Tomorrow I am going with M to plant out the last of the winter squash on Plot 14A. We took on this allotment on 14th May 2005 and my husband likes to tell how he cleared most of it with hand shears. At that time we had no mower, no strimmer and no shed. Kind friends helped us to locate and put up a (free) shed, nice customers gave us surplus tools, pots and canes and as our gardening income increased we progressed to powered machinery.
14A is a simple plot. For that reason I have found it much easier to plant and maintain this year as I contemplate our projected move to Lancashire. I have sowed veg in rows - parsnips, broccoli, maincrop potatoes, winter squash (immature it is a useful substitute for courgettes), french beans and onions from seed. These are finally making it after a somewhat slow start.
Ornamentation on Plot 14A is limited and has a 'cottage garden' feel. I have moved our 'Kyril' strawberries from place to place and they now form a decorative and tasty border around two beds. I have 'February Gold' daffodils in line next to the shed, a clump of irises (from a customer), pink geraniums which could be mistaken for wildflowers, sweet williams and penstemons. I also have the ubiquitious Jostaberry which is easy to propagate, gooseberries, and some raspberries which have never performed brilliantly but, well, we were given them and they had to go in somewhere...
I tried a pound shop pear tree, but it did not thrive. I tried rhubarb, but it disliked being in a frost pocket and we moved it. I tried bulb fennel and pak choi. I have had success with cabbage some years and rocket most times, it is one of the hardiest salad leaves I know.
I hope that our plot will be let by Michaelmas. By then I hope to harvest the winter squash, store it and save seed for our future garden. Tomorrow I shall get on with planting out.
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