There are not many things that I covet in life but a greenhouse or potting shed is definitely one of them. So when I heard that Jackie and Pete were building a shed-stroke-greenhouse on their allotment I was a tad envious. They’ve been working on it all winter and when I went recently it was finished.
Jackie gave my co-allotmenteer Huw and I a guided tour. The greenhouse half is home to lots of seedlings and a giant datura overwintering in a pot, and the shed half has a seed cupboard made by Jackie and Pete’s daughter. There’s also a water butt, barbecue, deckchairs, weather vane and dreamcatcher. Pretty much all the materials were salvaged and lots of components were donated by other plotholders.
In the greenhouse Jackie has a sign that says: ‘Born to garden, obliged to work’. Jackie is now actually retired and spends most days at the allotment. Maybe the sign is there to remind her how lucky she is.