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26 April 2009

Can I share something with you? It's our allotment effort!→[More:]

See on Google Maps here. The small green blob in the middle is the bramble patch. We’ve cleared about a third of it for our plot.

The land hasn't been used as allotments for 21 years, so there was some serious work involved before we could plant anything. Happily, we've got other people in the community involved, and we're hoping that the City Council will put up a secure fence if we prove to them we and the other folks involved are serious about reclaiming the land.

Here are things that we have already planted:
- Desiree potatoes
- Shetland Black potatoes (heirloom)
- broad beans
- peas
- sugar snap peas
- Brussels sprouts
- Savoy cabbage
- garlic
- onions
- leeks
- beets
- rainbow chard
- lettuce
- salad mix of greens
- carrots
- green onions
- pink poppies
- California poppies
- lilac pompom poppies
- nasturtiums
- dahlias
- freesias
- sunflowers

(All but the freesias and sunflowers have come up, and we expect those any minute!)

Here are things that we have started indoors:
- two heirloom tomato types
- eggplant (here they call it aubergine)
- cauliflower
- broccoli
- physalis
- cucumbers
- yellow bell peppers
- cayenne peppers
- lobelia

Here are things that we will be starting indoors soon:
- marigolds
- cosmos
- Iceland mix poppies
- nicotiana

Here are the rest of the things we will be planting later:
- thyme
- tarragon
- oregano
- basil
- sage
- mint
- cilantro
- marjoram
- dill
- chives
- parsley
- corn
- green beans
- Italian climbing beans
- salsify
- parsnips
- zucchini (a.k.a. courgette)
- butternut squash
- some sort of dark orange squash
- sweet alissum
- sweet peas
- wild flower mix
- browallia
- straw flowers
- amaranthus
- violas

I cannot WAIT to see what things look like in three months!

post by: Specklet at: 11:10 | 23 comments

So these are community gardens that anyone can use?

posted by octothorpe 26 April | 11:16

Sort of, octothorpe.

Currently there's a waiting list of several years for an allotment here. The only reason we got permission to use the land is because TheDonF bugged the Council until they let us have it; they'd given up using it for allotments. There's no water on-site (yet) and the fence is flimsy and it's near a drunken teenager-laden park, but we're hoping that with the interest our plot has inspired, we might get the council to put up a fence and get some water spigots up.

We'll not be charged for it until 2010, so we've got a year to whip things into shape and make it worth the expense.

posted by Specklet 26 April | 11:25

Octothorpe, all councils have to provide allotments for the use of local people. As Specklet said, there's usually a waiting list. There is, as far as I am aware, only one plot of allotments in my area. I've never thought about having one. They are a very good thing indeed, and are growing in popularity where people are more interested in knowing where their food comes from, combined with the credit crunch.

On established allotment sites, holders tend to trade surplus produce with each other. A couple of people at work have allotments, and regularly bring in their surplus rhubarb or potatoes for people to take.

I think you've done an awesome amount of work, Specklet (and TheDonF). I'm sorry to see, however, that standards in Tunbridge Wells are slipping, because TheDonF is not only NOT wearing a jacket, collar and tie but is unshaven too. I expect to see letters in The Daily Telegraph about this.

posted by essexjan 26 April | 11:55

Hee hee hee!

posted by Specklet 26 April | 11:59

That is incredible. Well done! Can't wait to see everything grow over the season.

posted by elizard 26 April | 11:59

Wooooo! Nice work reclaiming that land.

posted by TheophileEscargot 26 April | 12:07

"Farmer Specklet" has a nice ring to it.

posted by Meatbomb 26 April | 12:11

That's so very cool! What are y'all gonna do with all that produce? Freeze? Can? Sell at the farmers market?

posted by deborah 26 April | 13:02

Holy CRAP that was a lot of work!! Well done, well done! I can only hope my garden capacity will one day reach yours. For water, maybe you can set up a passive-collector thingy of some kind?

posted by Stewriffic 26 April | 13:12

Thanks, y'all! *hooks thumbs under overall straps, chews on hayseed*

Deborah, if half the stuff we're planting comes up, I'll be ecstatic. If we end up with a good harvest, my in-laws live right behind the allotment, and we can dump stuff on them. I also work in a very large office, so along with "Fruity Friday" (where they leave baskets of fruit out for people to nibble), we could have Veggie Wednesday, or something. I'll be learning how to can and freeze stuff, I think.

Stew, for water we've actually got a couple options: one is that we can put a hose over the fence from my in-laws' house. The other, which is completely fabulous, is that the family who has started clearing alongside us is putting in a water line, and have said that we are welcome to use it. But yeah, there's the possibility of putting in some collector-type dealies (remnants of which we've found buried under the brambles).

I'm feeling so pleased, because it seems that we've really started something wonderful by hacking away at the brush. There's room for many, many allotments on the patch of land (12? 14?), and I'm so happy to have other people interested.

posted by Specklet 26 April | 13:17

When I was very little my parents had a plot in a community garden that was not supplied with water. They've said they had to haul water *in* which sounds like a complete nightmare. Glad you don't have to do that.

BTW, canning is FUN as all get-out, if a bit hot. Sometime soon I hope to tackle pressure canning, which scares me but allows for canning beans and other non-acidic goods. I hope someday to grow enough food to be able to fill a freezer, pantry and root cellar each year and eat locally all winter.

posted by Stewriffic 26 April | 13:35

How awesome and fun! Sounds like you guys are going to have a ton of food, too. And I thought that worm was a snake at first. We are going to put in a few blueberry bushes, a fig tree, and try some container gardening here with some tomato & pepper plants.

posted by chewatadistance 26 April | 13:39

Needs more reefer.

posted by BitterOldPunk 26 April | 14:06

Congratulations! That's a beautiful garden and the fact that you've inspired your neighbors to start clearing really shows how allotments/community gardens take root. It's like the broken window effect in reverse.

posted by stet 26 April | 14:14

Wow, so exciting!

posted by birdie 26 April | 14:27

Yep, canning and freezing and all of that is fun but labour intensive. It can also take up a lot of room and if I remember right you have a small kitchen. You might want to get on the in-laws good side (if you aren't already :) .

posted by deborah 26 April | 15:05

Ooh ooh, here are the proper before pictures, from a year ago!

Yer, we have a small freezer, but the in-laws have a good-sized one...

posted by Specklet 26 April | 15:56

You guys...are completely awesome. Well done on the spearheading of this allotment revival. And - wow, what a planting plan! HEre's hoping your ambition pays off in baskets of good fresh food. Love the pics, too.

"the broken window effect in reverse" - I like that, stet!

posted by Miko 26 April | 17:51

The sprouts are so adorable!

posted by casarkos 26 April | 19:34

What an awesome effort Speklet! I love what you have planted. I can't wait to see what comes up. keep us updated.

posted by special-k 26 April | 20:04

Yay, thanks! I'll be posting more pics as things (hopefully) grow.

posted by Specklet 27 April | 11:53

Don't worry about the teenage-laden park too much. Anyone who knows teenagers knows that they are allergic to vegetables.

posted by dg 27 April | 15:45

so awed, so proud.

posted by terrapin 27 April | 16:56

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