Allotment Planning

Spring is an exciting time in our household (okay, mostly just for me).  What started as an outstandingly warm February developed into a warm March and is shaping up to be a disappointing April.  Forecasts, however, seem to be erring on the side of another above par summer in the U.K., though Kent is always above par for the U.K.! 

Regardless, the blooming trees throughout March and April seem to come from nothing and, all at once, burst into a pink-and-white paradise.  Seeing this can be quite infectious as an amateur gardener.  The temptation is to get out and plant everything because, surely, that’s what the trees are telling me, right?  That doesn’t sound crazy, does it? 

Springtime at the allotment.  The weeds are only just plotting their revenge.

Many of the staple crops for an allotmenteer or home gardener, however, are (obviously when you think about it) not quite as hardy as trees and a bit of patience is key.  Having come from colder climes, I am often amazed at how the drab monochromes of winter in the U.K. very quickly transform to lush, verdant landscapes.  I often have to explain to people that winter can quite easily stretch seven to eight months of the year in a bad season (though the trend seems to be more severe for a more limited amount of time).  Those who have lived in the Southeast all their lives often find the thought of this to be intolerable (though there is the odd individual who imagines it as an eight-month ski holiday).  So when it comes to daffodils blooming in February I am itching to get out to the allotment for some planting.

As an amateur gardener and new to this country, I am still working out the best planting schedules and techniques.  I didn’t plant anything in February, though I was lucky enough to get down to the allotment for some digging in the unseasonably warm week we had.  My March planting was limited to first and second earlies right at the end of the month, though I noticed many of the more-seasoned allotmenteers had planted theirs out a week or two earlier.  I didn’t have this option as my potato bed was as yet unprepared a week or two earlier.

Future 'taters.

My planting method often involves watching what those more experienced around me are doing, asking for advice, and blatantly copying to the letter.  There is such a wealth of information available on the internet and in the thousands of gardening books that it can be quite overwhelming.  Gardening is one of those things that I find to be best managed in the old fashioned way, which is to say, handed down from individual to individual.

Planting the old fashioned way -- according to an excel file.

I always keep an eye on what other people are doing at the allotment as March in Minnesota would still see snow on the ground and planting anything would still be a few months away.  Planning has become a big part of this year’s rota, as last year I had big plans that never really came to fruition due to not having the time or knowledge to get things ready.  This arduously prepared schedule was compiled using numerous online resources specific to the U.K. (mostly the RHS website and allotment-gardening).  Despite this, I am still hyper aware about what I am doing, when I am doing it, and how I am doing it.  This is at odds with the rest of my life as I find I am coming to an age where I am confident in who I am and the things I do (or, rather, I have just given up caring what other people think).  I don’t believe that this is unique to me, though some may find that kind of confidence later in life or perhaps not at all. 

My top-secret planting schedule.  What to buy, when to plant.

Often I feel like I am once again in the mindset of my teenage years – bumbling around looking for acceptance and naively believing that that was gained by doing/saying the right things at the right times.  At the allotment I simply have to accept that, despite all the resources I have pored over, I don’t know lots of things.  The difference now is that I recognize most people aren’t out to judge and criticize you – they simply want to help – and, sometimes, we can all use a little bit of help.