Allotments Blog

Hello,

Oakleigh here, welcome to the Almondsbury Allotment blog…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the allotments evolve, we plan to use this page to record our journey, highs and lows, and to answer your questions:

 

25.09.12 Almondsbury Allotments - Emma’s Reflections

Here are Emma’s (Allotment No. 6) thoughts on her first year at Almondsbury Allotments:

We have loads of highlights! It’s been a great adventure, and we’re already excited about what we are going to grow next year.

Back in March, we recruited parents as farm hands; handily they travelled down from Preston and came to stay in their motorhome right on Hortham Farm. We came down after breakfast one morning, to find Emma’s Dad had already started digging and shifting stones! We were grateful for an extra pair of hands in getting started, and for tea and lunch when we needed a break.

Needless to say, they have been repaid for their efforts in runner beans and beetroots!

After all the hard work at the start of the year, it has been really rewarding to see a shed full of drying onions and garlic, jars of pickled onions, fresh cut flowers in the window and juicy super sweet cobs of corn on our dinner plates.

Also, as we were both relatively new to the area, it’s been a great way to get to know people. Sometimes I think we did more talking and admiring of other people’s plots, than tending to our own crops!

Our lows were…. The rain! We just didn’t seem to have a dry day from about March to June, when we should have been busy planting and harvesting early potatoes. It didn’t really improve much in July and August either so we lost a few crops on the way, but there were certainly more successes than failures. Oh, and the weeding – after about an hour it stops being therapeutic…

Our one big learn that we would like to share with others is….

Grow some heritage varieties… It’s rewarding to grow things you know you can’t buy in the shop!

 

We’ve enjoyed growing some heritage varieties this year, such as red flowering broad beans and stripy beetroots. It’s rewarding to grow things you know you can’t buy in the shops. We also tried to cultivate veg which are expensive to buy, such as purple sprouting broccoli and mange tout. These were rather plentiful, we couldn’t pick them fast enough!

It has been such good fun having an allotment. We think of ourselves as lucky, as we have plenty of friends who don’t have the outdoor space to grow veg, and the waiting lists for some allotments are over 10 years long (and that’s just for those at the top of the list!) We rent, so we are limited to what we can grow in our own back garden, so we jumped at the chance to take up an allotment at Hortham Farm. We’re by no means experts, but if we can improve our yields year on year, then we see that as a big success

 

Check out some great photos from Emma on our Facebook/HorthamFarm page, the Photo Album is called:

Emma Allotment 6 - Great Photo Reminders of 2012

 

24.09.12 Almondsbury Allotments Top-Tips

Peter’s thoughts from Allotment No. 14.

Having started preparing and sowing over 17 varieties of vegetable from the 6th March 2012 and our first harvest of carrots & beetroot on the 14th June 2012 was a delight. The taste and size of the vegetables far exceeded our expectations. The pleasure we get from harvesting fresh veg is tremendous and yesterday we had carrots, cabbage, sweetcorn, beetroot & celery all on the table within 2 hours and the taste buds went mad!

With regards to passing on experiences and top allotment tips,

A little and often

This applies to digging, sowing, harvesting and finally eating.

 

23.09.12 Almondsbury Allotments Top-Tips

I recently asked for allotment top-tips, and ideas to share, here’s Kate from Alloment No. 19, Thanks Kate:

Space your seeds

My one big learn that I would like to share with others is to spread carrot and leek seeds lightly as we have so many too close together and not enough room for them to grow properly.

 

21.09.12 Almondsbury Allotments - South Gloucestershire

We plough the fields and scatter, The good seed on the land…

For many this time is a reminder that summer has left us and winter is around the corner. The twilight zone between is the season for harvest.

Living on a farm this is a special time to reflect on the work that went into growing the crops, and this year it is the same for the new Allotment Holders at Hortham Farm.

Here are Joan’s thoughts on her first year at allotment No. 8:

6th March planted rhubarb, looking forward to sampling next year.

18th March planted potatoes, shallots and onions. Obviously being a virgin allotmenteer I didn’t know how long it would take to see any signs of life.

30th March Gerald (husband) came up to see what I had been up to on the allotment and I was delighted to see the green tips of the potatoes and Gerald was quite impressed with all the beds I had created. Anyway I had few jobs to do, and Gerald said he would do a bit of raking on the beds. Now as I said we had JUST been looking at the potatoe shoots and when I turned round, I found Gerald raking the bed where all the potatoes were and all the shoots had gone! No need to add that there was a remarkably strained atmosphere at Hortham Farm allotments that morning!

April was pretty busy with planting up and sowing seeds. Gerald put up two wigwams for the runner beans, planted the beans and loosely tied them to the canes. Only for disaster to strike with a terrible storm on 28th April resulting in one of the wigwams being blown down and all the bean plants broken! Mother Nature can be cruel at times. Spent hours at the library and on the Internet researching ideas, allotment morphing into a full time job!
1st June picked our first strawberry! (mind you I did have to employ a full time security guard as it was ripening, not mentioning any names but two allotment holders very close to mine were taking a somewhat dubious interest in it!!).

17th June dug first new potatoes and they were yummy!

