Some pictures from the Allotment

Red and White Onions and Garlic

Greyhound Cabbages

Purple Sprouting Brocoli

Maris Pipers

19A on tour...

I grant you, allotment holders as a rule are not usually associated with going on tour and unfortunately there will be no TVs going through any windows or all night parties in this post (sorry about that). 

As I was heading into the big smoke of London for a works conference today, I took advantage of the fact that this is actually my old stomping ground and decided to stay with my parents last night, as I did to not really want to have to to train it across to London first thing in the morning. 

As I was down for the evening I had arranged to go with mum and dad to meet up with some friends (Nick and Claire - hi guys!), so last night making my way eastwards on the train I was looking forward to seeing some (not so) old faces. 

One of the main reasons I was seeing Nick and Claire was to see their little boy - who was, as I expected; growing at a ridiculous rate and actually walking around now, if with a slight wobble. Seeing the little man was really lovely, but I got there quite late and soon enough he was given his marching orders and he went off to bed.  

Nick had mentioned earlier in the evening, that when the little one went off to bed if  I wanted we could pop over and see his plot. Now Nick had been one of the main reasons that I had put my name down for an allotment to start with, so to see his plot was something I really couldn't turn down. Also as an allotment newbie I was quite excited to see another plot off of my allotment, so off we went. 

Now firstly let me explain, in the time that you have taken to read up to this point - that is how long it takes to walk from Nick's front door to the gates of his allotment (I am jealous). 

One thing that hit me when I got through the gates of the allotment was the size. It was a lot smaller than our own site - but to be honest this was really the only big difference that I really noticed.

What I did notice were the similarities - the many well maintained plots in their neat formations, the familiar odd concoction of borrowed and acquired artefacts that 'allotmenteers' use to aid growth or store in the hope that one day they will use. The standard amazing plot with its perfect furrows and perfect lines of early crops and a couple of plots that had fallen into disrepair with their sad empty raised beds.  

Nick's plot is a good size with a lovely shed at the end (with the obligatory potatoes chitting in the window). It has raised beds, some tyre beds (something that up to now I was completely unaware of) and an area towards the back with some early crops. On the right hand side of the plot is an area that Nick has covered as to kill off some of the Couch Grass that the allotment suffers with.

He has a whole number of things growing on the plot from Strawberries to Onions and like me talked about it all with great fondness. Overall its lovely plot in a brilliant location, that he has worked really hard on, I want to thank Nick on here for showing me around it. 

Looking around his plot has given me lots of ideas about how to improve on my own and his knowledge, something I am always to soak up, was really helpful. 

So as my first excursion on to a plot other than my own was a complete success, I really enjoyed walking around the site and picking up tips. So as I said, 'going on tour' didn't involve TVs going out of windows or any heavy drinking sessions - but it was fun and I can't wait to go and explore other allotments! 

Taking the rough with the smooth...

It has taken me a fair while to write this post, this is down to the fact that I really didn't know what to write. What happened on Saturday both shocked me and made me appreciate what a family there is at the allotment. 

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Last week I had decided that I was going to work on the plot over the weekend, the plan was to turn over the last of the raised beds and clear some of the very end of the plot, so we could turn this section over and start planting. 

So quite early on Saturday morning I drove down to the allotment and opened up, there were already a few people busily working away at their plots and the usually suspects said hello. I opened up the shed to collect my tools and noticed that a few things were slightly different to how I left it. Now on the allotment I am more than aware people borrow and replace tools if they need them and I am more than happy for people to do that. This though was different and it become evident pretty quickly that my toolbox with all of my hand tools, planting bits (my dibber, seed syringe, labels) and my good knife had been stolen.

This really shocked me, even though I had been told that this could and probably would happen. Because of this I had followed advice and not even put a lock on my shed, this was because I was told if people wanted to get in they would break the door, the lock and then steal everything inside. If the thieves had looked into the toolbox they would have seen that the contents could not have been worth more than about £20. After working out what had actually been taken I had a walk around the allotment and found that my shed was not the only shed that had been stolen from and the sheds that did have locks did indeed have doors smashed and locks cut - it turns out that I was quite lucky.

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After finding about the thefts, I must admit I did go home. I was so annoyed and really could not even think about  tending to the plot so I went home and of all things had a nap! Later that same day after some errands I went back to the plot as I had left my coat, the weather was beautiful and it was a lot quieter than when I left. 

I decided that actually I would work a little, I added compost to the beds where there was nothing growing and I planted some Onions and some Garlic. I also met my new neighbour (across from me) - an absolute gem of a bloke who told me how he was down at the plot to get away from his family as they were all down to see him because he was so ill, he said coming down to the plot was his way of just forgetting everything and getting away from everything at home.

He has a number of plots on the allotment and they are all cracking and he plans that his new one will be no different. After talking about his plans for his new plot he asked whether the thieves had got into my shed, I explained about what had happened - but really him talking about his illness and his fighting spirit had really put everything into perspective. With that he said, "Do you want some onions?" He shot off and came back with 50 onion plug plants, he handed them over and wouldn't even take a thank you calling it a neighbourly gift. 

So a really mixed day at the plot that started with me feeling pretty negative ended with a new friend made lots of work done! 

A shed, raised beds and more digging! (Two hard days at the plot)

Well, what a weekend! This weekend has been in the diary for a while as 'The Shed Weekend' (I know that's quite sad). Also as it has been Easter weekend and my parents had booked to come down, it would only be right to rope them in to help out down the plot - voluntarily of course.

The weekend started as I imagine many bank holiday weekends do with a trip to B&Q. Over the past couple of weeks I have been looking at sheds for the plot (yes, it has been thrilling) and had decided that a simple 6ft x 4ft shed would be perfect for our little patch. So off to B&Q we went for a shed and wood for our raised beds. 

The shed, all wrapped up and ready to go!

As you can see the shed came in many, many pieces. luckily enough my dad can turn his hand to pretty much anything and it wasn't long before the shed was unpacked and spread out over the plot. 

By lunchtime, with some elbow grease and perseverance we had got the sides and the roof on! 

   

Prep for the shed and more paths - with a boozy surprise!

Yesterday and today were really all about myself and the wife preparing for the arrival for the shed. We had already decided where we were going to put the shed, unfortunately this area very uneven and was covered in overgrown carpet.

Working on the shed base

After turning over and raking to even out the square, I then covered it in membrane and covered it in mulch. Tomorrow we (my parents are coming to help) are hoping to buy and erect a shed! 

The finished base

So today I decided that I was going to work on an area that I hope to end up as a raised bed and finish some of the paths.  Taking on the area where the bed was going to be was quite a job as it was weed-heavy and had lots of long grass both dead and still alive all over it. Unperturbed I set out on the area and worked on it pretty much all afternoon. Let the raking, weeding, turning over, weeding commence! As I said it did take most of the afternoon but I did get there in the end. 

The bed on the far right was the one I worked on today

Today had a surprising and welcoming ending when my neighbour who had been busy rotorvating all afternoon called me over. "I want you to try my wine" - who am I to argue, so after a chat about the many different kinds that she makes we settled on a thimble sized taster of her Plum Wine. The wine tasted like a strong dry cider and I wasn't too keen. So I decided to take bottles of of the Dry Blackberry Wine and Greengage wine - I will let you know how they taste tomorrow!

You can find me on twitter at @lancehorsey and comment on this blog, it would be great to here from you.

All paths lead to the ... mulch pile!

Well it's been a while since iv'e blogged, that's mainly because I haven't been down to the plot in over a week. This has been due to the temperature only hovering above freezing and because work has been really busy!

So today after a trip to B&Q to look at sheds I headed down to the allotment. My aim today was to get some of the paths laid, start on creating a new bed and depending on the time tidy up a bit. 

Completely alone on the allotment I must admit I was loving the peace and quiet. The first thing I decided to do was dig over a new bed that I had marked out the last time I was at the plot. The bed, quite a small square (about 2m Square) was covered in weeds and long grass. After a good 2 hours of cursing the weeds, long grass and hard ground the job was done! 

To save money we have decided to use the mulch that is provided at the allotment for pathways on the plot. So after turning over the new bed I thought I would take on the paths! I had previously bought some membrane to run under the mulch, so the dreaded weeds would not come through. 

