The allotments at Kingston Lacy

It's a bit of an older post today, as you can probably tell my the daffodils in the picture below, and on a bit of a grey day too, which was remarkably like yesterday. It was actually at the end of March - so slightly more excusable for being grey - and is part of our visit to Kingston Lacy while we had that earlier in the year Dorset adventure.  

This was our second visit to Kingston Lacy, but the first time that we really explored the kitchen garden and beyond that, the allotments. I'll share more from the kitchen garden another day, but first to confirm the allotments at Kingston Lacy look very much like other allotments. And dare I say it, a little tidier and easy on the eye than our own site...

It's reassuring though to see similar kit, similar approaches and check to see you're on the right track with our own plot. The compost bins, the ground covered in black plastic were all familiar and reassuring. And so too was this almost sculptural, and yet decaying, artichoke. Striking isn't it? 

Just when we thought it was a normal looking allotment, we spied the chicken wire man tending his plot. 

We admired him and his wooden reindeer-dog and thought it was probably a one off. That was until we saw the boy with his welly boot dog!

Both very different, both with dogs, and both quite un-allotment like, but fun. I'm guessing we stumbled upon the remnants of a "one man and his dog and an allotment" sculpture competition, and was very glad we did.

I'm not sure I'd be quite so resourceful over on our plot, currently my resourcefulness is focuses on practical matters, like growing stuff and preventing the foxes digging it up again, but definitely food for thought, when I've got the basics sorted!

Catching up with things on the plot

After a busy few weekends in Norfolk, Suffolk and West Sussex there hadn't been much allotment time recently, so it's been good news that we've had some (a lot of) rain in that respect. On Sunday though we took our hoe, the late developing courgette plant from the greenhouse and headed over to the plot to find out how it'd coped.

The short answer is relatively well; there were some successes and some disappointments, and of course there were plenty more weeds, many of which are now on the compost heap.  

I've had mixed success with my sunflowers this year, but some are huge with stems easily two inches round. No flowers yet, but I'm hopeful and I can't wait to see how it turns out.   

The giant tomatoes from dad have benefited from the rain, and as well as bushing out through lack of pinching out, finally have flowers. I'm not that hopeful for ripened fruits, but it would be nice to see some - maybe if we have a good autumn I'll be lucky...

Actually I'd be happy if it was a green tomato chutney kind of year. At least that would mean some fruits! 

Our tiny apple tree has got the right idea though, and is back on track for a plentiful harvest now that it's settled into its new spot. We've also done really well on raspberries this year too, picking more than we could eat and freezing about five takeaway tubs full. 

The rhubarb is having a resurgence, and I'm not complaining. 

The strawberries, which had fruited well a month or so ago are also doing well in their new spot, with plenty of visible runners. I've moved these alongside the edge of the new path which cuts across the end section of our plot. The plan is to have both sides of the path edged with strawberry plants, and as you can see it's off to a good start.

The borlotti beans are starting to redden, and if I'm honest I'd hoped to see more of them by now. 

There's plenty of runner bean flowers too:

The globe artichokes in the crab apple tree were looking scruffy so I took my knife to the leaves - and the compost heap benefitted. 

The rosemary bush which I grew from a cutting from my old and knackered bush in the garden is looking very healthy, and I'm hoping to propagate more free plants this way too.   

The crab apple tree is laden with fruit, so it looks as if there'll be plenty to pick and make jelly from.  

As I was photographing these final few shots I became increasingly aware of the colour of the sky - ominous looking isn't it? 

But I wanted to check on my lichen before we left, that was doing well too.

So mostly positive; the disappointments included losing my final cucumber plant, so no home-grown for me this year, and losing a couple of our squash plants too. The onions continue to be a disappointment, or rather that should be the foxes that have interfered with my onions, continue to do so and I've been left with very few onions, with most smaller than a ping pong ball. Maybe I'll give them a rest next year?

We also hatched a new plan to reward our raspberries, which currently grow amongst long grass, and plan to move them as we cut the canes down into a new spot in order to help us tame that part of the plot without damaging the raspberries long term. It's also a plan for more digging, so it's now a case of finding time to do that...

It's definitely still all go on the plot. Let me know your successes and disappointments this year, as I'm curious to know if they're similar to mine or not. 

Allotment envy, or something to aim for?

We were at the allotment last night watering, and checking to see how my fence and sticks had fared against the wildlife and there was good news; the fence was still standing, some sticks had been disturbed but most importantly the four newly planted tomato plants had been left alone. Phew. 

While MOH busied himself watering and re-watering I found myself looking at the plot next to ours, it's one of the most bountiful and best looking on our site. I'm not surprised that the BBC will be at our site filming and no doubt it'll be this double-plot they'll focus on (unless of course they want to show a contrasting plot, then we'll be right up there!)

Not only is it bountiful, twice the size of the other plots, it looks good too.

It got me wondering if I was envious, or if it's something to aspire to. I definitely started at the envy end of this, but knowing how much work we've already put into our plot I know this has to be the result of many, many hours hard work over a long period. As such it's a shining example of what can be achieved, so it's also an inspiration.

PEARS

PLUMS

It's always good to compare and learn isn't it and I think that's the beauty of allotments, we can quickly learn from others by having a wander around the paths that separate our plots. All of my photos were taken from the path - that's important for me to include in this post as plot holders aren't allowed onto other plots without permission. Just saying.

I don't know the circumstances of this lady's plot (and if I did I'm sure I wouldn't be sharing them here) but I do know she manages two plots single handed. That alone is quite some feat, and then you see how much she grows, it's amazing. I know it's all about the ground work (pun intended) but even so, I think it's impressive.

LAVENDER

MOH is also impressed with the plot next door but also frustrated. Frustrated because there's often so much left on the plants and he wonders if it ever gets picked. I've a theory that it's all about the growing for this lady, and I guess if there's only one of you that's a lot of produce to consume.  But we don't know, for me, it's enjoyable to see but it can be a bit daunting looking over and comparing at times!

ASPARAGUS

We do benefit from some migrating plants though - and well, free plants! A couple of raspberry canes bridged the path last year and I've happily left them where they planted themselves. Last weekend I noticed that some very tiny asparagus-like plants have appeared near where my potatoes are, so these have been moved further in the plot, we'll see how they go - they are tiny, so I think it'll be a good few years before we keep ourselves in asparagus!

The other thing I like about this plot, but I'm not sure I could manage is that the plants merge into one. There isn't the formal and blocky paths that we'll have on ours, who knows perhaps as things grow and grow well we'll lose the grass paths to cram in more growing space.

And flowers, it's full of flowers. And of course that means pollinators, which of course helps all over.

And look at those cubes of lettuces. Not striped like I dream of (well not actual dreams) but blocks of the same lettuce. Maybe that's more do-able for me. I've not sown any lettuce yet this year, but I really should.

The mix of flowers and veg works well and there is as much lavender as you think. And it puts my small plants to shame, but they'll get there and as they came from cuttings they're doing well.

Ah yes, don't talk to me about the onions. The few I have left are about pickled onion size, thankfully it's good we like pickled onions...

I've long-term ambitions for more soft fruit including redcurrants. We've had plenty of raspberries and strawberries before them, and MOH really does make a rather good Eton Mess.

Even the compost and more messy areas are flourishing.  Yes, it's definitely something to aspire to, isn't it?