The plots thicken

Ode to spring: splashes of colour under April skies at the organic allotments, north London. Photograph: Allan Jenkins

Mid-April Sunday morning, 8.30am, before breakfast. Howard and his terrier, Otto, are outside, waiting in the car. They have been away and we are meeting to sow flowers. The plot is tidy, pretty pristine, near ready now for spring.

Late April is one of my favourite times on the site. The days are longer now, the soil so full of promise