Hello everyone and welcome to the first installment of Allotment Life, my account of the year on my allotment, Plot 10C at Grimston Road, South Wootton. In this blog I will try my best to give you an enjoyable and honest account of life on the allotment.
Firstly, to describe my allotment. You need to know what it's like! My allotment is 17m x 8m, and split into two clear sections. Two thirds of it is a traditional veg plot where I grow all the usual stuff, and there are also fruit bushes, raspberries, strawberries and herbs there. The other third is an ornamental garden, with flowers, shrubs, a pond, stepping stones and seating. I took allotment 10C on in September 1999 when I was 12, and I had no garden of my own and also wanted to do something a bit different with my allotment. I decided that part of it should be a pretty ornamental garden. Other gardeners donated dozens of plants and I've got a bird feeding station and even a gnome called Jake!
It's now the end of March. Last year the allotment got a bit messy because I was a bit too busy working and doing other things to keep it as tidy as it should be. So this year I've been working really hard to get on top of it early. My veg section is all ready for planting and my potatoes and onions are in. The ornamental section is tidy and daffodils are just coming into bloom, shortly to be followed by bluebells. There is frogspawn in the pond, and birds back and forth top the feeders.
I've just begun to sort out my raspberries - I wish to reduce these to one row as it's a bit crowded with two rows at the minute. Over the next month I will hopefully also get the rest of my veg in and then it will be nearly time for the shasta daisies and lupins to come out in the ornamental section! The prettiest time of 10C is approaching!