Tuesday 11 February 2014

The winter allotment


I took advantage of a break in the atrocious wet weather yesterday, and made a quick trip to the allotment.  Not to do anything you understand, just to look, to make sure it was still there.  It was.  And while wandering I snapped a few pics of sheds and things.

I love the sheds, and I love the seats.  They're essential on an allotment I think.  I only have a deckchair at the moment, but I dream of a bench.  How nice it would be to sit here, maybe with someone else, and look out over the Kingdom of Allotmentland.  A little break from tending to the soil.  A cup of hot chocolate in a nice enamel mug.  Maybe a piece of toast.


Down at the allotments every inch is precious.  Things are squeezed in wherever there's a space.  This is an apple tree, espaliered along the back of a shed.  Wonderful.  Aldi were selling fruit trees when I went in today.  It took every ounce of self-control not to buy one.  If the site didn't have such a strict rule about tree height I would have definitely bought one.  But keeping a tree under 7' is tricky.


Love the slow creep of moss and lichen across stone.  I just want to run my hand over the moss.


A few early daffodils were out.  They're not my favourite flower, but nonetheless it's nice to see a harbinger of spring.


Sprouts.  I do like them, a lot.  But they're not the most attractive sight at this time of year.  I wouldn't mind some on my plot next year though.


Another shed.  In the background you can see my green shed, next to its brown neighbour.


This is it.  My plot.  Not much to see.


The soil looks like this.


Hammered down flat and shiny by the incessant rain.  But there's no flooding around here, so I'm not complaining.  Just the odd little puddle.


My rhubarb (round the back of the shed) is appallingly overgrown with grass.  It wasn't that strong last year, and I'm not sure if it's going to appear at all this year.  No sign of it yet, although it's not an early variety.  This was someone else's rhubarb.


This is the old rose, which only finished flowering very late in the autumn.  Already it's readying itself for the new season.


The blackcurrants are looking good, covered with big fat pink buds.



This is the stream at the bottom of the site.  You can see my shed in the left of the picture.


Another shed, another bench.  Is it just me?


Every year there are prizes for the best allotments.  Points are awarded for insect habitats, so there are all sorts of little hotels and things for bugs to hide in.



Pottering round I saw old things and new things.



And even in winter, some nice little corners.




By the time I left the sky had filled with rain clouds again.  Just as soon as there's a dry spell, I'll return to actually do some work down there.  Here's hoping.


34 comments:

  1. Oh how lovely - took me right back to when we used to have allotments. I would love to join you on one of those seats with a flask of hot chocolate and some toast - can anyone come?!

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  2. Hot chocolate and toast? Count me in! Mr VTT has an allotment - they are rather wonderful places. Love the last pic! Have a good week. Abby x

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  3. Beautiful pictures! But, that last picture is STUNNING! The colors are so vivid.

    Hope it dries up soon so you can do some planting.

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  4. I love allotments, even if only looking around. You can't do much else anyway in this weather.
    I thought it was me alone in the world who doesn't like daffodils. Have you tried the dwarf ones though, they're a different matter.

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  5. I adore seeing this place. Thank you for another tour. It's looking ready for a new season around there, so much growth already. I like daffodils, but they're just okay to me. What I really love are tulips.

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  6. Only one of my two rhubarb's is showing any signs of life as yet, but the other one that is not showing yet is always later, so perhaps there is still hope that yours will come back yet, perhaps it is just a slightly later variety than the other allotmenteer's one. Lovely to see your little tour! xx

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  7. I'm definitely up for hot chocolate and toast! With lashings of butter. :)

    What a magical place - I wish we had allotments in my village. I can see the appeal of the seats, and the sheds too. It's very exciting to see the new growth coming out - that rhubarb is such a lovely shade, and so are the blackcurrant buds.

    The lichen shot and the final shot are stunning!

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  8. Oh I would so sit with you on a bench and take it in over a cup of hot chocolate! Such a marvelous place there! And so many things for the eye to see and take in! It must be so neat to be a part of a community like that with like minded people! I loved seeing all of the new blooms and am praying that the rain lets up for you all soon! Take care friend and happy gardening!! Nicole xoxo

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  9. A most enjoyable post, and wonderful photos.
    I'd love a bench seat as well but make do with a log, or one of the old plastic chairs that I have, when I do have a sit down which isn't often.
    The soil on my plot looks like that as well. I'm sure that your rhubarb will be okay when it does appear, there's no sign of mine yet either. Flighty xx

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  10. Lovely photographs, hopefully the rain will stop soon & we can all start planning & planting again.

