Our little piece of happiness… welcome to plot 21a 🙂
Having been on the waiting list for 2 and a half years, we finally signed on the dotted line in October 2011 for plot 21a. It’s a small area covering 58 sq yards. Apparently, most people start off on this plot and then upgrade to a bigger plot when one becomes free. Not us! 😀 We’ve set up here and are really happy with it. With both of us working full time – we find it’s the perfect size for us at the moment. You’d be surprised what you can do with a small area!
The previous owners left the plot in good condition. They had taken what they wanted, and left the rest to us, including : rhubarb, autumn raspberries, beetroot and a bed of strawberries. Here’s what we’ve changed/added since getting our lottie…
October 2011… The start of an exciting growing journey 🙂 Wellies on, tools to hand, we set off as soon as we could to check the plot out and start work clearing up! We’re allotmenteers now, a little rain never hurt any one. I found a great use for rhubarb on the first day… 😀
An organic umbrella 🙂
Stew starting on the weeding – Mystery brassicas (we presume) that had gone to seed – Wet tired but happy on our first day on the plot
Free allotment training with Debdale Eco Centre…
Heritage seed garden – Stew digging in – Making compost
January 2012… We dug a trench ready for the new water system that ran though our plot…
And obviously I had to play in it! 😀 haha
Added raised beds and changed the compost bin from a wooden box to a plastic one…
Potatoes as big as my head! – Stew working hard putting the raised beds in – Plot maintenance aka weeding 🙂
A steaming pile of poop – Our first rhubarb crumble – My flower patch is in 🙂
The plot building up nicely 🙂 potatoes and onions in. We put up pea and bean teepees… and I planted my wellies… like you do!
Planting the onions – Our signature wellies 🙂 – Watering in the seed potatoes
Sweet peas in – Wicker borders for a country kitchen garden look – De-weeding the strawberry patch
Strawbs ripening – Brassica patch getting ready for Christmas dinner! – Beautiful corn cockle grown from seed 🙂
Still smiling and our first two ripe strawberries 😀
July 2012… Delicious peas in a pod – they never made it home 😀 and the fruits of our labour starting to show signs of life!
Radishes – I’m always showing Stew this kneeling mat hehe – Peas in a pod
Up come the potatoes and it’s a very disappointing crop 😦 because of all the bad weather in July.
Stew digging up the potatoes – Happy sunflowers – Beans & an entire crop of potatoes 😦
September 2012… A tad too busy to go to our allotment. The big day finally arrives and we are now Mr & Mrs Brown 🙂 yipppeeee!
Love on the lottie – our pre wedding shoot – We’ve just said I do! – Mr & Mrs Brown
October 2012…
Don’t eat it all at once carrot! – Helping at the shed – Autumn raspberries 🙂
We kept our little table and chairs on the allotment, rather than at home in the garden, so we have somewhere to put our feet up!
Stew digs up the raspberries (We’ve not seen the last of them!) – Me working hard as usual… – and again, art directing is thirsty work!
December 2012… Ding dong merrily on high 😀
The best feeling in the world as we go down to harvest our first ever crop of sprouts and cabbage for Christmas dinner!
March 2013… Jassy makes her debut visit to the lottie – turns out she’s an excellent digger and catcher of bees! (although we do tell her not to eat them – she has fun trying!)
Jassy helping daddy to pick rhubarb – More potatoes in – Putting up the mini greenhouse we got as a wedding gift from all our friends at the allotment
July 2013… A fantastic growing year so far! Long may it continue!
Looking out for wild life in the new strawberry bed! – Our beautiful wild flower patch triumph – The best crop of potatoes we’ve ever had!
So a pretty busy time up to now on our lottie, it’s great to see the changes throughout the seasons. We keep planning, adding and changing things and we love it. I hope you can see from what we have done since October 2011 how much we ‘dig’ allotmenting 🙂
If you have any ideas or suggestions of what we could add or change, please let us know. The fun is in the planning! 😀
Lottie Land Girl Kaz, Stew & Jassy (& the buns too!) 😀 xx
Just came across your lovely blog! Watch out, I started with a half, now I have 3!!! I love it, where else would you meet and banter with 80 year olds. I am lucky I’m self-employed so I can sneak up in the week. My latest plot is a cutting garden a la Sarah Raven, it makes my heart sing when I see them grow. Happy digging! Donna x
Hi Donna thanks for your lovely comment! 😀 I find that the older people come over chatting, sharing stories and helping us with our growing- a fountain of knowledge 😀 I’m not self employed but I work from home and sometimes on my dinner my and little Jassy dong wonder down to see whats happening on the plot. It would be great to have a bigger space but we do well with the small space we’ve got! xx
Lovely photos, and love your enthusiasm! Good to be reminded why I love growing, when its a freezing February day and the ground is soggy!
Hi there 🙂 thanks for your lovely comments 🙂 I’m so keen to get on the lottie now to get stuck in! It’s great to connect with you I’m just off to check your blog out… X
love your blog we have a plot down in plymouth 🙂 its great! Nice to see some successful growing 🙂 x
Hi Emily thanks for your lovely comment about my blog. It’s nice when things are successful we’ve had potato issues this year… I’m going to blog about it soon!
Hi
Enjoying your tweets, Edible Food Show got lots of people buzzing, I can’t be there but look forward to reports.
I hope to post about new irrigation system at allotment later on blog. http://www.air-potgardener.com if you are interested.
Best, Alex
Hi Alex I’ll check that out! Shame you can’t make it! There will always be next year 🙂