A couple of years ago, after being on a waiting list for years, my friend acquired an allotment, ‘Lindy’s Lot’. Since then I have been helping to tend it whenever I can. I grew up knowing about growing plants, from digging and pulling weeds, along with some ‘not weeds’, with my granddad.
Lindy’s lot came with a mini orchard of old apple and pear trees, which have the makings of an abundant crop in a few months time.
Tonight I’ve been watering, I must have carried a hundred watering cans the length of the plot. A standard allotment measures ten rods, and the tap is out on the grass path. My arms and shoulders ache but the strawberries make it worth it.
There are many to come.
I watered potatoes, onions, beetroot, cabbage, courgettes etc.
My favourite crop last year was the blackcurrants, they made fabulous blackcurrant jelly.
The raspberries have a long way to go.
But the blueberries are looking very good.
“The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests. It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard.”
― Joel Salatin
This post was inspired by Tish, who has a very productive allotment and has Obsessive Compulsive Compost Disorder, and Rachel’s Facebook photos of her glorious veggie patch!
Lucid Gypsy 
Gilly it seems like a little parcel of paradise. I think women are more creative than menfolk, but it’s not important…thanks for the share. I can smell the watered earth
Tonight I’m tasting and freezing the abundant strawberries!
It looks awfully big, Gilly! You’ll have some great muscles when you’re done (but some lovely food too 🙂 )
Busy freezing strawberries until there’s time to make jam!
Oooh, scones with strawberries and cream 🙂
I am on a waiting list for an allotment. It’s likely I shall never get one, but in the meantime, I have started to colonise our shared garden with planters of rhubarb, tomatoes, peppers, herbs. I had my first freshly picked raspberries of the year over a week ago at a friend’s allotment, a strawberry today fromCelia’s shared garden, and cherries from our tree.
There is a magic in nature that makes life good.
I think I’ve seen some veggies in your photos and it’s great to use any space possible to grow food as they did in the war. Tonight I’m freezing strawberries to make jam in a few days!
Best taste of veggies and fruits are right out of the garden. Love this beautiful and delicious post, Gilly! 🙂
Thanks Amy , there’s nothing like freshly picked food!
Agree… 🙂
So nice, but lots of hard work keeping an allotment. I’d love to grow more herbs though and maybe some beans, spinach and rhubarb 🙂
Love the new header BTW – gorgeous California Poppies!
I’m now at the stage where I’m getting fed up with strawberries!
We are enjoying the strawberries at the moment too – every time I go past the market I end up buying a punnet! Not good for the waistline as I have to have cream or ice-cream with them
An allotment like this is magic. Thanks very much, Gilly, for sharing with us the joy of growing your own food. 🙂
thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I used to help work a plot on my mother-in-law’s land, both her garden and mine. Why couldn’t I just work mine? Lots of heavy carrying, Gilly, but you know about that. 😀 The rewards are so worth the work. ❤ ❤ ❤
Why couldn’t you just work yours?
Ha. That’s the rub. I lived in an apartment so no garden in the backyard. M-i-l had a piece of land in the country and offered a piece for a vegetable garden. One day she announced she had weeded my portion and she couldn’t come the next week so I could weed hers in return. I didn’t want to make waves and after all she was letting me plant veggies and can which I enjoyed. The following year, I did not plant anything there
What is an allotment? where is this? how big is it? Is it communal…other people nearby? love the photos, my mouth is watering right now…
It’s a plot of land that measure 10rods, you rent it from the council and you grow whatever you want on it. Some people keep chickens or bees. Ours has around 25 I’d say and its very friendly !
Sorry for the delay…got busy.
What a great idea…a plot to grow stuff!
They call them community gardens over here Gilly and more and more are springing up. Council have to approve them. What a great scheme they are. I, like Tish, am OCCD and my garden loves me for it. Can you use hoses from the tap? Watering cans are so heavy. Lovely photos of the produce.
No hoses allowed I’m afraid!
That will make it hard work during your recent hot spell…
How wonderful! I so enjoyed your post and pics, Gilly. Fond memories came flooding back of happy times spent up at my dad’s allotment. The long summer evenings when mom packed a picnic and we all sat outside the shed, shelling peas and admiring the results of dad’s hard work. Mom used to make so many jams and pickles from all the fresh produce, and hardly ever had to buy vegetables. 🙂
Those were the days 🙂
Considering all the stuff on GMO, Lindy’s Lot is paradise indeed. 🙂
It is Celestine, you should see the quantity of strawberries 🙂
Gilly you’ve done my lottie proud! It looks so good in your photies! Yes it is a paradise and I love going down there but sometimes the ache in my bones from all the hoeing and digging and planting is overwhelming! Thanks Gilly for all your help!
A lovely read Gilly. Made me long for my vegetable garden in the hills where the weather was so perfect, anything I stuck on the ground thrived. Even strawberries! 🙂
Sounds like a good place to live 😉
Why is it that I, a non-gardener, love other people’s gardens? Lovely photos of a very productive allotment – worth the pain?
Absolutely worth it – although at the moment I’m actually getting fed up with strawberries for the first time ever!
Mmmmm, this makes me hungry just looking at it. Love that quote as well.
And I do love that header photo, but I have to ask: Did you have to lie down in that field of flowers to get that shot?
Thanks Sandra, no luckily the poppies were on ground with steps beside them!