Wednesday 9 April 2014

Plot Number 10


 Hello lovely people. This post comes with an undercurrent of great excitement!!


That's me looking at my little piece of England. 

Last week I went to the Town Hall to enquire about putting my name down for an allotment plot. To my complete surprise I was told that there were several plots available. I was given a little map with highlighted squares, and told to go have a look and see which plot took my fancy. So after tea me Olly and Alfie drove to Trowan, which lies on the back road out of St Ives. It really is the most wonderfully idyllic setting for growing your own, with Rosewall Hill in the background and the Atlantic to the fore. 

There wasn't anyone there, and as I can barely direct anyone up the crease of a map, me and the boys just ran around exploring. It was beautifully peaceful. No sounds of traffic and just the Blackbirds for company. I was entranced by the higgledy piggledy sheds and cold frames that had been erected. I was rather taken with one particular plot that had a swathe of fruit canes and a blue bench in one corner. Olly liked the scarecrow. I felt that tingle of excitement mixed with anxiety, as I contemplated whether I could actually take on a plot of my own. 

The allotment site was given over to the Association and the plot holders in August 2010, so it is very new as allotments go. The site was a former farming field covered in couch grass and other plants. There are about fifty plots, and they have been created from scratch. Each plot is ten metres by twelve metres in size, and cost £60 pounds a year to lease. I think that's a very cheap way to extend your gardening opportunities, don't you?

Yesterday evening I took Marc to have a look around too. I needed a map reader. I also needed to ask for a bit of help. As the plots available are still untended, full of couch grass and weeds that need to be cleared. It means a lot of hard graft - digging mostly - before any of the fun stuff can begin. Thank goodness that he was as excited as I was. Armed with the knowledge that I would not be doing it completely alone, I felt ready to commit.

And so Plot Number 10 is mine ours! 

I have already sketched out a layout, and in my minds eye I can see exactly how it will look in a couple of seasons time. This first season it would be great to get the plot in a state fit for planting, and possibly start off some veg to over winter. I have high hopes, and my brain is swimming in ideas. We spoke to a fellow plot holder, who has told us that the soil is fabulous for growing, after so many years of being fertilised by cows. He proudly showed us his garlic, leeks and onions and he also had a huge strawberry bed.

The only problem may be the wind coming off the sea. All the best sites are protected by the hedgerows from neighbouring fields, and they have already been taken. So I will need to invest in some protective screening of my own. Again, thank goodness for Marc, his engineers brain and Screwfix catalogue. He'll have one rigged up in no time. Of course I desire beautiful hedging as a screen, with Clematis scrambling through, but all in good time. 

I think it will be a lovely place to bring Olly, and I have already decided that a small patch will be given over to grow stuff with him in mind. Pollinator friendly plants and a Strawberry bed. A little sand pit for him to play in in the summer months, and a place for bees and bugs to hibernate. Most likely he will be free-wheeling on his bike making friends with fellow plot holders. Or stomping in and falling into muddy puddles, as he did yesterday. But I would really like the ethos of why I started to garden in the first place to be continued here on plot number 10. 

My gardening adventures have got very much bigger. Wish me luck.

Leanne xx




19 comments:

  1. Exciting times ahead, hard work, back ache and grass/mud stains everywhere. Growing your own food is fun, and when you look at the price and freshness or the lack of, things like sprouting Broccoli and realise that 4 plants can give you at least £100 worth it eases the back ache considerably.

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  2. Hi Leanne
    This is so exiting, I am actually almost as exited as you are! I think I might catch the gardening bug from you. I have a husband with a serious ScrewFix problem. We even have a ScrewFix shop in town (apparently a lot better than B&Q)…. Men. I so want to move to Cornwall but I am not sure if there would be employment for Richard and I. Have fun planning your plot! Cx

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  3. SO exciting, Congratulations!!! Yes, that does sound very reasonably priced for a piece of England. We don't have allotments here as such and I've only become aware of that term through blogging, but I love the whole concept. It sounds similar to our community gardens except yours is your own. Fabulous! All the best at number 10! Mel x

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  4. Good luck, Leanne! That is so exciting for you! I have a couple of friends who have allotment plots and I am so jealous when they head over there. I think that price is very reasonable for a year, looking forward to seeing how it develops.

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  5. Very exciting for you....hope you enjoy every moment :) xx

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  6. Brilliant Leanne. I think there is a new TV programme about allotmenteers starting soon. Growing a row of Comfrey is a really good idea as it is the most wonderful organic fertiliser x

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  7. oh my goodness i am so envious but more thrilled for you! i have been trying to talk hubby into an allotment since our veggies failed again last year (3rd year in a row) we just dont get enough sun and their are allotments at the back of our house in full sun! He is adamant its a no! OH TO HAVE THE ENTHUSIASM OF A MAN IN THE GARDEN!! cant wait to see the adventures in plot 10! x

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  8. Oh yes, the very best of luck! But with both of you working on it it will be fun and give you plenty of exercise too. I'm envious of you having all that space. Working with just three raised beds and a lot of shade is challenging.

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  9. Fantastic Leanne! I am so jealous . Cant wait to see how it progresses!

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  10. How exciting! Best wishes for a successful plot. I am sure it will be beautiful with your expertise and knowledge.

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  11. Congratulations Leanne!! I look forward to reading about the further adventures of gardening on Plot 10! It all sounds very exciting indeed. xx

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  12. Wow! How exciting!!!! You must be the only person in the country who hasn't had to be put on a decade long waiting list to get one. Enjoy - I can't wait to hear your growing stories! x

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  13. How FAB,Best Wishes for plot 10, lot's of photo's too please
    Take Care
    Sue x

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  14. I'm squeaking with excitement for you Leanne, and I'm happy that you have someone to help you out, lucky you! It looks like a beautiful spot, and if the soil is good, then that's the most important thing sorted. If you can clear a small area you might be able to get some things in for the summer. I took my plot on just before the summer holidays (early July) and I still managed to grow courgettes and radishes that year. I really hope you enjoy making a vegetable garden there, I am so looking forward to following your progress. And I know your littlest boy will love it there. Happy growing Leanne, CJ xx

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  15. I am so excited for you! Have you ever looked at the Square Foot Gardening site? If you have limited space it is an excellent way to make the most use of what you do have. I love your plan to give Olly a small plot of his own.

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  16. that's brilliant… and what an amazing site too! x

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  17. Good luck! I am very excited for you! I think focusing your energies on this allotment will make leaving your beautiful garden easier, when you move. Fab views too. X

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  18. Yay! So chuffed for you, and green as green with envy. I won't bore you with our allotment trials and tribulations but suffice to say we still don't have one despite our having headed the campaign to get the village allotments back into use.

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