Getting our hands dirty

Today was the day when it suddenly all fell into place: decent weather, spare time, ready-chitted potatoes. We've just spent the afternoon at the allotment (vicar's garden not allotment allotment) and we've planted the whole of bed 1 with potatoes (2 rows of International Kidney, 4 rows of Desiree and 4 rows of Cara). There's just space at the end to fit two squash/courgette type plants, so that's an added bonus!

We also planted the first of the peas (1 foot length of first earlies and 1 foot length of second earlies) and the first of the broad beans. Well, I say first, but in reality they're the second: Julia and Jerome have already planted some broad beans in jiffy pots, which are currently growing on a windowsill. Julia knows that they're growing even though there's no green showing yet because she's dug them up to check on their progress. We know that we're very late planting the broad beans, but hopefully they'll still grow fine - we'll just have to wait longer for them!


Tomorrow we officially take over our "proper" allotment - plot 9. We're quite excited about this, but we're already confused about what to call it: does "allotment" refer to the vicar's garden or to plot 9? Eeeek. The plan is to sketch it tomorrow morning, so that we can make plans over lunch, and then start planting. There are a few Cara seed potatoes that can fill a gap; Rob has his eye on some asparagus crowns; the globe artichokes are already growing on a windowsill. I suspect that quite a bit of it will end up under green manure, just to prevent weeds growing while we decide what to plant.

The empire grows...

When Rob first moved to the village, we phoned the clerk of the parish council asking after allotments. We were added to the waiting list, but heard nothing for months and months and months and in the end we gave up. Since then, we've got cats, married, a new flat, chickens, and finally we got the call to say that there's an allotment with our name on it!

We take over in April (right in the middle of the school holidays, so we can do some intensive preparation as soon as we get it) and Rob's already got plans for permaculture - globe artichokes, fruit bushes, asparagus. Vegs away!