When we first moved here and once Derrick had got the allotment into some kind of workable order, he gave me one raised bed to call my own so that I could have a go at growing my own vegetables.

He asked me to make a plan and decide what I wanted to grow. I choose to grow runner beans, onions, peas, potatoes & pumpkins. I wanted to grow my own strawberries but it was too late on in the season to do that.

Derrick helped me use my space to get the best amount of veg possible and helped me to plant it all.

Once everything was in the ground, I watered the whole bed and was excited to see how my patch would develop.

Soon my veg started to grow and I had a really good crop.

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I ended up with 2 pretty good sized pumpkins and on Bonfire Night me & Mum carved a face into one of them and put a tea light in it. Derrick put some string through it so I could carry it like a lantern and we went down to the allotment where we had a huge bonfire made from all the wood from the old shed and greenhouse. Derrick checked for sleeping hedgehogs first of course! And we watched the firework display put on by the Rugby Club right next door. We were kept really warm by the bonfire and Mum had bought me and my friend Tiff some sparklers and chocolate covered apples to eat. It was awesome!

I didn’t have my own patch this year coz Derrick needed all the space for growing for us for the year. But I have still helped out with podding and picking. And have loved getting the new chickens and ducks!