Well made a start yesterday laying out the beds and I think it will look great when finished. Here are the pics I promised. allotment looking west ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) allotment facing east ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) After lots of marking out beds not sure how well these shots will come out ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden )
What a challenging job you have ahead of you. I see that you are marking out the plots. I can imagine that your plot locations may look a bit different once you have removed the grass. It looks like a great lottie though. BTW--do you have city water with water butts on your lottie complex?
Thx sjoerd, meant to ask your advice on that. They have mains water but its by the road at the west end of plot. Most here use water buttes that I guess they top off with mains water. Until I make the compost bins with rain water catchment lids. I can see watering being an issue without mains. How do you have yours set up?
Hey Dan. Our allotment organization has city water. It supplies the toilets, clubhouse and the lines go down the main paths with water points every 50-70 meters or so. It is also possible to have a water tap on one's own lottie. I have this myself. That was the city water then. I also have gutters on my greenhouse and garden house and collect rain water in these. If you guys have water at only one location on your allotment complex, then perhaps you could petition the council to place say, (at least) another trough with a flotation device that cuts the water flow when the trough is full. --You know, it works like the inside of a toilet bowl reservoir. Having to lug water to fill your own buttes or to water your crops can be pretty tiring. Water is a necessary aspect to having a successful allotment. I suggest this... but I am well aware of the relationship between plot holders and councils sometimes. It can sometimes be "strained", in terms of getting them to work with allotment renters. They can be resistant to adding or expanding services. I have corresponded with various allotmenteers in different towns there and I know that it is possible to get things done. It may be something to think about.
Well after a number of days down the allotments last few months things are coming together. ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) Asparagus beds are tidied up with gaps filled in. Strawberry patch is frehly dug nearest camera. Just waiting some manure then on with the plastic mulch and wait till my strawberries arrive. Planning three types early mid and late varieties. Rest of the beds are dug and chippings down on the paths. From the other end of the plot. allotment jan '14 2 ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) Here you can see the raspberry supports and fruit cages. Finally today I finished off the compost bins. Took this half way through. Made them big so they act as rain catchment as well as compost bin. compost bin ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) Where possible I have recycled items from the new house, so the back yard is slowly getting tidier as well.
What an amazing transition. Things are looking quite nice there. The compost bin looks fancy. The soil looks pretty good to me. How many square metres did you say you had there? Were you able to enlist the help of your bride and kids, or did you do it all alone?
Thanks Guys, Been planning the plot for a while so its been nice to get on with actually building it. Plus as you can see from the weather yesterday, its great to be able to go out and work in the garden in January and not be upto my elbows in snow like in canada Sjoerd, Its a 80 x 20 ft plot, or a quarter plot they run in strips down the allotment. Soil is good for about a foot then turns to sand. Great for drainage but will be interesting in the summer. But the soil has been worked since 1699 so it should be ok Had a lot of help from my Dad which has been great as we haven't seen much of each other over last 5 years
If the compost bin is at the end where you need the water, why not make the compost bin stronger and add boards to the top. Then line with those large plastic drums that have had spigots attached. You don`t need the top to make compost anyway and water would still drain through. Drums would catch rainwater, spigot and gravity flow would take care of the rest. Just attach water hose! Looks like it would hold 3 or 4 of them and each holds about 45 to 55 gallons.
Thanks guys, Mart, planing to put plastic roofing on the bins running to the back of the compost bin. Still working out if i will have it as a hinge arrangement or something slightly more permanent. Across that top back rail i will have a gutter that runs to a water drum. A spirit level would have been useful but I reckon i have it so the water will run to the back and right fingers crossed. Wont be a lot of water but hopefully enough for the soft fruit if its a dry summer.
Dan, I am shocked, jut shocked, I tell you. I didn't realize WHERE you moved until I read that you didn't "have snow up to your elbows in snow in CANADA" !!!!!!! Really, though, your beds are really taking shape and looking good.
Well when i get time will drop the photos in i've been taking over last few months. We had our first asparagus and rhubarb fresh from the allotment yesterday which was great. Strangely i was more impressed with the flavour of the rhubarb. Got all the perennial stuff in the ground now with all the supports. for those interested. just planted 12 strawberry plants of each of 'Cambridge', Honeoye and symphony. I'm hoping this gives us strawberries for most of the year. Just planted a Buckingham tayberry and Lochness Blackberry at one end of the plot. 4 blueberry bushes have gone in Duke, Spartan, blue crop and chandler. All look a bit small at moment. Rest of the beds are now fully planted which is a nice feeling this early in the year. Due to our sandy soil, also testing some green manure in an attempt to bind the soil together. USing a mix of Crimson clover, Phacelia tanacetefolia and buckwheat. again sorry for lack of pics but there on the way
Well, I found it interesting to read what all you had planted so far. The green manure candidates sound good to me. I have used them all at one time or another, but never together. It ought to be alright though. It is something to think about that the clover will be much lower than Phacelia and the buckwheat. That is not to say that it will not be able to grow though in-between.Great plants for butterflies and bees BTW. Looking forward to seeing your green manure patch(s).
