We pre-ordered a set each of ‘Ariane’ and ‘Mondeo’ asparagus crowns from Thompson & Morgan in January and thought it would give us plenty of time to build an asparagus bed. It did of course, but then it rained and snowed and rained a bit more, and as I recall we had even more snow and it’s … More The Not-Quite-Finished Asparagus Bed Adventure.
We did it, we made it through our first year of allotment gardening without killing everything or each other (excluding that time I nearly took Rob out with a ladder). Has it been a successful year? Well, we’re still on speaking terms and it hasn’t ended in divorce so that’s a pretty positive close to … More One Year on the Plot: Our First Year Reviewed
Intruders came on Friday, under the cover of darkness, and forced the lock on the main gates. They must have been on site a while because only a few plots escaped their attention. Plots on our snicket were raided – all the ones with sheds… Except ours. We know this because they left the gates … More Break-ins, Boobytraps, and Other News from the Plot
I started keeping an allotment journal after reading Richard Chivers’ post on the subject last year and it’s been an invaluable tool, so this year I’ve gone a step further and also made an allotment plan and spreadsheet. The plan and spreadsheet’s main purpose is to keep me on top of planting and sowing times, and … More Allotment Plans 2018
Work on the living fence has been going well, and we’ve not seen any recent evidence of rabbits on the plot. However, when I arrived today two very cute muntjac deer bounded away down our snicket. I stood for a while and contemplated their beauty as they disappeared amongst the treeline. And then I checked … More Oh, Deer!
It’s been a busy week on the plot as shed work continues. I’ve painted the inside walls to protect the pallet wood. We’ve used four 5 litre cans of Cuprinol wood stain so far (in shade Silver Copse). Rob helped paint the ceiling as finishing it meant he could start laying the floor. I’ll need … More Shed Update, Cold Frame Construction, and Other News from the Plot
Since we have only had our plot since March last year we are still trying to find our feet. Our philosophy in 2017 was ‘try it and see’, and this best sums up every decision we made, every plant planted, and every structure built. 2017 was about getting to know the plot (clayey, compacted and … More 2018 – Allotment Aspirations
We were very excited last year to be given a plot with a well, but since the gravel extraction work in the quarry behind us intensified we have watched the well dry up. I also noticed that something slimy and possibly alien had moved into the hole so, for the greater good of mankind, we … More Goodbye Well, Hello Sinkhole
I spent Monday afternoon at the allotment re-doing and changing work we had previously completed. We do try and get things right the first time round, but plans have a habit of going awry. I guess this is because we are still getting to know the site and all its idiosyncrasies, and because this is … More The Convoluted Route (of Leaf Mould Bins and Compost Bays)
I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by the plot. I have no routine, I’m out of my depth, and I don’t fully know how the year affects the site. With the turning of the season into autumn I was left floundering and wondering, “what do I do next?” Luckily for me, that question … More Falling into Autumn with a Bump
This week I’ve been digging a new flowerbed. I’ve been dying to get started on the area around the hazel tree near our gate. This end of the allotment has been neglected since we took the plot on in March. The ground is heavy clay and tough to dig, although there’s been plenty of thistle … More Starting the Flower Beds
We have potatoes! These are our second early Maris Peers. We waited a week or so after the flowers had faded before digging, and this just happened to coincide with family visiting so we had extra hands to rummage and join us in our first toast to the land. And, for favourable future harvests, we buried … More Our First Harvest, and Other News from the Plot
We were lucky enough to have an extra pair of hands on the plot last Thursday when our friend Chris popped over for “a tour.” The inverted commas are because we waited until we’d locked him into the allotment site before breaking the news that we actually meant manual labour. Chris is an ex-florist and … More Gifts and Helping Hands
When I arrived at the plot today I noticed there was a little dip in the woodchip path near our gate. From certain angles, and if you squinted hard enough, you could picture a rabbit having made such a dent. But not on our plot because we’ve bunny proofed it. I didn’t spend too much … More Outfoxed, or Should that be Out-Bunnied?
That’s certainly how we’re feeling one week into allotment ownership, but we’re starting to make some progress. I haven’t drawn up a plan for the site yet because I wanted to get a feel for the plot first. I’m also slightly worried that we’ll be intimidated by all the tasks to come if we see … More Dazed and Confused
That’s what L called today. L is a Twitter friend who just happens, coincidentally, to have the allotment opposite us. Rob and I took the van to the plot today to drop off wood and pallets. Our first setback occurred upon arrival when the van became stuck on our way to the car park. L … More Baptism of Fire
A Whole Plotta Love 
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