The Allotment Project
Sunday 8th November 2015
If I look at this objectively, I have no time to take on an allotment. So I am not going to look at it objectively. I think objectivity is over-rated and may be the cause of much under-achievement. My own garden is often a work in progress and I work on knitting related things and other writing work an awful lot. Not a complaint. I am lucky but you know – busy. And I have a bazillion hobbies! But I have always wanted an allotment because then you can grow a very serious amount of veg and fruit. And I have often looked at allotment plots and thought how pretty and productive they seem.
There is an allotment society in Puriton and recently I asked if there was a spare plot. There wasn’t but nor was there a waiting list so I was first in line. In September the Chairman showed me round the field and showed me a plot he thought might come free when the renewals went out, late that month. I agreed that it might. Clearly no-one was ever gardening this neglected ground. It was about 3 feet high with rank weeds, all seeding onto the immaculate plot of the lady next door. The skeletons of crops from at least 18 months earlier were being used by climbing weeds. I must admit, I quailed because I just do not know if I could have coped with it. But as it turned out, when the Chairman emailed me again, it was with great news! The plot I was getting, whilst pretty neglected, was a prime location, and though overgrown, it seemed less bad than the other one. The plot-holder was reluctantly giving it up, because of work commitments. He’d kind of let the place go a bit but basically kept on top of it until probably mid-summer. That was long enough for a lot of weeds to move in, and crops that season to go over. But so much better than the other plot!
Day One:
So in October, I rocked up to the Puriton Allotment Society AGM. Florence and Will are partners in this venture so they came too. I met the man whose plot I was taking over and he
gave me his shed, key, water tank and all the stuff in the shed! How sweet is that? I have in turn promised him a box of veg now and then, in a rash flush of optimism. I do hope I get some.
Week One:
Very weedy:
It has now been four weekends since we took ownership. I am so glad we did not get the very overgrown one. This is such hard work, I do not think I could have coped with the other one. My allotment is at the top of a sloping field. The plots at the bottom can flood in wet spells, even though they have dug drainage and a large pond. My plot is right in the middle of the plots, with a field above it, in which I have the company of ponies and two pygmy goats. The pond, which is right at the bottom of the field, is thick with bull-rushes and irises, wild birds and dragon flies. Just up from here, the association has placed two picnic benches and planted some fruit trees around them. It is pretty and I like it.
The Pond:
Picnic Area:
So far, we have dug a wide strip at the bottom end, near the shed, and re-claimed a load of strawberry plants that were choked with weeds; we dug them up and re-planted them after we dug this section over. I think they may be old and unproductive, but I have a dozen young plants here that I will be moving there. Will has been working on the compost heaps and we have tidied up all round the shed. This is where I want a bench to go.
Then we started digging near the top of our plot so we could clear the ground and plant winter things. This makes sense as it is higher ground so seeds and plants in there over winter will be less likely to be sitting in water-logged earth for weeks on end. We have now planted three long rows of early, over-wintering broad beans and will plant three more rows in about a month. And I am now preparing the next section to plant garlic which needs a winter in the ground. This needs to be in during December ideally. If I can keep going, I will also plant winter onions, which is a new crop to me. The rest of the ground I will just turn over for now. There is a very overgrown patch right at the top which I might put under black plastic for a few months.
Real Progress:
And more progress:
Then, in the spring, we will plant seeds for kale, brussel sprouts and broccoli, turnips, maybe carrots and lots of French and runner beans. There is a rhubarb patch already. I also fancy rainbow chard and Will wants to grow squash and corn. The broad beans will be over in early summer in time for us to plant the French and runners there. We also need to build cages for the greens as the ones I grew here this year were attacked by white cabbage butterfly – the caterpillars literally shredded the crop of kale in a weekend. We grow organically so protection with the cage is the only way.
The
neigh-bours (see what I did there?):
I have met a few of my fellow allotment-holders. One lady gave me a bunch of beetroot; one man offered to rotivate the plot for me once I had the basic weeds out; one man showed me his simply enormous carrot and gave me lots of encouraging advice on how not to have to work so hard. Everyone is friendly.
Improbably Huge Carrot (man’s hand for scale purposes):
My shed, wheelbarrow, water tank and compost heap at the top of this picture by the way. Also, it was nice that he didn’t think I was a complete weirdo when I said I needed a picture of the Giant Carrot; in fact, he suggested having his hand in the shot for scale. Well, fair enough, he had just bounded over to me with it hidden behind his back, announcing that he had something amazing to show me. I think I have found my people. My people other than the knitters. And the cavers.
One of the things I like best is the walk to and fro. It is half a mile from our house, level and to the end of the village, down the old parts, Purewell and Waterloo are the roads I walk down. Aren’t these lovely names? I usually take the barrow so I can ferry the bags of rank weeds back for transporting to the tip, but once this is done I won’t need it. The other thing I like is how isolated it feels, only half a mile from home. There is often no-one there except me. I tend to go twice or three times a week, for bursts of two to four hour work – and it is very hard work indeed. When I am on the allotment, I don’t think about anything except the allotment.
I will keep you posted on my new adventure.
Gosh Ali, you have been working hard. Plot is looking amazing. Very well done. Such fun isn’t it
Thanks Shelley it’s very hard but this is the worst part, as it’s very overgrown but yes, I am very much enjoying it