The Thrills and Spills of Allotment Gardening

The Thrills and Spills of Allotment Gardening

Introduction

Deciding to acquire an allotment meant that Suze and l researched all the reasons for and against having a plot of land. It can be all too easy to get caught up in the rose-tinted glasses look at gardening, which is why we wanted to study all the pros and cons and see if having a plot of our own was best for us. Did we have what it took to be active farming gardeners?

The answer was a resounding yes from both of us. Strange, when l look back as little as five years ago and having an allotment was about the furthest thing from my mind. Yet, our passions and work styles were, if anything leading us to this very moment.

Suze has always been a dedicated green-fingered gardener, me not so much. I was always and still am passionate about soils and compost and worms and bugs, with a craving for herbs and maybe flowers. The latter two, primarily if they were being used as companion planting in the art of growing vegetables. So l am more the ‘brown-handed’ gardening sort.

Today my diet is somewhat restrictive, which means that growing a wide variety of vegetables can be awkward. However, there are vegetables which l can eat safely, so all is not lost. Suze is still able to eat from a broader range of vegetables, so it is a viable option to grow what we can for our table instead of buying poorer quality vegetables from the supermarkets.

So many ‘wannabee plotters’ start the whole process with a new plot of land and an abundance of overspilling enthusiasm, and yet after a short while, three out of every five ‘to be’ allotment gardeners drop off the planet of interest and hand the plot back into the management.

There is no denying, at times, the outright fact that farming and vegetable gardening is hard work, and in simpler terms, you are either an allotment plotter, or you’re not and never will be. Too many people sadly don’t perform the proper study or research into everything to do with having a plot of land.

They have great ideas, to begin with, but over time their energy levels fizzle, and they burn out when they realise that their huge expectations may not be achieved easily.

The Allotment Plotters as a series will primarily explore the journey that Suze and l will undertake with our plot of land – The Earthly Comforts Garden – and turn it into an efficient, productive vegetable plot.

Furthermore, the series will look at other features such as rainfall harvesting, wildlife gardening, keeping chickens, worm farming and extensive composting methods. As well as the growing of herbs, fruits and flowers and above everything working the plot to its fullest potential and capacity – getting the most from the land.