Tales and Tips from the allotment

Above is my (very small..!) allotment all bedded down for the winter, November 2009, below is the same plot at the beginning of Spring 2010

After what seems like a long-long winter it's time to get back to planting and growing again. I've cobbled together a cold-frame and seeds are already sprouting. I need to improve the quality of the soil in general and so today (Sunday 25th April) I'm on a mole-hill hunt. The field next to the allotments usually has a fine crop and I'm hoping I'm not too late to fill a wheelbarrow with lots of spadefuls of beautiful soil - broken down to a fine tithe by those hard working little critters...! It'll take a few trips over the next few days to collect enough to improve what will be my beetroot bed. Meanwhile... it's on with the boots and down to the garden I plod...

On the left is a picture taken at the beginning of Spring 2010. My allotment was a virgin plot this time last year so I feel this is the real beginning of my attempt to grow some nice things for myself. The strawberry plants look good and have come through the winter well. The raspberry canes are beginning to send up new shoots and the blueberry bushes have survived the snow and sub-zero temperatures. There's lots of planting to do, especially dwarf beans, onions and shallots. I'm hoping to grow a small number of cauliflower and Brussels sprout plants. I've planted courgettes and potatoes in containers as there's not enough space to plant directly into this little plot - and I also plan to plant out one or two tomato plants when the weather is a little warmer.

Making the most of Tesco Rewards Tokens

My local supermarket is Tesco. I use a Tesco Clubcard card if I purchase goods from the store or petrol from the garage. Using the Clubcard generates 'rewards' which can be spent in the form of Clubcard Vouchers in-store or exchanged for Rewards Tokens.

Clubcard Vouchers can be spent at face-value in the store - so a £5 voucher can be used to buy wine, flowers, groceries, etc and sometimes twice the face value can be used to purchase specific items, clothes, dvds for example, so £5 becomes £10....!

However, Clubcard Vouchers can be exchanged for Rewards Tokens and I think these are excellent value for money. Rewards Tokens are issued for up to four times face value and can be used for family fun days out, activities and sports, annual memberships, books, magazine subscriptions and much more.

Recently I have received tokens (as a present) in the form of cinema tickets and have given tokens (as presents) in the form of annual magazine subscriptions, meals at a lovely Italian restaurant and entrance fees for a family of six at a theme park...! (£17.50s worth of vouchers generated £70 towards entry into Lightwater Valley theme park making a day out possible rather than price-prohibitive).

Now I'm saving my tokens, which arrive quarterly, for Christmas. I know I'll be able to exchange them for gifts I couldn't otherwise afford.

I don't get all my groceries from Tesco but I do try to purchase my petrol there and my utility bills also contribute to my Tesco spend. As a result I feel the reward tokens are a genuine bonus.... they do feel like something for nothing. I don't think I'm having to spend 'more' just to get the tokens. If you haven't got a Tesco Clubcard I really do believe it's worth getting one and using it each time you shop there. The pounds do mount up and over a year I probably 'earn' approximately £30 in rewards which is £30 off the cost of something bought in store or £120 if exchanged some of the hundreds of 'Rewards'.