Expansion, and squidgy spuds

Well. It's been a while since I've been to the allotment, due to a mixture of severe weather and illness before Christmas, and the Under-gardeners birthday celebrations that lasted at least two weekends in January.


However last week I got a call from the allotment association secretary telling me that the tenant of the half-plot adjacent to mine was giving it up, and would I like to expand sideways and take over the whole plot?


The previous owner also wanted to know whether I would like her greenhouse, for a small fee.


Would I?


I went down there this morning to take ownership. The new half of my plot has been much more recently cultivated, so will take a lot less work to turn back into manageable beds. In fact I dug over a sizeable bed in about half an hour this morning, removing at least 25-30kg of old spuds. Sadly they were all (or nearly all) too old and slug-ridden to keep, and may have been blighted as they'd been in the ground far too long and looked suspiciously squidgy, so into the bin with them.


The greenhouse is quite small but will be fine for seedlings and growing a few more exotic fruits over the summer. There's currently no glass in it but the previous owner has more than enough stacked away on the plot, along with loads of clips and fittings, so when it's a bit warmer I'll have fun trying to piece all that back together.


There is also a small shed on the new half plot, which the allotment secretary is going to find a new home for. I'll keep the base though as it will either do for a sitting area or I'll slide my newer shed across on to it, and use the (slightly wonkier) slabs I laid for making paths etc. The previous owner also left a large green plastic patio table and four chairs, which after a clean up will be great for picnics or resting my weary bones after digging.


There are also a few plants on the new half that I might keep, including some lavenders that will attract bees, a large selection of strawberries that need reining in a bit but apparently give a good crop, a rosemary bush, oregano bush, and an as yet unidentified bush that the previous owner obtained as a cutting from the French couple across the path. She couldn't remember what it was so I'll have to ask them. It produces purple leaves that can be used in salads - I know nothing else about it.


While I was there this morning my neighbour on the other side said hello, and pointed out that my original half plot had not been worked for as long as she'd been there, a least 5 or 6 years. That explains why it's so riddled with perennial weeds, and a pain to dig. At least now I can get some crops in the ground on my new half plot, and work away at the heavier digging on the old half a little at a time. I might even cover some of it with weed membrane to help kill off the perennials, and plant a selection of pumpkins and squash through it this year.