In which Questioner ponders Spring plantings on the allotment

For gardeners each Spring is like a new love affair. This time everything will be different. Better. More hopeful. Exciting. The land I work is rented - but after four years - we belong to each other and I think about it often even when I'm not physically there.

I hope I'm calmer this year. I'm not so worried about getting things started so quickly. More willing to wait until the air and the ground warms up properly. Although I still come up with completely unrealistic 'lists'. The one on the back of my door right now reads: "Aim to hoe once weekly for an hour to tackle weeds". HA.

The rhubarb is coming along nicely and we'll be able to start harvesting it for the first time this year. The asparagus will be along soon too. The potatoes are chitting in a cool place - I've lots of seeds left from last year which I've still to sort through.

Over the past few weeks I've concentrated on doing as much weeding as I can on the plot. I've bought six of those dalek compost containers and put them in strategic places on the plot so that I never need to walk far to put the weeds in. I don't turn my compost heaps - it isn't my idea of fun, so I need lots of them as I'll just leave the worms to do their stuff for two years.

Tending this allotment has been hard work that's very true, but it is amazing how much creativity it seems to spark off in other areas of your life. The "Stop School League Tables for Five Year Olds" international petition was a great success - but there's more work to be done to make life better for young children - Glenda Jackson M.P has just signed the new Early Day Motion to Stop the Phonics Test for six (and five) year olds - see A Parent's Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage for more.