Nettles where the sun don't shine.

Week two on the allotment:

It's been a whole week since I started work on my jungle allotment and I've only managed to dig one and a bit rows! I really have set myself up for a challenge here.

Last night I put all my potatoes in so hopefully in a few weeks there will be something to see for all my hard work.

I've been cleaning out the greenhouse, ready to start getting some plants in. Just as I was being chased around the plot this morning by a giant spider with wellies on (yes, really), my neighbour came out to offer me some of his crop. It's his second year on the allotments and after an unsuccessful propagating year in 2010, he decided just to go for it this year and plant every single seed he had. As a result, he's got a greenhouse full of every vegetable known to man (about 40 of each!) which are rapidly becoming too large to keep. So I've taken some of the stragglers. I've got three different types of tomatoes; some little cherry ones, some big fat ones and some obese ones. I've got two types of chilli; really hot and really, really hot. I've got watermelons. I've got cucumbers. Lettuce. Pumpkins. Squash. I've also planted a couple of courgette seeds just to make sure no one goes hungry this year.

While digging yesterday, I noticed that my strawberries are starting to get fruit on - I'll have to keep an eye on them, it won't be long now till I'm eating them three meals a day. I might have a go at making some strawberry lemonade.

The plum tree is already covered in thousands of tiny green fruit. I can't wait for the first one to drop!

I got my first allotment injury today. Nettle stings. I had decided to chop all the nettles back on the path so they don't sting me as I'm walking up and down behind the greenhouse. I was chopping away when one fell on my arm. I had forgotten just how much those little bleeders hurt and jumped back with surprise. I jumped back, and sat straight on a pile of... you've got it... nettles. So now I have a rather fetching nettle rash all over my arm and bum! Note to self: only wear jeans on the allotment from now on, summer dresses will not do!

After only one week, I can already see the benefits of working outside - I now have muscles on my arms the size of new potatoes (as opposed to petit pois), a slight sprinkling of freckles across my nose and that wind blown, sun lightened hair that only surfer chicks get. So this hard work lark is obviously doing me some good!