A New Year - A New Lease of Life

This is my first blog post in a while. For several reasons, I have neglected my plot shamefully. In fact (and I want to hide with shame when I say this) I didn’t go to the allotment in months. Deary deary me!

The main reason was that, when I left the job I hated, I was so happy that I wanted to spend as much time as possible with my family. Now, my primary teaching course (which, admittedly, I love) takes up most of my time. I also volunteer for a few things every week so again, I want to spend my free time with my family.

But, as always, the new year brings a new life. I have found that spark in me again – the little fire that warms me when I’m outside working the land. So, with that in mind, I've told myself that I will keep the allotment up. I have been sensible and cut my plot in half. Next year, if I’m still in Caithness, I’m hoping to plant a heritage garden where I grow all varieties and plants that people 100+ years ago grew.

This year, I’m concentrating on making small vegetable beds that I can manage with a busy university course.

The last couple of days I’ve been helping my sister finish some of her nitty gritty research for her MSc dissertation. We finished that yesterday which meant I could go to the allotment today. My tasks were:

·         dig 1 bed (1m x 2m)

·         make the compost bins out of the many pallets that are lying around my plot.

I always learn something new when I’m gardening. I learned, today, that I should have measured out the bed before I started digging. Why? Take a look at the photo. All that energy that went into digging the paths!

I gave myself little targets and, when I reached them, I treated myself to a rest on my rather muddy, dilapidated, spider’s webs-y garden chair. It was a beautiful day and I relished in looking around my plot and listening to the birds next door.

I didn’t manage to get the compost bins finished. I only put up one side of them. I’ve learned, though, that sometimes you must alter your plans for the allotment to remain enjoyable. If I’d pushed myself too hard today, I wouldn’t want to go back for a while, and the plot would get to the stage it was last year.

Oh, and another thing I learned: Always always take a bottle of water with you. I forgot today – and, as I was eyeing up the very old water in the milk bottles, I really regretted it!

The Light Appears

The last few times I've been to the allotment, I've had that horrible sinking feeling of falling into a pit of weeds and letting their tangling, annoyingly strong roots block out all light. Unfortunately, it's been when I was showing people around the allotments so I could hardly fall on the floor and weep! They would perhaps have been put off, and I certainly didn't want that!

So I wasn't looking forward to going to the allotments today, even though I knew it had to be done. The Dock Leaves and the Rosebay Willowherb were taller than me and they looked mean and foreboding. Not to mention the fact that the (ok, I admit it: beautiful) flowers on the Willowherb are a haven for the bees and wasps which were flying all around my storage chest. Yes, I'm a gardener who is afraid of bees. I don't like the little blighters, even though I accept that they are good for the environment.

So, with a Dad and brother in tow, along with numerous tools, some of which I never knew existed, we made our way to the allotments. My brother, Alex, ummed and arghed a bit at the weeds but almost immediately began work on the fruit patch. We had planted raspberries, strawberries, a

blackcurrant, blackberry, and a gooseberry, but the weeds had taken ownership of the patch and the poor bushes had been left to fight for survival.

Dad instantly took the scythe and began cutting down the worst of the weeds. He was like a man on a mission and I think he actually quite enjoyed himself! While the menfolk were happy clearing the weeds, I took up my digging fork and began digging over the flower border. A couple of months ago, we took a family trip to Inverness and Mum and I went a bit mad in Dobbies Garden Centre and bought loads and loads of plants! I had planted them in a roughly dug-over bed at the allotment, and left them. Wow, have they grown! They seem to have appreciated the freedom and they're growing upwards and outwards so some of the plants are almost touching each other.

Usually, when I dig, I only turn the soil and use the fork to break up the larger patches. The soil at the allotments is quite compact, having had a lot of heavy machinery on it. However, I found that digging today wasn't as difficult as usual. The conclusion I came to was that, however annoying the weeds might be, they seem to have done the soil a service as their roots have broken into hard ground. I've never read this before anywhere so I don't know if it's true but, to me, it seems like the most obvious conclusion. Any thoughts? The soil is also full of worms which are probably also breaking up the earth.

Perusing my work and feeling quite smug with myself, I glanced up to see how the boys were coming on. Blimey, I was amazed! You could now see the raspberries coming through without having to part the grasses, and Dad had managed to cut down all of the tall weeds, making the rest of the plot breathe a sigh of relief. I could feel a weight being lifted from my mind, and the whole allotment seemed a lot more hopeful.

After that, I started enjoying myself a lot more. I've never enjoyed digging. It's one of my least favourite jobs, but I was finding I was actually enjoying myself as I considered the potential for Plot H.

So, my conclusions for an allotment weed battle:

Take a Dad and brother along with you
If at all possible, purchase a scythe. They're brilliant things! Oh, and a stone for sharpening too!
Encourage worms. We like worms. Worms are our friends.