1st July first runner beans! That went on and on to the extent we had to purchase a chest freezer!
Virtually everything I have put in to the allotment has been successful, even the flowers look great and I am pleased to say that the insect hotel is inhabited as well. For me personally it’s been great fun and a steep learning curve! I never tire of going up to my oasis and I think Gerald enjoys it nearly as much as me. I am finding on occasions that I do have to remind him that it’s actually MY allotment! When he seems to be getting a bit ahead with the planning! We have also enjoyed meeting our fellow allotmenteers and exchanging tips, and are always very pleased to meet up with Oakleigh and his lovely family.

I never thought in a million years that I would have an allotment and enjoy it so much, so thank you Hortham Farm!

Wow didn’t we have a mixed bag of weather in 2012. We opened the allotments in March, but the rain just kept coming. So well done everyone for starting and sticking with it. April arrived, and we went from too much water to not enough! Not put off, water troughs were added to ensure water was always near to hand. After our first season of fun, it is time to harvest.

The allotment highlight for me this year has been the community and relationships that are developing as people are growing their own fruit and veg.

It seems allotments are not just for older guys with flat caps (hmm I wear a flat cap!), Almondsbury allotments include children, parents, grandparents, singles and young couples. I’ve seen toddlers digging holes and making mud pies, great fun. Whilst older children have been spied leaving their e-games to eat berries straight off the bush.

My own children also took an interest, Rowan, age 9, decided the favourite he grew this year was Beetroot and Daisy, age 11, said her favourite was Logan Berries! I don’t think the same result would occur if I had popped supermarket beetroot on a plate!

Other parents reported similar experiences, Paul Watkins (allotment No. 7) from Staple Hill said, “It’s an enjoyable experience for me and the kids. The children love to get their hands dirty and help out. What they grow, they eat!’

It’s amazing how a seemingly small success can be remembered by someone as a “High of the Year” which is how Annalisa (allotment No. 15), described how her “carrots germinated, and grew on to a great size and flavour”.

We built a Facebook page where allotment holders now swap produce.

http://www.facebook.com/hortham.farm

And sharing recipes from allotment fruit and veg has also started:

http://horthamfarm.co.uk/services/almondsbury-allotments/allotment-recipes/

On the downside, the wet weather did bring thousands of little challenges called Slugs… yuk!

Thinking of the future we are now looking for a local Community Group, for Allotment No. 1, which will be sponsored by Almondsbury Garden Centre. Richard Truscott, Park Garden Centres said:

“The allotments are a great opportunity for anyone to get outdoors and learn new skills. There is simply nothing better than growing your own fruit and vegetables. Whether it be your first potato, carrot or onion, there is a real sense of achievement and pride when you are all tucking in and enjoying the fruits of your labour!”

Tools, seeds and enthusiasm are all you need to get started with your allotment.

So what are you waiting for? There are allotments available at Hortham Farm.

Oakleigh Wood – Hortham Farm

Email: [email protected]

 

07.04.2012 Almondsbury Allotments

STOP PRESS - SHEDS NOW ON SITE..!

Slight challenge on the initial shed design, the padlock shackle isn’t large enough! The guys at the fabrication shop didn’t have the wooden door, so guessed the depth of padlock loop - not deep enough!

We have decided to action a retro modification!

We will be bringing a battery grinder on site, cut off the existing loops and fit a new.

If you have a shed bear with us, we will let you know when we plan to do the mod as we will need to co-ordinate when you are here… new sheds will have a larger shackle.

If you like the look of the new sheds, contact me, Oakleigh using the details on our contact page.

Other news…

Water - 4 water troughs are now fitted and connected to the new water main..

Toilet - The MkII loo is now sited at the bottom of the allotments in the parking area. MkII sports a clear roof and a vent above the door. We have added a water tap on the side for hand washing, please bring your own soap! Please do not connect hoses to the tap.

Parking - Please can everyone start to park on site, please park near the fence next to the farm drive, spread the word with others. We will add bark when the ground becomes soft again.

 

21.03.2012 Almondsbury Allotments

Almondsbury Primary School joins our allotment community in Hortham Lane.

 

Today, Head Teacher Mr Smith, accepted the new allotment sponsored by Almondsbury Garden Centre (Park Garden Centres).

Richard Truscott of Almondsbury Garden Centre handed the baton (allotment post..!) to Mr Smith….

Mr Smith said “I will spread the word to children and parents, we are excited to be part of this new community project”.

Mr Smith, was supported by year 3 teacher and hero to parents Mrs Dagger.

Mrs Dagger supports children through their transition at the start of their school journey.

Mrs Dagger said “I look forward to building our new allotment into the school plan”.

13.03.2012 Almondsbury Allotments

Have you been Tango’ed?

 

Tango the tractor joined Hortham Farm today…

Now we can pull the roller and cut the grass on the paths…

Happy days…

12.03.2012 Almondsbury Allotments

Q&A

Q. Can I use the space at the end of my allotment if I’m not having a shed?

A. Originally I calculated the allotment layout on 6 allotments per row, but thinking that we need room for water troughs I decided to make plots slightly bigger, and finally marked out 5 allotments per row. The reason I’m mentioning this, is that some allotments will need to have a water trough on the end of their pitch, but I’m hoping everyone will be understanding, as the size is a little larger than originally stated.

