Old English ‘rudde’ and akin to the Old Norse ‘rudda’ (club) – a unit of measurement equivalent to 16.5 feet. The annual ground rent for allotments is charged by the ‘rod’.

*’pavan’ – a stately dance originating from the 16th and 17th centuries

Something from nothing

It doesn't look like much I know
but the satisfaction wrought
from half an hour of crafting
inspired by a simple thought
is pleasing and in fact replete
a sense of job well done
working with just what you find
whilst having lots of fun
And that in fact's the essence
of what this allotment brings
to each of us as time we spend
down here whilst growing things

©Jemverse

Photo – my rough and ready yet purposeful composting area, Ham Field Allotments, September 2022 – Jempics