In February 2009 I took on a very overgrown allotment. It was full of brambles, bracken and other weeds. Clearing the brambles was the easy bit. Clearing the rubbish was the hard bit! I found all-sorts - including the remains of an old mattress! I battled with plastic and carpet which was buried a foot under. I lost count of how many trips I made to the skip. It was hard work, but it was worth it. Although I believe in the no-dig approach, the land had to be dug over a few times initially to eliminate the brambles and rid the plot of the buried rubbish. Now I do not dig as a general rule. The exceptions I make to this rule are for potatoes or to make holes for fruit bushes. I'll talk more about my reasons for not digging in a future post, so watch this space.
Left: Brambles
Right: Getting there
Below: Summertime on the plot. The spot where I am standing marks the boundary of my plot
My friendly neighbours gave me a very warm welcome. They also gave me plants to start me off. One neighbour even made me a couple of raised beds! By March all my raised beds were ready to sow. By the beginning of April I was gratefully munching on spicy salad leaves and rocket. By the summer my plot was in full production. I made a herb spiral that included chives, dill, curry plant, lemon balm, purple sage, thyme, lemon thyme, oregano, golden oregano, rosemary and lavender. I'll talk more about the herb spiral in a future post. Other herbs I grew included echinacea, mint, apple mint, pineapple mint, orange mint, calendula, chamomile, basil and green sage. I grew a lot of rocket because I eat so much of it. I also grew potatoes, carrots, peas, broad beans, dwarf beans, leeks and borage. Kind neighbours gave me some strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant plants. I also inherited a row of comfrey plants which came in very useful.
Despite the endless rain in the summer months, nearly everything was a success. The only things that didn't work out were the spinach and the beetroot. I blame the slugs for the spinach, but I have no idea why the beetroot were so tiny. I hope for better luck next time!
It is January now, so most of my beds are resting for the winter. I have mulched them with green manure that I have grown on the plot. The herb spiral continues to provide me with all the herbs listed above except the chives. I also have quite a bit of rocket and some leeks. I have one globe artichoke plant that is hanging on for dear life (it's a bit frost bitten!). I am currently making plans for this year. I can't wait to start sowing again.
From Brambles to Blossoms
Left: Brambles
