Allotment year 2009

Late in 2008 I took on one of the village allotments this is a pictoral record of my first growing year on it. What I took on was a patch that had not been cultivated in years, as it had been used as a manure dump in the days when the sheep lorry was cleaned out on its way back from Thame market.

It was very effectively covered in nettles interspersed with magnificent docks.

The first turf was broken and used to start the walls for a compost heap

So off I cycle equipped with my trusty fork

My secret weapon, a plastic bucket and a hand turned stick to pull it with. Better than a wheelbarrow as I could throw the roots high on the communal compost heap.

Somehow the whole patch was dug over in time for the sowing season. It is a full size plot 10m x 30m

Alongside the digging, I was busy planting seeds, first in the propagator and then in the coldframe. The seedlings were then potted on into newspaper 'pots' and lovingly transported by bike to the allotment. Frank says that 'it is not gardening up here but war', as can be seen from the state of my broad beans after one day up there!!!