National Allotment Week 2020. day four Thursday 13th August
Key in hand, head buzzing with ideas and warm sun on my back I began my tenancy of Plot 106 Lancing Manor allotments in May 2019. And tenancy it is. I am now well on in years and whilst enjoying good physical and emotional health do temper those grand plans of youth with a heavy dose of practicality. As a mate cheerfully reminded me at the time " Andy, your next decade ends at 80 ". Thanks ! There is a general conception about the profile of allotmenteers. Old, retired and people with time on their hands spring to mind. On my way the grammar school in Yorkshire many years ago I would walk past one of the local mills and next to it were the allotments for presumably, primarily, their retired workers. Anyway, even at that early hour the tenants were there. So that was my first sighting of an allotment. At least an organised growing area other than a veg plot in the garden. I jest not that flat caps, pipes or even a whippet were in evidence. Mr Bolland lived two doors away from us and had an allotment there. He rode his bike around and you could see evidence of his labours on the panniers and bag. He did smoke a pipe. He did have a whippet ( called Nell ) but my memory fades as to whether he wore a flat cap. Plot 106 was by any standards overgrown. But as I try to do, spinning that to my best advantage meant that if it grew all those elderberry bushes, field bindweed, fat fen, blackberry briars and the like, then it would certainly grow beans, potatoes and carrots. The state of the plot meant that I had to make a very early compromise. The plan was to have it all as " no dig " by growing green manures mulching with manures and compost to build up the fertility level and humus that are the essential of no dig. Some of the briars had stems and roots literally as thick as your arm and not wishing to go into the blackberry business they would have to be dug out. Another very important point about renting an allotment is that unless you are lucky, you are initially going to have to involve yourself or others in some pretty demanding physical work. I had some help from mates in these early days that I will name check in a later posting. And via our combined efforts a great clearance occurred and about a quarter of the plot was rotovated. Rotovating on allotments or anywhere else for that matter has its proponents and champions if the land afterwards is to be used productively. It is said that perennial weed roots get shredded and regrow with a vengeance. I have not noticed that on 106. I took the following four months to double dig the rest of the plot to get out what was needed. And I started to do some planting and sowing, these photos give a flavour. Tomorrow I will give my 12 month summary on what happened up to May 2020 ....
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AuthorI launched this website on 16th August 2020 to bring together my thoughts on gardening,, its importance for health and wellbeing and two projects running concurrently, a renovation of my own garden on the West Sussex coast at Lancing and a nearby allotment. But also to learn from other gardeners about the inspirations for their plots, about their gardening projects and enjoyment of beautiful plants and gardens Archives
February 2024
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