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  11. Are those teasel seed heads sprouting?

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  12. so very lovely. we had an allotment for a few years but we gave it up, the people who ran the site hated children and you weren't allowed a shed. it wasn't a happy place. I do miss the it though, and continue to dig up my garden to make vegetable beds.....

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  13. Hey CJ,

    Those black clouds look ominous. I enjoyed your allotment tour very much. I have a thing about benches and gates. I'm always taking pictures of them. And doors....so I'm no stranger to their siren call!! I am planning to construct a bug house this year. It will be interesting to see future posts of your little patch. Full of wonderful things to eat I would imagine.

    Leanne xx

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  14. Oh it all looks so lovely CJ, a little oasis of natural calm.
    Bring on the Spring !
    Kate x

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  15. Superb catch up, everything looks like it's in the right place. We had a bench but it was stolen...still makes my heart ache. But thanks for all the photos and little heralds of spring and hope xxx

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  16. Your allotment looks like a haven of calm to me, and yes it seems that a pretty bench will fit in perfectly. I can't quite believe that I am already seeing your rhubarb, when mine haven't even broken through. I hope the little clearing in the rain gave you a little light for your week. xoxo

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  17. Thanks for sharing CJ - looks like a really nice place - can't wait to see it in summer! The little bug house is a fun idea. Does everyone always get along? The cynic in me could see some arguments occurring when you put different people (and gardening styles) tight up against one another.

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  18. I was left a couple of plastic garden chairs in the shed on my new plot, but I'd love to get a bench down there eventually. There's still no let up in the weather, we had snow last night but it's raining again now.

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  19. I loved the look at your allotment at this time of year. I'm glad it doesn't seem to be too waterlogged. A bench sounds like a terrific addition - hope you eventually get one there. And it's wonderful to see it as a wildlife-friendly place with all the bug and insect houses.

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  20. I've always fancied a go at step over apples or pears after seeing them in various kitchen gardens. 7' hight limit no problems as these are kept to a couple of feet at the most. Need cheap apple trees though in case it all goes wrong.

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  21. I enjoyed this visit to your allotment. Hopefully next time it is less wet! Sarah x

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  22. Your allotments look lovely and mostly dry too amazingly! When was the break in the weather? I think I must have missed it! ;-)

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  23. Thank you for this little allotment tour and for sharing the peace you feel when you are there. I love reading your words. I want to run my hands along that moss now too, and sit in the deckchair. And eat those sprouts once they're ready! :)

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  24. I loved the tour of your allotment! I am not good at working in a garden, but I do appreciate them. Love sprouts -- baby cabbages on a stalk, what's not to love? It would be great to sit and knit in one of those chairs while you toil away! hehe.

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  25. I’m sure it would be so nice to sit next to your garden in the spring and take in all the beautiful things growing. I’m impressed there are things still growing at this time of year. Gives me hope that warmer weather will be here eventually:)

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  26. Such a beautiful place with so many things to see.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  27. Gorgeous photos - your close ups are particularly lovely. So crisp and clear. I think it all looks like it's suspended, just lying in wait, ready to burst into bloom in spring. Full of potential and new growth. x

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  28. I've just found your blog and just love it! Can't wait to see more garden posts.

    ~Sarah

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  29. You have daffodils already - is that early, or are Yorkshire daffodils just that much later? And then you talk about a dry spell... no wait, I think I remember!

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  30. Look at those sprouts! They are awesome. I so wish we could grow them, but it just gets too hot where I am. Those allotments are really lovely. So much potential :) I think I could quite seriously look at veggie gardens all day!

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  31. Oh I wish we could grow sprouts in our garden but our soil is just so poor. Luckily we have a busy farmer's market so I still can get them fresh from the farm!

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  32. Lovely post... I have started planning for my container garden... I can't wait to start, we have had lots of rain here too, not as much as in England though.

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  33. What a beautiful set of allotments, and a lovely post highlighting the joy of allotmenting. We have an espaliered cooking apple tree in our garden which is probably below 7' high (when we trim the new shoots off) and it's one of the most prolific fruiters, so I'd definitely encourage you to have a go at growing one.

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  34. I so enjoy your allotment posts ... allotments are such honest spaces ... no pretence (well not on most sites), much evidence of make do and mend, and of the time and energy invested in making things grow, and often a palpable sense of community.

    My parents had a crab apple tree that never grew beyond 6ft, I think it was a specific variety, and japonica quince can also be kept small ... think of all the fruit jams and jellies you could make with one each of those.

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