Among the weeds: How am I faring on the allotment

I thought it might be fun to review the week on the allotment, mainly to see what progress I’ve made (if any and reflect on how things are going). I know doing some reflective practice is useful, and I think especially so in gardening!

What did I sow? 

It’s been an absolute joy to have warmer overnight temperatures and longer days finally here at last! But with these warmer days, I’ve experienced more pulls on my time especially with school and work which seems to be more intense. I wasn’t able to sow anything new last week which is a shame as I know it’s a key task to keep the beds filled and production going full blast. 

What did I transplant? 

My warm loving plants that I’d sown earlier in the year failed. This is mostly because I tried a new seed starting area which was not ideal. They were leggy and struggled to get enough light in early March. So I’ve had to rely on getting and buying plants when I can. 

I also bought some herbs, pumpkins, courgettes, a couple of aubergines and more tomatoes (all unknown varieties) to supplement my own paltry efforts. I’m on the lookout for some chilli peppers and bell peppers to round off the haul. Around half of these items have been transplanted (such as the tomatoes and courgettes) and I intend to transplant the remainder this coming week. I also have beetroot, more peas, onions, lettuce and leeks which are ready to transplant. This process takes me a little while to complete as I’m often having to clear a bed in order to release space or weeding it to prepare the ground. For me though, it’s perhaps the most enjoyable part of gardening.  

What harvests did I enjoy?

I had a very small but thoroughly enjoyable first harvest of broad beans, peas, some onion shoots, lettuce, and the odd blushing strawberry. We used the mixture of beans, peas and onions in a pasta dish and savoured the first taste of spring grown vegetables. I was disappointed to find that all of my leeks had succumbed to a pest called ‘allium leaf miner’ but this was easily counteracted by having a large bunch of green spinach and bright red chard leaves to enjoy during the week. 

What were the moments of joy? 

It was the annual allotment plant sale on Saturday 18th May, and it was a real pleasure to have friends round to visit the allotment. Although it felt as if my battle against the weeds have been in vain so far, I enjoyed showing my friends what I’ve been up to. The plant sale was a huge success and we got to enjoy some delicious home made cakes. It honestly felt like we were in an oasis of calm, instead of the reality which is a busy bustling city. 

What were the tough moments? 

The loss of the leeks was challenging. Leeks occupy the ground for a long while and were intended to be an onion flavour for the winter. I now know that I’ll have to protect them with some netting, which is a shame as they always look so good standing proud on the allotment. 

What’s my main challenge for this coming week?

My composting heap has lain neglected in and amongst the frenzy to get things sown and planted. This is a real shame as it’s the powerhouse of the allotment and I can already see that the ground is quite dry. So once I’ve caught up with the transplanting, this remains my biggest challenge over the coming week. 

Summary:

So overall, an enjoyable week on the allotment with some lovely moments to remember with friends and first tasty vegetables of the spring to enjoy. The loss of the leeks was unfortunate, but I now know how to remedy it. I’m very keen to get on and tackle the compost heap! Over to you, what’s highest on your to-do list in the garden and how’s your compost heap doing? 

Date: week ending 18th May 2024