MARK'S ALLOTMENT TRANSFORMATION!
As you possibly read in my first update I started my allotment way back in the spring and luckily had some holiday due so I got to work and cleared the weedy site and dug it over in no-time. It sounds so easy reading that back,but it was hard back-breaking work that I wouldn't want to repeat in a hurry ! Next was the building of the raised beds. Yes, wood is expensive, but I acquired mine really cheaply and if you look around (places like Ebay and Gumtree) I'm sure you could pick some up too. I treated mine with a preservative and constructed them by screwing the wood to 18'' pressure-treated 2 X 2.
I then had a couple of loads of mushroom compost delivered,which
was barrow loaded into the beds. At this point the beds were only half full,but
cost was an issue and I will gradually add more over the next few seasons (see later photo.....a great mushroom crop just from using the compost !) I took
advantage of this improved soil to plant up a cottage border at the far end of
the plot with plants brought from my own garden, so at least I now had
something growing in my new plot.
By this time,the soil was warming up and the weeds had started to grow in earnest. I wanted to start with a 'clean' plot so I decided this time (and only this time) to use a herbicide. I used RoundUp,which I found did the trick,though I did have to repeat the dose as there were several patches of perennial 'thugs' to eradicate.
It then occurred to me that I had been so busy doing all the
ground work that I hadn't yet planted any fruit and veg (whoops). The weather
then took a turn for the worse and I couldn't actually do any work for a week
or so,but when the sun finally came out I filled several of the beds with
seeds,planted a whole bed of strawberries and planted an apple and a plum tree
(from Green Pastures,of course!)
At this point I grew rather fond of my plot and pleased with all
the work I had put in, so I entered it in the Norwich In Bloom competition in
the best new' allotment category. Judging was due to take place in the second
week of July,so I needed to get my skates on if it were to be ready on time.
The End of June was here and some of my crops were beginning to
ripen,but I didn't want gaps in the rows for judging,so I still had to buy my
veg from the farm-shop ! Crazy,I know,but I was now really serious about the
competition. I put up a couple of archways ,bought a table and chairs and just
weeded,snipped,pruned,watered and waited for judging.
Judging was to take place sometime over five days,so each evening
I had to visit the plot,water and weed where necessary and then go back home to
cook my 'purchased' vegetables and not be tempted by the massive crops that
were now waiting for me to pick and eat. By the Saturday,I knew it was all over
so I ate my first delicious produce and smiled to myself.
I still had no shed at this point and spent several evenings on my
PC looking for good deals, but it was hard work and I kept getting side-tracked
and ending up on Facebook ! I tried bidding on a few on Ebay,but lost out each
time, so I then just asked around and managed to pick one up AND get it
delivered very cheaply. It took a while to erect (as neither myself nor my
friend had ever built one before),but we had lot's of fun trying and after a
paint job it looked as good as new and ready for action. As all of my tools had
been stolen a few months earlier ( a long story!), I now had an amazing
8' X 6' shed,but only a fork, a trowel and a hand fork to keep inside it !
(this did change and I now have a plethora of gardening implements at my
disposal).
A week went by and I thought I hadn't won .......... but.......I
had!!!! I'd won the Best New Allotment In Norwich !! Yay!!!!
Here's to next year. Mark.
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