The start of the new school term now, usually finds me down at the allotment, lighting a fire for the weed pile. I always feel a bit wobbly at this time of year, my children making their way out into the world under their own steam, as if they aren’t always growing! I suppose the start of the school year is imbued with the memory of that first day off to school, and September often feels a time for fresh starts in my own life too, New Year’s resolutions made much more at this time than in January. I’ve learned to acknowledge these feelings, and give them a nod, so they can pass on. A fire and a good dose of digging is just the thing: manure spread over bare soil, green manures sown, and this year, I am making a big effort to collect seeds, slowly accumulating little packets made from brown paper, rattling with hopes for next year’s spring.
