May already. The year is racing by ... and still no allotment news. I've had a look at 4 plots, and made by choice but the council haven't sent through a tenancy agreement yet so I don't know which one I've been allocated. After a year and a half of waiting I'll be happy to get anything frankly. 1 of the 4 plots was in good shape, fairly recently dug, complete with raspberry canes and a flourishing rhubarb patch. But the other 3 were on slopes more fitted to Alpine goats, and came with an extensive collection of weeds and brambles. I picked the raspberry & rhubarb patch as 1st choice, but there's something quite appealing about rescuing a completely overgrown patch and putting it to good use.
Oh well, patience is a virtue and I've just got to keep gently pestering the council until they get this sorted.

On the crafty front I've made making lots of felt fruit and vegetables, though I'm having problems buying all the colours of felt I need. I may have to find an online supplier as local fabric shops sell felt either by little squares - which are used up in no time, so aren't economical - or if they sell by the metre they only have basic colours - red, white, etc.

Oh, going back to all things gardening - there's a great new book out called Guerrilla Gardening. Apologies to the author but I didn't note down his name. I was reading the book for ages in Borders yesterday, and it's so inspiring. Guerilla gardening is just about taking over a neglected public space and - well - planting it! Clearing the littler, planting flowers, taking care of a verge or an area at the base of a tree. It's about brightening your neighbourhood and chimes in with another movement I really admire - the KnittaPlease crew. They're busy knitting woolly cosies for lamp posts and parking meters. Both the Guerrila Gardeners and Knitta Please have easily located websites, so please look them up on a search engine.

Public spaces in cities have been terribly neglected for years, so it's lovely that urban dwellers -seeing what their councils are not prioritising - are taking matters into their own hands and personally beautifying their streets. The prettier, cleaner and more appealing a street is, the more likely people will get out of their cars and walk or cycle along it. That's got to be good.