While I have been away from the blog, I have visited the the plot.
We haven’t done a ton of work, Ma is only coming every other week and there has been lots of other stuff going on. There has been weeding and tidying but the arrival of the seed potatoes last week means it’s time to start and get the plot in shape for spring.
So let’s talk about the state of the plot.
Last season wasn’t the best. We had a four month hiatus in Jan-April last year because of the work to the flat and COVID. So we started behind. The weather was interesting, we had a fantastic berry year, this meant a lot of time was spent berry picking and not so much time weeding, and the weeds got very out of of control, especially on the side with the gardens (rose, herb, iris), where we didn’t strim the path so much. The wildlife loved it, we had crickets chirping away but the grass weeds, went bananas, and my squash beds stuffered.
It really wasn’t a complete disaster we grew things, I was overall, happy with what we got for the effort we put in. I did feel that I was constantly playing catch up. There were other life things too. I took on more at work, which has been great, however, I don’t do transition well and it’s involved a lot of learning and been mentally taxing, which does impact how much time I had for the plot. We add to that that Ma had her cataract replacement operations in August and September and while that was just a couple of days I was with her, she really couldn’t come over and help and generally, we are starting to transition how we see one another, I go to her more which is time away from the plot and absolutely not a problem, she’s 75 and I’m happy go over and do whatever needs doing (and see her too!).
All that to say, it was a trickier year than I expected and I will need to rethink how I organise my time this year (more activity, less reading I suspect!). However, I need to get it into a useable shape over the next three months, so that come April, I’m not weeding, when I should be sowing and planting!
Let’s talk about structure.
We are going to buy another poly tunnel. The current one needs a new cover and while it is over kill to buy a whole new polytunnel we thought we’d use the cover on the old frame and use the new frame as a fruit cage. Our allotment committee chair has done this and it works really well and it will give us a place for the blueberries and the strawberry towers and maybe free up some space where we’ve had to have them. It will mean losing some of the ‘wild area’ and the bed right next to it. As soon as the ground isn’t frozen, I’ll move the soil into one of the other beds, we’ll have some patio stones coming next week, to go down in that space and I need to move the lavender, that’s in the wild area. One of things we did get done before Christmas, was to plant up another 30 odd strawberry plants (and replant them, twice, over Christmas and New Year due to the windy weather!), so we have more strawberries for this year.
At the front of the plot where the bulb bed sits, we’ve removed the sides of the bed because they were not in good shape. The grass from the paths has been really bad this year and it’s tricky to tell what’s bulb and what’s grass. even when it’s clear which is which, the grass roots often pull up the bulbs as the bulbs have really grown. My plan is to let the bulbs flower and dig them up to replant in the autumn. I plan do the same to the grape hyacinths just outside the bed too. I’m still not 100% sure what to do with this area, there is a grapefruit mint and chamomile in this bed and last year I planted a lavender, some thyme and some chamomile lawn near here. There’s comfrey and a sage plant in the corner too. At the moment the cornflowers and calendula self seed here. so part of me thinks that I just plant some more perennial herbs so there’s a bit more green in the winter and sow some more annual flowers and herbs for the summer! We did have zinnias in there the summer before last and it was pretty, so that may be where we go.
I also have to find a home for the dahlias I bought this year. (Look, you know what a sucker I am for things that are named with significance – it’s why we grow Nicola potatoes and irises! So dahlias called ‘Wine Eyed Jill‘? It was going to happen). I’m also thinking with that area that if we plant bulbs that need to come up every year, then it helps us keep the grass under control. Right now what I really need to do is finish weeding everything at the front and get some mulch down.
My allotment neighbour gave my plum tree a prune in the summer and hopefully, it’ll have a better year this year, it’s an old tree but I’d be really sorry to lose it as it’s perfect and we’re not allowed to plant trees this big anymore (especially not right next to the path!)
We have cut back the raspberries and mulched with woodchip. At the weekend, we did most of the paths and over Christmas we tidied up the back of the plot and mulched there. There has been quite a bit of weeding and it’s not in terrible shape…
The things on the immediate to do list are clear the area for the fruit cage, weed everything I can and mulch at the front, I read that gooseberries don’t need much but that they hate to dry out, so that’s going to be a priority this year. I also need to prune the gooseberries and the blackcurrant.
Things I might not get to in February but need too are the boysenberry area, it’s very weed infested and it does get to the back so it needs sorting. The shed needs a paint and a tidy. We need to work out how much compost I need to buy and I need to actually turn the compost bins, there is always something to do!
I’ve also decided to get a green garden wheelie bin in April, there are weeds that need to be binned because my compost game is not good. I can’t keep piling them at the back of the plot, so we’re going to send them to the council compost site! It’s £100 a year well spent.
Next week, we’ll talk about what we plan to grow this year and my new(ish) indoor growing station!
Nic Dempsey 