What I did not realise was how much mulch is needed to mulch a path! (The answer for those who don't know either is ... more than I ever could have imagined!)  So there followed many, many trips to the mulch pile. 

The dreaded mulch pile!

After laying all of the paths that I could, I set about clearing some of the long dead grasses that were caught in the raspberry bushes on the plot - another job that took quite a while.

The plot is really starting to take shape and I'm still really enjoying it, even though the work is not getting any easier. It wont be long until we sow our first seeds and bulbs - I cannot wait! It would be great if you could follow me on twitter, you can find me @lancehorsey and feel free to comment on this blog!

The plot so far...

Well it's been just over a week so I thought I would do a really quick update with a before and after picture.

I'm quite proud of what we have done! Like I said it's only a quick post - If you want to follow on twitter you can find me here @lancehorsey. 

More digging ... but we are getting there!

The day started well, after about an hour of battling the dreaded stump (see previous post) I managed to remove it. To say that I was glad to see the back of it was an understatement - I was quite pleased with myself!

Me in the hole!

With Delyth working on the other former raised bed, I decided to mark out the front of the plot with string where the paths and beds would be. I have chosen to use the old paving slabs that were under the former shed to mark out a path. As well as giving the plot structure it also means that we would not have to keep walking over the cultivated areas. I then set about turning over the stringed areas. 

The turning over of the marked out areas along with many trips to the compost heap soon took its toll and before we knew it we were both flagging and in need of sustenance. We had out packed lunches and surveyed our handy work. 

Our neighbours to the right let us borrow their barrow  (it was a godsend!)

After lunch we carried on, myself marking out another rectangle and turning it over while Delyth attacked the weeds on the area making a lot it easier for me. 

After nearly 6 hours at the plot we decided to call it a day, safe in the knowledge that we had got lots done.

Although today was all about digging and hard work, the front of the plot is really starting to look more like an allotment rather than a mess and I am still looking forward to going back for more!

 

You can follow me on twitter @lancehorsey and I really do appreciate all of the lovely comments from previous posts! - Lance

An afternoon of new friends and very stubborn weeds!

Today was our first day (well full afternoon) at the Allotment. So after a detour to ASDA to get ourselves a rake, we arrived at the site ready and excited to make a start. 

We had decided that today, we were going to weed as much as we could of the existing raised beds, remove and replant the small Bay Tree and the Rosemary Bush, and remove the stump of what we know now was a much larger Bay Tree. I also wanted to clear the front of the plot as it was causing a bit of an obstruction on the road.

I tackled the front of the plot first making sure that all of the earth and weeds we removed, this didn't take too long and it was soon all clear. 

After a cup of tea from the flask, we were joined by one of our neighbours. She introduced herself as Pauline and told us that she was originally from Malaysia. Pauline was lovely talked of the people who had the allotment before us and it would seem the the plot has, in the past been very successful in its yield of both fruit and vegetables.

The three of us walked around the plot, and Pauline pointed out that we not only had one Raspberry bush (that we already knew about) but five or six  other Raspberry and Blackberry bushes, an Apple Tree and a Plum Tree, what a result!

Our new faces were attracting attention and it wasn't long before we also met Peter, who's plot sits a few along from ours. Peter was full of brilliant info about the whole site and gave us some great advice about sheds and security, he also gave us a very handy bucket! - Thanks Peter!

Peter and Pauline soon left us to it and myself and the wife set to work, she on the raised beds and myself on the Small Bay Tree, Rosemary Bush and dreaded stump! 

As the ground was quite soft the tree and bush came up relatively quickly and my attention was soon drawn to the stump. 

Pauline had said that the tree that had stood there was a large Bay that over hung the road. So with this knowledge, I knew that digging the stump out was not going to be easy - I had completely underestimated the task.

By this point the wife had whizzed through the first of the former raised beds and was re-planting the Rosemary and Bay into pots. I take my hat off to her (and I do wear one quite frequently) she did a great job of the raised bed she was working on today!  

