The Good Life – Allotment Adventures |Starting Out

A week ago aptly just before allotments week 2020 I was granted an allotment plot. I have been thinking about one for months. I put my name down back at the beginning of March Before lockdown hit. This is The Good Life – Allotment Adventures | Starting Out

I was inspired by the Lovely Emma – Emmas Allotment Diaries . She has been entertaining us all the way through lockdown. Emma confess she is an amateur allotmenteer and wings her way through the growing process. However she has grown a whole host things in her plot. She has really inspired me to get growing.

The Good Life – Allotment Adventures | Starting Out – Diary

So here starts my “Good Life Diaries”. I have no idea how my plot is going to turn out. If anything will grow but this is the start of the journey and so far I am enjoying the ride.

The Good Life – Allotment Adventures | Starting Out

Viewing the plot |Wednesday 5th August

I arrived on the plot on day one to find after over a year of neglect weeds had grown everywhere but thankfully the neighbouring plot had strimmed it down so it actually looked more manageable. So I said I would take on the challenge.

Its Mine! This is It The Good Life – Allotment Adventures | Starting Out| Thursday 6th August

After accepting to take over Plot Number 8 I was given the keycode and off I trundled with my dad to survey the plot. I’m not sure who is most excited him or me. I have to keep reminding him It is actually my plot!

The ground is so hard underneath all over the overgrown weeds. It is going to take a-lot of digging over.!

Early Starts are now a thing. |Saturday 8th August

On Saturday morning I was that excited to get out to the plot to make a start I was out of the house by 5.30am! I went to digging out the weeds in a little area at the front of the plot. It really is going to take forever and a day to get this plot ready to plant. But at least we have the winter to get it ready.

Save The Bees!

While I was digging over a little area at the front I came across a bees nest under the ground. I didn’t even know they lived underground. But as I scraped some of the weeds a bee came flying around my head and i just wafted it away then around 15 more came shooting out of the ground. So I ended up leaving them to it and starting somewhere else.

Help Required |Sunday 9th

On Sunday I managed to persuade a friend to come and help me put up some fencing across the front of the patch. I need to get my plot secured really so that i can bring the little twins down to help. It was harder than I thought to dig out a hole for our makeshift fence posts to go in. But we managed it to put up all apart from one. It’s looking better already.

I put up a little fence for the bees while we were putting up the fencing. In the hopes that they stick around to help pollinate my plants.

The Bees are Gone

I managed a little allotment date with Chris after dinner. The bees had gone by the time we went back on Sunday evening. However Chis has now taken a chimney topper down and hopefully they will come back and nest in there.

Getting the kids to help! | Monday 10th

I took the kids down to the plot today however it was quite warm but I went to take a few bits down to like a lockable box for my tools and couple of pallets for fencing down one side. The kids however made fiends with next door and more importantly the chickens. When we left they came home with a handful of beans, a couple of sticks of rhubarb and a small tomato plant.

Up Late | Tuesday 11th

I was up late on Tuesday so I missed out on an or two of digging over. I did manage to get there to measure a couple of things up for a future project though.

An Addition For The Plot | Wednesday 12th August

I got up and out again for an early morning digging over and managed to clear a space ready to move the greenhouse that was left. The greenhouse has no glass in it but there are a few sections left I think we are going to use some Poly sheeting to replace the panels. Anyway space now cleared so once I have a couple of willing helpers to move it It can then go into place.

In the afternoon me and my dad collected an addition for the plot

Details of which I will leave you guessing for now as I need to get permission form the council first and i dont want to jinx it!

Rescuing Strawberries | Thursday 13th & Friday 14th

My in-laws called on Thursday to tell me that their gardeners are coming to move some bits around in their garden next week so If I want to rescue some strawberry plants from going to the tip Im welcome.

So On Thursday Morning I set too and cleared an area on the plot ready to put down the Strawberry plants. Then in the afternoon I dug them out with the intention of going to put them in the ground later that night unfortunately The boy are feeling a little off it so Ive decided to take a few days off so first thing this morning I grabbed a few pots and the compost that was due to go down to the plot just to cover their roots over and give them a good drink some of them are a little worse for wear however I’m crossing my fingers that they make it.

Friday afternoon was spent looking at allotment plots and catching up with Emmas allotment vlogs once again.

The Good Life – Allotment Adventures | Starting Out

And that is it for this first Allotment post. I hope you enjoy watching my plot grow and change through the seasons as much as I hope i like planting and digging!

I can already feel the benefits to this allotment life. The purpose to get up in a morning and head straight out. The fresh air and exercise. I feel so much in a better place. I dont think its from the allotment alone however a few things that have put me in a better head space.

Nina x