So far the thing I love most about our plot is that it is on the route of my ride home from work so I can stop off whenever I want. That and it is close enough to walk to with my kids. And it might even have some fruit and veg on it at some point.

Thanks for the offer Tim, much as I'd love to take you up on it I've decided this year that I wont risk planting anything that anyone else has put the effort into growing, in what it pretty terrible soil right now...I'd just feel too guilty. It doesn't look like any soil improvement has ever been done on the plot.