Just the start (28-7-10)
After 3 months of digging, weeding, 'stone-picking', hoeing, bird-scaring and lots of watering, it is nice to come back from the allotments with some reward.
Never have I spent so much effort producing so little! Still, it all tastes far, far better than anything from the supermarket—and this is just the start. Already I am mentally making plans for next year's crop.
Once a week I make a point of driving around the whole allotment site to see what everybody else is doing—and there is always something new.
I see that Jim is erecting the 'mother of all fruit cages' at the bottom of the site! Watching developments on the A46 is fascinating, but changes on our allotment site are much less predictable.
Have you got a story to tell about your plot (and pictures)? If so, share it with others: send me an email.
Tony Jarrow
Looking just like a village allotment (30-6-10)
It is time we had a peep at what is happening on the Allotments.
Sheds continue go up and so does netting to stop birds, rabbits and whatever spoiling our precious little—and not so little—plants.
No two plots are alike; everybody appears to be trying something different. The only thing they have in common, is the great deal of effort that is being put into making them great places for our plants.
Tony Jarrow
Richard Butler gives his support (27-5-10)
Our Notts County Councillor, Richard Butler, has kindly sent the Allotment Association a cheque for £450. This money comes from Richard's own "Councillors' fund".
The money is to help in the setting up of the Cropwell Bishop Allotment Association. This is our first year and there will undoubtedly be unforeseen costs that we must cover: this money will enable us to meet them.
Tony Jarrow
Village experiment continues (18-5-10)
There are 46 plot holders on the allotment site. However, on the vast majority of plots, the work is shared with at least one other person. There must be at least 100 people involved with the growing of crops and, if you walk around the site and chat to some of them, you are left with the impression that there are at least 40 different methods being used to master the art of allotment growing.
If we have homegrown food on our plates in the autumn then we will have been successful. Even so, we all know that this first year will be very hard work.
Sheds don't grow - but each time you go up to the field you can't help but imagine that they are springing up out of the ground. I think there were 10 at the last count.
Digging is uncovering tons of stones but along with fossils, some other interesting objects have been found. Look at the fragment of the head of a clay pipe in one of the photos below.
After looking at the pictures below, glance back at the photos taken on the 1st of May; they are further down the page. What will it look like in another month?
Tony Jarrow
Many hands start the transformation (11-5-10)
In less than two weeks the allotment site is changing in appearance daily.
No two plots look the same as people put their backs into tackling the massive job of transforming a grassy field into a place where, come the autumn, food will be pulled and cut and put onto the of plates of dozens of dinner tables in the village and beyond.
The number of rocks and stones hiding below the surface makes digging hard work but at least you have to remove rocks only once; unlike weeds, they won't grow again.
Sheds, water butts, compost containers and many different digging and planing layouts are springing up. There always seems to be someone up on the allotments.
After the long wait to establish the site, it is satisfying to see the enthusiasm that abounds and know that all the effort has been worthwhile.
Tony Jarrow
The first weekend (1-5-10)
It is May Day and after weeks of dry weather we have had a few days of rain and sunshine - perfect for digging in the spade for the first time.
Some have already been busy on their plot: grass has been trimmed, a water container positioned and wooden creations are appearing. This morning at 7am the sun was shining brightly. Rain is forecast but over the long holiday weekend I am sure there will a lot of activity on our new site.
Tony Jarrow