The former raised bed and the partially dug stump

Meanwhile - I was still digging at the stump...and digging....and digging. This digging went on for most of the afternoon until heavy rain stopped play. 

As you can see we have made a start, if but a small one. But we will be back tomorrow spade in hand ready to take on more of the plot and as I sit here with a glass of Crabbies (Alcoholic Ginger Beer for any international readers) I can't help but look forward to it.

Oh by the way, you can follow me on twitter on @lancehorsey. 

Walking (digging) in the footsteps (vegetable patches) of others...

'Pause for a while you walk around your allotment, and reflect. All land has a hidden history and unless the site is very new you will be treading in the in the footsteps of previous tenants, possibly going back for generations' - Andi Clevely

Walking around the allotment the one thing that really does sing out to me is the history of the site. Whether it be a plot that is over grown with weeds, moulding veggies and a clapped our old shed, or one of the beautifully kept plots with its perfectly turned over earth and uniform canes.  

One of the more organised plots on the allotment (not my own, that can be found on earlier posts)

I can't help wondering how much the site has changed in it's 37 years, and apart from the odd exotic veggie growing in one of the many greenhouses, I doubt that much has changed at all. 

From reading books, blogs and the odd magazine about Growing your own and the history of allotment life, the 'community' of allotment folk is talked about at great length and fondness. Looking over the my plot I do wonder about the friendships that have begun there, with the words, "Morning, I'm new on plot 19a do you think you could give me a bit of advice..." Or more likely, how many Welsh rugby internationals have been dissected over a cup of luke-warm flask tea on a cloudy Saturday afternoon.    

I'm looking forward to walking around on a busy day over at the allotment, to meeting my neighbours and learning from their knowledge. 

I think it's safe to say that I'm going to enjoy this allotment malarkey.  

Making a start...

This evening we popped up to the plot to get on and do some cleaning up before we lost the light. There was a surprising amount of rubbish, old bits of carpet, wood and broken pots that had built up since it was in use.

Making a start on some of the rubbish

We were not the only people on the site, we got talking to the 87 year old Allotment Association Treasurer; Bert, who told us that our plot actually had a shed and a greenhouse on until not too long ago. Bert explained that the previous tenant had sold to the plot opposite our own (which is a bit of a pain).

Bert also pointed out that we had a Bay Tree and Rosemary Bush that were thriving at the front of the plot, we are not sure whether we are going to keep these or give them away just yet.

The plot is looking cleaner

We are hoping to get over there this weekend weather permitting, when we want to get onto the weeds and grasses that seem to have taken over the raised beds...well most of the plot to be honest!

Day 1 - 19A

After registering for an allotment in June 2012, I must admit I had forgotten about it. I had emailed a couple of times to check where I sat on the waiting list but overall it had slipped my mind. It wasn't until Christmas when I received a copy of The Allotment Book by Andi Clevely, that I remembered that I was even on the list.

So when I received a phone call on Saturday night from the Allotment Association Secretary; David, asking me down to the site on Sunday morning I was quite excited. 

I must admit I had no idea what to expect as David opened the gate and invited me in. As he showed me round the site I was thrilled to see staples of every allotment; sheds, greenhouses and lots of piles of compost. I couldn't help but marvel at the well maintained plots, with their uniform raised beds, elaborate rain catching devices and weather-beaten scarecrows. 

Dotted in amongst these plots though were a few that weren't as well looked after and the odd few that had "been let go" according to David. These were quite sorry looking patches of land with bits of old mouldy carpet and rotting vegetables laying about amongst mountains of weeds.

Our quick tour ended at Plot 19A, a 5.5 perch plot that had been recently given up by an elderly Gent due to ill health.

Plot 19A

With a nod of his head towards the plot David said "This is the one, it's yours if you want it..." 

After establishing that I did indeed want it and getting the paperwork out of the way, David said his goodbyes and left me to survey our little bit of land.

19A - The Patch

As you can see, the plot is overgrown (a little wild in places) and needs some serious TLC but I know that with time we can make it into something. There is a hell of a lot of work to be done, but rather than dreading the hard work, I'm really looking forward to it. 

This Blog will follow us through our time working on the plot, documenting the changes in the patch and in time what we grow.