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This blog is all about my allotment, but I've never shown any photos of the whole plot, apart from those when I first started blogging. Many of you have asked to see a photo of the full allotment, and I finally remembered to take one when I was down there yesterday. As you can see, there's nothing growing at the moment. I'd just pulled up the last of the leeks, which weren't up to much so were composted, before I took the photo. It's about two thirds of the size of a full plot, and this is reflected in the rent, which was £28.00 this year. This includes the Allotment Association subs. I don't pay for water as there's no water on the site, but you can see that I have three blue water butts at the top of the allotment, I have to make sure I collect the rain water. I also have three compost bins, two wooden ones made from pallets and a black plastic one. Also at the top of the allotment is an old bath which was left on the plot when we took it on. We grow carrots in the bath, it's elevated just enough to avoid any damage from the carrot root fly. After the photo was taken, we managed to get some of the beds dug over. When I first got the allotment, we made the bed sizes ten foot by four foot but soon realised that this size wasn't very efficient. We now have beds which measure ten foot by ten foot. The ground has dried out somewhat, which is good news, but it's still a little claggy.
The only fruit I've got on the allotment at the moment are strawberries, but I've got some other fruit waiting to go in. There's a red thornless gooseberry, a blackcurrant and a rhubarb crown. I've also got a tayberry, but Hubby is going to have to build some sort of support for that. I'm still deciding where abouts they should all be planted.
It's been a lovely weekend and we've managed to get quite a bit done. I really wish they'd leave the clocks where they are instead of putting them back an hour in winter as there'd be time on an evening for Hubby to pop down after work, but it won't be long now until they spring forward again and give us that extra hour of daylight on an evening. Let's hope we get some more weekends like this one, then we may be able to get on top of things before the onslaught of the sowing season.
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Your allotment looks great, virgin ground ready to go! I pottered a bit today as the weather was so lovely, planted a couple of fruit trees that I got from Aldi. I agree with you about the clocks, I hate going to and coming home from work in the dark. It seems like you get up go to work, work, come home and go to bed! Have a good week xxx
ReplyDeleteIt will be once it's all dug over, but we've made a start.It's been a lovely weekend, great to get outdoors again.
DeleteThe weather is getting ready for spring but there's still a chill in the air. I wait until I know it's time to plant - it's a feeling of - oh the weather is right, the soil is right and I'm ready and raring to go. I don't want the jobs I do in the garden to feel a chore. I'm sure you can't wait for that extra hour of daylight. It'll make all the difference.
ReplyDeleteLove from Mum
xx
The sun was shining, but it was still chilly. I think you've got to enjoy gardening, you're right, it can be a chore otherwise.
DeleteUnfortunately we managed to do things other than visit the plot this weekend maybe sometime in the week.
ReplyDeleteIt's usually me who has lots of other jobs to do when the weather's cooperating. We managed quite a bit of time at the allotment this weekend, even though we fitted other things in too.
DeleteIt's nice to actually see the plot that you write about so often. I had a productive weekend too, mainly tending to my trees. I've just remembered that I had been wanting to re-pot my Mint, but I suppose that will have to wait till next weekend now. :(
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to show a photo for quite some time. I think most of us gardeners will have made the most of the nice weekend and got some jobs done, though as you say, there's always something we remember we should have done and haven't.
DeleteSo nice to see a full view shot of your plot! Would be brilliant to see more photos from the same place over these next few months. You are all set to go with those neat beds. I hope you had the sunshine on Saturday too, it felt really warm over lunchtime. I managed to get to my allotment and potter too :)
ReplyDeleteI'm intending to show another photo when the plot's full, it looks so different when there's things growing. I'm hoping for more decent weather so that we can finish the digging, then we'll be all ready for planting out.
DeleteStill very cold down here in Devon - you have had the better weather this weekend for sure!
ReplyDeleteI love to see virgin soil at this time of year. So much promise for things to come. And yes, the lighter evenings are really going to help.
It's warmed up a little here, but not much. It's nice to see the sun though. I'm so looking forward to the lighter evenings, the days seem so much longer.
DeleteYour beds look great and so large. Also, such efficiency of water. We also are careful here, and collect all our rainwater which almost always gets us through the growing season.
