Adventures in the life of an English allotment
And just like that, it begins again! The Allotment Federation's annual seed sale always marks the beginning of the new season - a time to plan in earnest, finish off digging the plot (assuming it isn't flooded) and clear out the shed/greenhouse/coop (delete as appropriate). I love the sale because it's one of the few... Continue Reading →
Work has been crazy the last few weeks and I have barely made it down to the allotment, let alone had time to post an update. Now however, this shall be rectified! Over the past few weeks the weather has been horrendous, repeated deluges, high winds and cold snaps so it has been difficult to... Continue Reading →
Both of us walked down to the allotment late this morning. A rare day off for my husband meant we enjoyed a slow start before heading off to feed the chickens. We arrived to find Cliff and Mick the Greek busy with removing the back section of the greenhouse. They were working at a rate... Continue Reading →
The weather has finally decided to do something useful and rain. The allotment is overdue for rain and it will help top up our waterbutts which have been dropping rapidly as I have been watering the plants regularly. Emily continues to sit beautifully on her eggs. As far as I can tell with a quick... Continue Reading →
This evening, I realised that we have had our plot for 5 years! The time has flown! So in the spirit of celebration, I have dug out photos from each year to share with you. Our first year saw us gain a shed, a large greenhouse and several chickens. We learnt how fast weeds grew... Continue Reading →
Lack of sleep and an early delivery meant I was down on site much earlier than usual. Last night I spotted and bought a builder's bag of cedar bark chippings. The seller was able to drop off the bag at the allotment early so I could spend a whole day sorting out the fruit section.... Continue Reading →
I love today because everyone comes out of the woodwork after the winter. Today is subs day so we were up early ready to pay our yearly fee and get some work done on our plot.I arrived and paid our fee to Dave the Plod and briefly caught up with the gang, several of whom... Continue Reading →
This evening I ambled down to the allotment to put the finishing touches to the shed. I arrived armed with a shelf, three small succulent plants in pretty pots, a pack of wooden pegs and some more lights. Much to my satisfaction, Mel's idea of using chicken wire and pegs as a noticeboard works perfectly.... Continue Reading →
This afternoon my long suffering friend Fiona and I arrived on site laden with buckets of paint, paintbrushes, screwdrivers, hooks, twine, carpet tiles and snacks ready to transform the shed into a cosy hideout. We removed everything from the shed (again!) and borrowed a broom to remove the remaining cobwebs. Part way through, I spotted... Continue Reading →
This afternoon I ambled down late after a lie in. The chickens seemed pleased to see me although they weren't impressed at the lack of sunflower seeds. Upon opening the nest box, I discovered 6 eggs! Happily, 4 of them were from the Vorwerks and Cream Legbars (2 from each) which shows that spring is... Continue Reading →
Today marks a significant day in the allotment year - Potato Day. Arranged every year by the Crewe Town Allotment Federation, it's an opportunity to buy seed potatoes and a variety of other seeds for the growing season. Every year, we buy a selection of seeds, enjoying browsing all the different varieties, most of which... Continue Reading →
It's been several weeks since my last update due to the usual chaos that is December (work, visiting friends and family, Christmas preparations etc). So it's about time to fill you in on what's been happening. The winter months are significantly quieter with only chicken people like myself regularly being on site. Unfortunately, Cliff lost... Continue Reading →
Today I ambled down to the allotment ready to get cracking with the messy section at the bottom of the plot. First I checked the coop - I couldn't find either of the new chickens! I checked in the nest box, around the coop and recounted the chickens. Eventually, I spotted them hiding under the... Continue Reading →
I received a very exciting email this afternoon - I have found a nursery which is able to supply a Plymouth Pear tree! I emailed every fruit tree supplier in the UK who claim to specialise in traditional or rare fruit trees and eventually, after many failed attempts, I have found somewhere that has a... Continue Reading →
Today was a busy day down the allotment - I went down with a few things in mind and ended up doing several different tasks! Firstly, I fed the chickens who seemed in particularly good form today. There were 5 eggs (2 Vorwerks, 1 Cream Legbar, 1 Black Rock). The Black Rock egg looked strange... Continue Reading →
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