My Allotment

We took on an allotment last year – around the end of the summer – but due to my operation and then the weather, we left it unattended and nearly got kicked out for this very reason. I planned to start the year on a positive and went up on the 2nd January and despite my arm injury dug over a part of the patch. The ground was very waterlogged and it was hard work, but I wanted to prove my commitment.

Earlier this year there was an AGM and I discovered that another plot had become available which was at the top of the field [less waterlogged/easier to work] and I asked if I could swap as I would find it easier to access, dig and water as it’s close to the amenities. They accepted my request and I set to work.

We’re very lucky as allotments are hard to come by and I’m so chuffed that we’ve managed to get one. Here are some images of our new plot before I started work on it.

It’s been very frustrating as I would normally be able to get a lot dug over and weeded in a week or so, but because of my arm it took me 3 weeks to dig over a tiny little patch where I wanted to plant my potatoes. I had my potatoes chitting away – something I never do – just because it took me so long to dig a patch for them.

and here it is… potatoes planted… oh and so much more to do!

I then moved up to the top of the plot and decided to start from there and work my way down as parts of the top of the plot had already been dug over and covered with either weed suppressing membrane or carpet. It took me a while but I managed to dig over quite a bit and get it ready for planting. Colin came up with me one evening to erect a fence down both sides of the newly dug patch, which we intend to run around the entire plot eventually, and here are the results.

My french beans are on the left with some sweet peas behind and then I planted peas and mange tout on the right. I’m going to put a path all the way down the middle and some might think this is silly as I’m losing some valuable planting space, but I think I will find it easier to access the plantable areas from a path down the middle and I also think it will look nice too.

I got a good deal on wire netting on eBay and all the fence posts are made from wood we’ve collected from the beach over the past few years – we just ran them through a table saw to cut them to size. I can’t wait to do the next bit, but think I’ll be borrowing Dan’s rotavator to help me break up the soil. I’ve got so much more to plant including sweetcorn, more peas, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, leeks and turnips.

The middle part of the patch has sprouted lots of flowering plants and a load of parsnips, so I’m leaving that bit unattended this year I think. The next part of the plot is overgrown with grass and I’m just going to cover this with carpet and deal with it next year as well.