Plot 1 Feb 12th 2005 - the day we took it over
Our allotment adventure started in February 2005 when we took on what we know as "Plot 1" but is actually plot 153 at Evington Hilltop allotment Site. The ground was quickly ploughed and rotovated and work commenced on clearing the rubbish from the shed we inherited. We affectionately called this shed the "soweto" shed as this is where it looked like it had been stolen from.
It transpired that the previous plot incumbent was an alcoholic West Indian fellow who spent all day growing runner beans and drinking beer. If we ever dig the beds we are sure to come up with one of his legacies, either a bottle top or a chicken bone. Clearing all of rubbish from the shed and burning what we could took up an entire day.
Very soon the raised beds started to appear, although alot of moving and tinkering of beds has taken place since the first ones were built. One thing we did learn was that it is important to leave enough room between beds to move wheelbarrows and the like through or you end up making lots of work for yourself. I can honestly say that any time spent with a pen and paper is time well spent when planing your allotment layout. If we had done so we would have saved an awful lot of hardwork.Finally after two years Plot 1 is nearly at a stage where we can just leave it alone and just grow things on it. It now consists of an asparagus bed, The first raised beds
four rows of raspberries, a 25' square fruit cage
39 assorted soft fruit bushes, four beds of strawbwerries holding 120 plants, two greenhouses and 18 raised beds. In addition we can store over 5000 litres of rain water collected directly from the greenhouse and shed roofs.
The greenhouses
Some raised beds
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