Before...Two posts today! We've been down the allotment and made a start on reclaiming it from Mother Nature. It took around three hours to clear the worst of the top growth - I'm so glad we've got half a plot! I'll start getting the roots out as we dig the beds. It was nice to see some underlying structure in the plot - a few narrow paths. No major discoveries of long lost asparagus beds, sadly, but there is a rather decrepit gooseberry bush next to the little shed.
Next week we'll be laying out the bed structure and starting to get those roots out. I've discovered that the horsetail that I thought was just in the far corner is rather more widespread! Still, it'll give me something to do every time I'm down there...
One thing is for sure - I won't be thinking about taking on the other half of the plot - it looks like part of the jungle! I think I spotted a jaguar pacing through it... although it will be a useful source of blackberries, hopefully. 
We've now got a huge pile of weeds in the top corner, which I'm not sure what to do with - I think I'll take it down the tip a little at a time, as I don't think it'll make good compost, particularly with the horsetail in it.
Still, we had an excellent morning - we got far more done that we thought. There is carpet down in some places (although there are still viable roots underneath) and we will be able to start digging next week. The soil seems very good - a little heavy, but I will be using raised beds and hopefully 'no dig' methods.
After...
The site is not very full, which is a shame. Hopefully it will start to fill up, as allotments are having something of a renaissance at the moment. There is evidence of some allotments coming into recent cultivation, so fingers crossed it will get fuller.
As for us, we're tired, stung, aching but with a real sense of achievement!
1 comment:
I still ache, and it's nearly wednesday!
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