Allotment Progress Log - Winter/Spring 2023

It’s been almost two years since I first got my plot! And I can confidently say that it has kept me busy during that time, but not always in the ways I thought it would. Despite still looking like a bombsite (see the messy recent photos below), lots has gone on all over the plot in the last two years. Not to mention that under certain conditions (we’re talking extreme droughts and unpredictable cold or wet weather), things can take so much longer than you’d think or hope! See disaster zone here...

As a quick glance summary, here is the breakdown of accomplishments over the last couple of years - Key Year 1 Achievements:

• Prepared and built a large bed at the end of my plot out of wonderfully thick and beautiful barn floor beams. Just like magic (and a whole lot of back breaking digging and sieving), there’s no bindweed in sight! And with a healthy sprinkling of green manure over the last two winters, this bed is up and ready to go - it’s a million times better and I couldn’t be happier. Chitted potatoes and beans at the ready!

• Blackcurrant and weed suppressant removal began, and I do just mean began. When we thought the first bed was hard work, we were not prepared for the toll this took on us. I swear my bones have aged by ten years at least during this project!

• An honourable attempt at planting happened in shoddy beds and poor soil. It gets a mention because I tried. However, the first year was not the harvest I was hoping for - fingers crossed for year 2….

Key Year 2 Achievements:

• The dreaded blackcurrant removal came and went. After literally months of digging and pulling, being bitten by ants, and getting sunburnt (top tip: don’t set your mind to something like digging out blackcurrants during an extremely hot and long heatwave! Maybe it will be a lesson learnt, who knows…). I was left with a deathly empty bit of land that swiftly got turned into another large bed for rotation, utilising a mix of no dig reincorporation of weeds and overwintering. Now I’ve got a healing bed, growing onions and soon to be potatoes, and one huge pile of rubbish/soil mix that is just cluttering my brain and my plot!

• Reintroduction of berries! It’s no secret that I don’t like blackcurrants, but I have managed to put in several specific permanent beds for other berries. Mainly, an ericaceous bed for my precious blueberries and mulberries.

• Out with the old and in with the new shed! During my destructive redecorating phase, I managed to single handedly tear down the shed without damaging the old wooden greenhouse that I lovingly painted purple. However, I did graciously accept lots of help rebuilding the now bigger and soon to be prettier shed / coffee source. After trying to put the roof on backwards, my participation in this part of the project was limited - sometimes it’s best to leave things to the professionals!

• Final bits and bobs to finish the bulk of the top end construction included putting in two large fence panels for privacy on my patio and for creating a little microclimate for what will hopefully be two kiwis and a grape! Some last minute painting and glazing (which all washed off - thanks water based paint) finished off a very busy summer and carried us into another winter of illness and discontent.

Take a sneak peak at the muchly improved work in progress -

So as you can see, a lot has gone on in the time I’ve had my plot. Maybe not a lot of actual things, but a lot of time and effort spent up there for sure. Admittedly, not a lot of actual growing has happened and it's been mostly land management and construction of my ever changing vision to get the most out of the space. Though I think this is just as important. I’ve allocated space for nature, maximising growing space while ensuring that my growing practices honour the natural balance! And that’s that! Two long, hard years and a quite short list of accomplishments. Though I am not disheartened by it and taking the time to write this and reflect makes me realise just how difficult things on an allotment plot can really be. From disruptions in plans due to bad weather or stupidly annoying opening times at the tip, things will never go as planned for an allotmenteer. I am finally beginning to accept that perfection might be a stretch but hodge podge and a well-earned cup of tea is just as good! #allotmentlife #allotmenteer #newgardener #allotmentjourney #gardenplanning #allotmentblog #allotmentblog #younggardener #gardenblog #garden #gardenjourney