Each allotment has a strip of 1.5m at each end, this is a grass path, the seed has been sown, and I noticed a few shoots today. The reason all paths are 1.5m is that this is the width of the mower… so to answer your question…. the space on the end of each allotment is a path, if you decide to go for a shed, it will need to it within your own boundary.
As soon as we have water troughs I will lay them out.

Q. Where can I put stones from my allotment?

A. Regarding stones, I have organised two metal bins to be left at the top and bottom of the allotments, please put any stones to be removed from site in the bins, stone only please. Some people have used the stones to make dividing paths on their allotment which seems a great idea, but please keep stones off the grass, as they will damage the mower.

03.03.2012 - Almondsbury Allotments

Hooray we opened on March 1st, and today we had an open morning.

We beat the rain… and enjoyed blue sky and sun for the new almondsbury diggers…

About 20 rocked up, and we cut the ribbon…

Suddenly a new community was born, and discussions started….

What are you planning to grow? Shall we have a summer BBQ? Shall we have a havest competition… funniest shape veg!

For those that didn’t make it, there is a pile of free compose for your allotment by the gate…

First come first serve, bring a barrow and shovel!

Below is a photo of shed V1…

This is the shed design that we will be offering for rent… it’s £60 per year (£5 per month), with a £50 returnable deposit, we will provide the paint, and ask that you paint it each year.

Just let me know if you would like a shed.

The demo shed also has a portaloo inside in case you get caught short whilst on site…

It was great to see everyone this morning… happy growing…

Thank you to the Bradley Stoke newsletter for photos.

Just to confirm, we still have allotment spaces available…

If you know someone who would like an allotment, please ask them to complete the registrtion form at the bottom of the Allotment page….

Onwards… Oakleigh

20.02.2012 - Almondsbury Allotments

Exciting news… we have now started to fill the third allotment strip…! More allotments to release, if you would like one, please register on the main allotment page.

11.02.2012 - Almondsbury Allotments

Wa Hoo… we have just completed the power harrowing, if you fancy a look just pop over, don’t call, you don’t need me. The allotments are on the left as you come up the farm drive , just off Hortham Lane, Almondsbury.

Here is an image of the allotments this morning, this afternoon I plan to split the rows into separate allotments.

08.02.2012 - Almondsbury Allotments

Here is an image of the allotments as of today:

The grass paths are really settling in, and the allotment areas can be clearly seen. The ground is still wet, but we have a tractor standing by, as soon as the ground drains enough, we will be back on the land to use the power harrow.

03.02.2012 - Almondsbury Allotments

Email invitations sent to all that have registered interest in the new allotments. If you didn’t receive an invite, and you were expecting one… call us on 01454 612 451. We will need to send you a copy of the Licence Agreement to sign and return with your payment of £100.

31.01.2012 - Almondsbury Allotments

See image for draft Allotment layout.

 

As soon as weather permits we will start to finally mark out the allotment plots, we will run the power harrow through the areas for cultivation, I anticipate the result will plots of 4mts wide (width of power harrow). I then plan that we divide each plot off with a grass strip, probably 1.5mts as that is the width of the mower on the back of the quad bike. Dividing the whole area like this will equate to approx 13m x 4m or 52 sqm. Fingers crossed for dry weather…

26.01.2012 - Almondsbury Allotments

Q. Can I come and rotivate yet?
A. No, the ground is still very wet under foot.

However the grass seed planted last year for paths is coming up well. Just waiting for land to drain so that we can mark out plots.

License Agreement almost ready to email to everyone who are registered.

Now starting to research Sheds. From visiting other allotments, we realised that tatty sheds are the fastest way to make a site look sad and unloved. For this reason we have decided to buy standard sized sheds, and then offer them for rent.

The ground was cultivated at the end of 2011, and rested over the winter months. Cold weather supports cultivation, as many pests do not survive a cold winter. This year has been exceeding wet, so fingers crossed the pests have drowned!

Cultivation means a light tilled soil and minimum work to make ready for your planting. This preparation means you can start growing your fruit and vegetables from March 1st .

01.12.2011- Almondsbury Allotments

As of today we have 12 people registered for info. our plan is for 20 allotments. We are holding details of people who have registered via online form in date order. When we are ready to open each person will be contacted in order of registration received..
The field has been measured, and we were going to mark out yesterday to physically confirm the number of allotments, but the weather beat us. Probably back on the land next week.

21.09.2011- Almondsbury Allotments

Visited other local allotments for inspiration, tidy allotments are the way forward, too large and the allotments seem to be left, loo’s are mentioned as a need by existing allotment holders, seats are also nice to have.

Visited included:

Frampton Cotteral Allotments - really tidy, very well maintained, sheds have water butts.

Iron Acton Allotments - very large allotments, many need tidying.

Rudgeway Allotments - new start-up, circa. 1 year old, just had water brought onto site.

Coalpit Heath Allotments - tidy, commercial site, with cafe and shop.