Our patch of earth: Roll on spring...

How it began...

So, we’d spent time walking past our local allotments, getting more and more interested in the mysterious things that other people were growing and the ingenious uses that people had found for stuff that non-allotmenteers would probably term ‘junk’.

In March 2007, we spoke to our council, and discovered that our local allotments aren’t council owned - it turns out they’re held in trust. So, we decided to find the secretary. We spoke to Mike and Louise who were really welcoming and enthusiastic, then eventually tracked down Alan the secretary and, a few weeks later, we chose a plot with a little blue shed, a water butt, a small bench, and a patch of oregano.

We dug. It was April, and for those of you who remember April 07, it was hot, hot, hot. The ground was like rock. Adam was having to jump onto the fork to get it into the soil. But we persevered – this was our new veggie patch! We had plans for a herb garden over there, and some rows of beans over here, a compost heap at the back and flowers planted down the edges… until, one week in, a little old Italian lady turned up and claimed the plot was hers. Wah! Much confusion ensued, until we decided we’d rather not have the hassle and uncertainty, and much less be known as the new guys who kicked a little old lady off her plot. Gracious, no.

So we found a new spot. South facing, with rhubarb, gooseberry bushes (I didn’t know they were spiky!), a damson tree (which we thought were plums to start with – till mum made Damson gin and we recognised the fruit) and the Biggest Strawberry Patch In The World.

Twas overgrown, tis true, but much better than plot number 1. Hurrah for little old Italian ladies!

And two sheds! His and Hers, obviously, mainly because mine isn’t quite tall enough for Adam to stand upright in. So, mine has the tea and coffee making facilities, small gas stove, radio, seed packets on nails and an assortment of gardening gloves, while Adam’s has all the manly things – tools, wooden crates, useful bits of wood, tangled netting and carefully wound up bits of wire.

So the digging had to begin, again. After assessing the plot, with some useful hints and random-plant-identifying by Mike, we headed home to get forks and other digging equipment. Ten minutes later we returned to our overgrown plot to hear a strange buzzing noise, and find Mike strimming all the thigh-high weeds with his petrol strimmer! Thanks Mike! A good start to our compost heap… (Add 'build compost heap' to the To Do list.)

And then, half an hour later, as we’re just beginning to curse the sun for being too hot and the earth for being too hard, around the corner of our sheds comes our saviours Mike, Louise and their mate Ali, on white stallions, (no, not really) all brandishing forks and ready to help us dig, till we’d dug the same amount we’d done on plot no.1. Bless ‘em.

And then it was all go! Nine months later, 2008 seems promising. We've read many, many more books, got more ideas and got much more ambitious. And we've actually grown stuff which tasted gooooood. It could still all go horribly wrong, but even if it does I can guarantee we'll still get some tasty fruit and veg from between the weeds, all for a few pence, and a bit of blood, sweat and tears... (well, hopefully not the blood or the tears... just good ol' elbow grease.)

And a bit of help from our friends and family. Any time, chaps - you're very welcome! We'll get the kettle on...

Sounds fun, eh?

Monday, 19 January 2009

Roll on spring...

I've lost that New Year Excitement.

Last year the thought of flicking through seed catalogues and planning for the months ahead filled me with glee, but at the moment the thought of trying to decide what to plant where just seems a bit daunting and I've got no enthusiasm for the plot at all. And just putting that in words makes me feel a bit guilty.

According to the BBC news website, today is officially the 'most depressing' day of the year. I think I'm feeling it. Maybe tomorrow will be better and I'll be able to work up more excitement at the thought of having our Very Own Purple Carrots.

Yeay. Purple. Carrots.

You see? Usually purple carrots (and other unusually-coloured veg) bring a smile to my face. But I just feel like I need a BIG helping of sunshine and a couple of days where the ground isn't freezing cold and the wind isn't blowing my hair in my face and I can get some tidying up and organising done.

Maybe that's it. Maybe I need to get myself organised so I know how many left over sugar snap peas we've got left. And whether we need to plant some more onions.

Adam is much more positive. He popped down to the plot on Sunday, and in the space of an hour and a half managed to spread compost over four beds, chat with Phil, accept the offer of some more garlic cloves from Phil, plant the garlic cloves in a couple of rows, chat with Frank (the bossy Italian man who tells us we're always doing everything wrong) pull up some leeks and generally Assess The Plot.

Adam definitely still has New Year Excitement.

Time to make leek and potato soup... that'll cheer me up.

3 comments:

Rachael said...: Cheer up! As soon as the sun comes out and the shoots start appearing you'll be dying to get out there!; 19 January 2009 at 14:57
Shaheen said...: Alongside your purple carrots - Why don't you grow some purple (blauhilde) french beans and purple potatoes (edzell blue) this year. I did last year and they made me smile. Noone else had them on the plot.

PS I like your blog. Please visit mine. Its allotment2kitchen; 19 January 2009 at 19:54
Sarah said...: Thanks guys - I'm feeling more cheerful today!
Mangocheeks - I like your blog, too, so I've added a link. Some great recipes on there! :); 20 January 2009 at 22:16

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How it began...

Monday, 19 January 2009

Roll on spring...

3 comments: