Time to get digging...

When Michelle Obama got out on the White House Lawn with her shovel to start digging a garden she was sending a useful message. But a lot of people had already caught on to the value of having their own garden. My brother in London tells me that the waiting time for an allotment in that city can be more than five years. I understand that throughout the cities and towns of Ireland there is also an increasing demand for allotments.
Not surprising, the idea of having a garden is becoming somewhat fashionable. This morning the "Style" section of the Sunday Times has an article on Nyudies - new yuppie diggers.
Last year I ventured into the garden for the first time in more than four decades. Last time I was a youngster growing up on a farm in County Laois - and the garden helped make our family self-sufficient in those tough economic times.
Anyway, Michelle Obama has set a good example...even if swarms of Nyudies get on the gardening bandwagon.