Long time no see! I’m back on the blogging after a little bit of a break. Spring and Summer is always my busiest time for work and this year has been pretty crazy! You might have seen some of my articles in Kitchen Garden magazine, or bought one of my t-shirts or perhaps you’ve been watching my TikToks. Or maybe you haven’t seen any of what I’ve been up to… but that’s where I’ve been.
The allotment plot has thrived this year. I think the weather has played a big part in that with the warmer spring keeping slugs and snails away and now the wet summer helping all the crops to have a growth spurt.
One of the things that has really thrived is my pumpkin archway. Last year my archway struggled to get off the ground whereas this year it’s already covering the entire structure! There are loads of jack be littles growing and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve also grown some French beans on it too which have started to produce a tonne of green beans to pick and add a really nice dynamic to the arch.
Runner beans have done well this year too, producing an abundance of beans for me and taking full advantage of the slightly vicarious structure I’ve built for them. I love natural structures. I think it must be the womble in me (I grew up in Wimbledon) but I have this thing about reusing everything I can at my plot. So any branches that have fallen down I love using to build new structures. I’ve also dismantled an old polytunnel that broke ages ago and have been using all the poles for different purposes ever since. My broken wheelbarrow has made a nice little planter!
I haven’t felt as overwhelmed with my allotment this year as I have in previous years. I don’t know if this is down to experience or if it’s just been because the plot has grown so well this year. Either way, I don’t feel that awful anxious feeling that everything is about to imminently die or be eaten by slugs. I’m also not comparing my plot with other peoples this year. One of the downsides of being on instagram so much is that you start to compare your own achievements with other peoples. But this year I haven’t felt that so much which has been great.
I’m looking forward to seeing how my plot develops over the next few months. I can’t wait to show you my pumpkin archway as it really takes off.
In more personal news, I’ll be working on releasing my 2024 allotment planner, adding some new clothing and mugs to the allotment store and of course, posting lots of content on YouTube and my social media!
How have your allotments been?
