After being on the local waiting list for a while, I was absolutely delighted to discover that I’d been given the chance to take on my very own allotment. It’s a half-size plot, with some existing flower beds, fencing and a tiny tool shed!
I’m thankful that it’s a half-size patch because I’m a complete newbie. Although I’ve been growing veg at home for the past couple of years – you can check out my kitchen garden blog posts here – I’m still very much at beginner’s level.
The plot initially had a fruit cage in the centre, as you can see from these photos. However, during the epic storms last month, it was badly damaged and blown over. Only a few uprights remained so I’ve had to remove the structure and will start again.
Some raspberry plants were already in the fruit cage and just outside are (I think!) blackberries, two rhubarb plants and some small fruit trees. Who know’s what they’ll produce? I’m excited to discover whether they’re apples, plums, pears or something completely different.
There’s a nursery bed for flowers, which has already got some lupins and other plants growing in it. Along the top of the plot is a narrow bed full of lavender, which probably needs cutting back A LOT. I’ve already done a lot of clearing to get the plot looking tidier.
It’s great to inherit the previous tenant’s plants, trees and structures as it gives me a bit of a head start on the plot. I think it would be overwhelming to start with just a patch of bare earth! Now that it’s clear, I can see three empty beds where I can plant my veggies and still keep the existing fruit trees and bushes.
Although I’ve created veggie beds using the no-dig method at home (you can watch my step-by-step video to make a no-dig veg bed here), the soil at the allotment has already been well cultivated so it’s super-easy to dig. Thank goodness!
I’ve started sowing some sweetcorn and brassicas in the greenhouse at home and I’m going to be putting in rows of seed potatoes, onions and root veg. I figured that big and bulky crops could be planted at the allotment and I will keep things that need picking regularly (like tomatoes and runner beans) at home.
I’ll be sure to share regular updates on my blog with plenty of photos so you can see how I get on with preparing and planting my first ever allotment. Plus, I’ll still be growing goodies in my kitchen garden so there’ll be many more updates from home too.
Let me know if you have any recommendations for seeds that I should plant or ways to prepare the soil for my veggies. Leave your planting, growing and composting tips in the comments below and please pop back soon for another update. Thanks! 🙂
