Children and Working your land.

How wonderfully idylic it seems to bring fruits of your own seed to the ground you have acquired to grow things with you. To pick up all your weeds, dig over your compost, and be your mini munkins our gardening delight. In reality this is very rarely the case. From time to time they will be your rake fetchers and seed chuckers but often they will be not. My middle son is a digger, seven years have helped him find his true place in our alotment. He will dig usually a large round hole and is training towards tenches, weeding is also a growing skill but aonly in 30 second periods..then usually back to the digging.

The youngest is a mauler of plant babies. He is a path ignorer and constant ground waterer of great repute. He does not descriminate and therefore sometimes does actually water some plants..it makes wellies essential but thats ok. He will often fill the back of his pedla car with soil and woodchip....sometimes even planting a strawberry or two within. He is also a neighbour allotment invader...a boinger on freshly seeded patcheser...quite a challenge to do anything with no. 3 son. We often wanfer and look at birds...this is often better for the back than digging. Maybe he is on the side of the weeds..he is very funny when not imtimidating the plants..I think the tree and rhubarb are probably safely robust.

No. 1 son is past real interest and a bit concerned about icky soil and flies. Thgis can be alittle debilitating when trying to work in our place so he is a shed dweller and no.3 son chaser..to his credit...

In reality time spent alone on your patch can be hugely productive..but the soulk is fed better when company is had..I have allowed myself time to talk to my near enighbours who are always full of good advice..usually slightly doomful..sweetcorn loving badgers being the most worrying but its better..runnning away to the shed is a different matter..this will be dealt with later...


hey ho and on the weeding goes...