Allotments4you

Raising your own food is as natural as can be. Tanya Walton at Allotments4you does just that. The allotment is "a piece of hired land for growing vegetables". After Tanya got her allotment, her friend Eva gave her a gardening diary to record her experiences. Then Tanya decided to share those experiences with us. Knowing that not


everyone has access to a garden or allotment, she believes that everyone should try growing something even if you have no more room than a window box or flower pot. Her children take part in her allotment. Tanya says they are quite good at times and not quite so good at others. She knows this is the way they learn and that they will appreciate the vegetables more when they have a hand in growing them.

Tanya planted Maris Piper potatoes. She liked that type of potato and had previously bought them at the grocery store. They grew to be full of potatoes and she dug up enough for a few meals. There is a picture of the first plant she dug up. They look marvelous. Tanya and her family were going on a vacation and wanted to take some of her spuds with them. So she went to dig up a few and found some sort bugs on one of the plants. They seemed to only be on the one plant so she took what they needed from the garden. There were several suggestions about what they could be. In our nature sites it's usually helpful to read the comments too.

Tanya had been hoping to acquire a greenhouse. She was fortunate enough to get one along with other pieces of equipment for a reasonable amount. The catch was that she had to transport it herself. You can read about her adventure and feel her joy at her sense of accomplishment. It's one of my favorite posts.

One bright spring morning, Tanya awoke to singing birds and beautiful weather. She thought she would stay around her house for a while then go up to her allotment. Shortly there was a knock on her door. A neighbor told her that there was a fire at the allotment. When she arrived, her shed with all her tools was on fire and the firemen were there. They were unable to save anything. There are pictures of the damage. Arson was suspected. What a shame. At least the firemen were careful to not destroy any of her plants.

The garden is done for the year. Tanya had a good season but it is over. So what does she do? She plans for next season. First she does some cosmetic work on her allotment. She re-arranges the rock slabs. She has the shed re-sided. She has her lawn re-sodded. She weather proofs her bench. The before and after pictures tell the story well.

Like a lot of the world, Tanya has been having cold weather. On a day the temperature reached double digits, she ventured up to her allotment. She dug a trench and filled it with manure for her runner beans. Her winter cabbages did well in spite of the cold but she is worried that she may have problems with the broccoli. Last she planted some cranberries. A busy day.

Tanya works her allotment with such vigor and affection. Her whole family is involved in raising a portion of the foods they eat. It is a way of life too many people have given up for convenience. Because she gardens with no chemicals, her family is eating food that is pure. Her blog is entertaining. There are usually pictures of the fruits of her labors. And you can pick up a lot of gardening tips. Please look through her older posts. You might learn something and you will certainly have a good time. When you are finished, please leave her a lovely comment and tell her Emma sent you. Her link is below.

Allotments 4 You

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