There is a common maxim that my allotmenteering life follows. If I put in permanent planting, I will want to move it, usually the following year. The saffron’s been moved, red goosegogs are due to be shifted, I desperately want to move my apple and quince trees (though it might kill them) and now the rhubarb on #92. Because I don’t want 2ft leaves blocking the path again.

Planting so close to the edge was a rookie error – anyone who’s read much of my waffle knows I don’t have the happiest of histories with rhubarb. Several crowns have either died or sulked so badly they convinced me they’d died. So I’ve never had to contend with the sheer leafage of a happy plant. Until last year when my luck turned and I found out how massive they can grow!

The Timperley Early’s leaves shade the saffron and anything else growing in that bed. It and the Glaskins Perpetual I grew from seed are now sitting high up on the other side of #92 where they will get plenty of sun and also some shelter from the wind thanks to the raspberry plantation I’m building. Digging a gurt big hole in the wet is never much fun, but I am hoping that raising them right up, plus copious amounts of manure and last year’s spud compost will reduce any ad hoc pond that forms.

Raspberry relocation has been easier, because it’s more a case of thinning the absurd amount of runners. I’ve taken up 18 so far and probably have another 6-8 to remove before the row’s decongested. They are in pots of various sizes, in the shelter of the greenhouse for now. That’s plenty to create at least one more row and give some away.

Even better news, there will be no more slippy-sliding for me on #92. I still have a bit to do between mine and Andie’s halves, but the main path is done – partly thanks to 7 year-old Evie, who did sterling work spreading woodchip and stamping it down. They are edged with some freebie posts and are roughly straight. I’ve hammered in some batons to hold the posts in place. It really looks smart!