Our generic signs are now in place at all our plots, planters and orchard, and with the warm weather, these areas are all bursting into life.The fruit trees at Jubilee field are now starting to bloom – so pretty – and we hope the pollinating insects are at work turning flowers into fruit!

Westbrooke plot had a most satisfying working party yesterday, planting seedlings – cabbage plants, lettuces, peas, parsley, sweet peas, marigolds, nasturtiums – and sowing seeds of salad crops, parsnips, beetroot and rocket. And now we have had some rain overnight which is perfect. We have a proper rainwater butt there now, which a neighbour kindly helped me to fill from her tap. In a month’s time the town groundsman will keep it topped up for us.

The station plot continues to collect compliments. There, too, cabbages, beans, leeks etc are all being planted and the pear tree is in blossom.

The Railway barrels and concrete ring planters in Anstey Road, which we have recently taken over, are filling up with a variety of crops and flowering plants which is making this rather bare corner much more attractive.

The Vicarage plot grew a spectacular display of celandines when we weren’t looking, but this has now been covered with layers of cardboard and soil, with gaps for strawberry plants to grow through. We hope this will discourage the celandines, pretty though they are briefly in the spring. The fruit bushes there seem to have settled in well over the winter and are already growing fast.

And the planters in the town are full of herbs which passers-by can snip (but not’pull’ please) for their own use.