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.