Bit Harsh Jim.. The busy time is the summer so there is quite a long day that one can do the "Job" first, be it as a housewife or normal work then pop down for a few hours afterwards. .
I know you do need to spend a lot of time at the plot but you can make do with limited time if you have to. In my first year I had loads of spare time and spent a few hours each day at the plot and most of the weekends. Then I got another part time job and now can only spend a limited time most evenings in the summer during the week and a few at weekends as I also work Sat.. Sundays is a very busy time for me now at the plot. In the summer I did go every second afternoon after work to reap the harvest and do some weeding and maintenance etc.
To keep the dreaded weeding down to a minimum I now plant a load of stuff through holes about 3" diameter in weed fabric.. I use the porous sort of poly propylene woven type so water goes through very well. I now use it for strawberries, courgettes / squashes, onions, sweetcorn, leeks and this season will also use it for my garlic, broad beans, brassicas, outdoor tomatoes.
I also lay down scaffold planks to use as pathways between rows of peas and between veg types so I can also do any hand weeding as required because I do get some weeds through the holes.