ReplyDeleteSo...spring planning begins. Hurrah!
We have to be careful with our water at the allotment, though I have to say that I don't water if I don't have to. Actually, I think plants can grow much stronger if they're left to fend for themselves a little.
DeleteI like the idea of a thornless gooseberry. The one I inherited when I took on the plot is a red fruiting variety but it's vicious. I had contemplated replacing it this year with a thornless variety but never got round to it. It must be hard work having no water. I don't know how I'd manage if I could only use a watering can. I can't wait for the lighter nights, it always makes such a difference.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the horror stories of picking gooseberries, so I thought I was safer with a thornless variety. Unfortunately, the tayberry seems very prickly, so I may not get away without scratches. It's not so bad having no water on site, it's just a case of watering only when absolutely necessary, which the plants don't seem to mind.
DeleteLooks like you are getting on well with your digging - I have nothing left except a few tatty psb plants which aren't producing yet. The warmer weather makes you want to get out and do stuff doesn't it - lighter nights here we come - about time too.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that the warmer weather stays for a while, it may be the first year that I'm on top of my jobs at the start of the season. I'm missing my psb this year, the slugs got the seedlings so I'm without.
DeleteOh....I have to admit to a pang or twenty of jealousy when looking at the size of your plot!!!! Wow, you must get a great harvest, weather permitting from that. Lol...I bet you're just like me after the first serious digging session, back and shoulders a throbbing an all.....xxxxx
ReplyDeleteThe plot is just the right size for us, big enough for us to grow a variety of veg, but not too big that we can't manage it. I have to admit that Hubby did most of the digging, I've been suffering from a bad back, and that's before the spade came out.
DeleteIt's a nice size plot, must be hard on the summer if your water butts are not full to keep things watered with no available water on the plot.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the fruit this year.
I'm happy with the size of the plot, any bigger and I don't think we'd manage to keep on top of it. It's not too bad having no water on the site, we just have to ensure that we make the most of the water we collect.
DeleteA patch of land full of promise! I'm pleased you decided to show it empty - it makes it easier to imagine later on in the year. Funnily enough, I planted a Tayberry yesterday - I had been waiting to put up a support for ages and have now realised that I am too busy to build one, so out of necessity, I'll train it along a rabbit fence instead.
ReplyDeleteI'll try to remember to take another photo when it's full of plants, it looks so different. I think you've found a great solution, training your tayberry along a rabbit fence, a ready built support.
DeleteOh now I have allotment yearning, your pictures reminds me of so much of when I had one. I tried and tried to grow rhubarb on it but failed every time, when I moved here there was a crown already growing in the garden and it does brilliantly, tiny pink shoots are poking through already :-)
ReplyDeleteI love having my allotment and wish I'd looked in to getting one years ago. My next door plot neighbour has a huge rhubarb patch on his plot, it does really well, so I'm hoping that my crown will establish itself well.
DeleteYou must be pleased to be plotting again! Here's to us all having a good year. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI second that, surely it can't be any worse than last year though. It's great to be out doing things again, I'm hoping that the weather lasts so that I can get some more jobs done.
DeleteYou go forward but we'll go back which I don't like at all. At least we will get a bit more light in the morning - not sure what I'll do with that light but at least we will have it....
ReplyDeleteI don't know why they don't just leave the clocks where they are, I think we'd all be happy then. I hate it when they go back, darker nights again.
DeleteI didn't realise you allotment backed onto houses. It all seems tidy and in order which makes me feel a little cross at myself!! How far do you live from your allotment?? Wouldn't it be great if you lived in the house that overlooks it!!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have an allotment site at the bottom of my garden, especially if I was allocated the plot which my garden backed on to. The site is about a fifteen to twenty minute walk from my house, but I go in the car as I have to carry my tools with me.
DeleteIt's great seeing your plot Jo! Some of your experiences mirror mine, especially in regards to changing bed size and introducing more fruit.
ReplyDeleteAs an allotment secretary it's also interesting to hear about your site's fees though I'm curious to know what size your plot is in feet/metres.
I find the larger ten foot by ten foot beds work out much better than the smaller ones, though I wouldn't want them much bigger. I think I've got them at just the right size for me. I can't remember the exact size of my plot, but it works out to be two thirds of the size of a full plot.
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