General – My Plenty Food Project

2019 review – the year I nearly lost the plot!

At the start of last year I made 19 allotment resolutions for 2019 – the year didn’t go according to plan (hence my failure to post any updates since March!) but wasn’t a complete failure. Before I post my plans for 2020 I thought I should revisit my resolutions from 12 months ago and see how many (if any) I managed to achieve.

So here they are with my current comments interspersed:

Reclaim and reconstruct my Polytunnel – had great plans for this winter but would be happy to get it back in place in time for Spring sowings etc

Ooh this is better than I hoped! I’m starting with one I can tick off as done! With help from plot neighbour Dave – well to be honest I just stood back & gave encouragement – the frame was fixed back in January, moved back to my plot and the cover refitted at Easter. And then refitted again a few days later after a Spring storm! But it was only in early July that I managed to get beds set up inside, filled with compost and tomatoes and peppers I’d grown from seeds planted out. I later added aubergine, cucumber and tomatillo plants that I’d had to buy in after my seedlings failed – long before they got to the tunnel. From an empty shell almost overnight it turned into a veritable jungle – and I had successful crops of tomatoes, cucumbers and tomatillos. We’ll gloss over the failure of the peppers and aubergines

Continue to develop and fill my lasagna beds so ready to plant in Spring.

A half tick on this one – one of the difficulties was finding enough material to add to the beds. I do save all of my kitchen waste (usually via a bokashi bin) & have also added leaves and weeds/old plants but still needed to top up with bought in compost -at a price. So filled a 3-4 this way and gave me some crops but still have another few that are still empty.

Complete layout of paths with addition of wood chips and add more chippings to existing paths

Back in March I was making good progress with this as there were quantities of wood chips on site and I was taking several barrowloads each time I was there – but so were other folk so the pile soon diminished. Did cover some new areas but sourcing new supplies of wood chips (preferably for free!) is a current priority as my need has increased.

Sort out seeds into monthly sowing order (today!) and resolve to keep tidy and organised throughout the year

A two part-pledge and I achieved the first part but have sadly failed on keeping them organised throughout the year. I ended up with seeds everywhere as moved them from home to shed to allotment etc. And finally a disaster when a leak in my polytunnel ruined about a dozen packets in an open container 😦

Complete garden planner and check measurements etc as I finalise positions of beds and paths. Resolve to maintain the planner and update with any changes of locations of planting – I lost a few plants this year 😉 Use to plan second crops and intercropping.

Oh dear – more good intentions! Limited time and headspace – mainly as a result of the acquisition of Carrot (a dog not a pet vegetable!) have led me into haphazard plantings and not sticking to my plans. But even more problematic has not been recording accurately where I have planted out seedlings. Note to self – must do better!

Resolve to accurately label seeds and plants – at all stages of the growing process. All brassicas look the same to me until they start to reach maturity!

Almost a tick for this one – I diligently labelled all seedlings and kept good control whilst they were in my shed and lean-to at home. But have had some problems on the plot – either because I’ve lost labels or because I seem to have failed to always use a permanent pen on my wooden labels.

Reduce use of plastics

I do reuse all my pots and have also used old yoghurt pots etc. Also made some pots out of newspaper (they do dry out v quickly!). Still using wooden plant labels – cheapest ones I’ve found are sold as tongue depressors!

Reduce costs by recycling as many materials as possible.

A big tick on this one. At times my plot has looked like a junkyard with all the foraged items I had accumulated from abandoned plots and also the school next door which is being refurbished. Still need to convert some items into usable structures. And I compost everything I can. Could do more perhaps to get compostable material from neighbours – they seem to give me some and then stop! Do acquire cardboard for mulching on a regular basis- can get some from a nearby shop but transport has been a little difficult lately.

Reduce long-term costs and workload by planting as many perennials as possible. Develop an area of food-forest on the plot and try to source as many plants from swaps and cuttings as possible.

A work in progress! In April I took on another half-plot next to mine and my intention was/is that I would treat this as my perennial food forest area and use my existing plot for the polytunnel, annuals etc. It all started well as the site had allegedly been cleared of brambles but I turned down the offer of rotavation as I strongly suspected there would be many roots of perennial weeds and brambles still in situ and rotavating would just spread them further. But before I could get the ground covered I took a decision that has had a major impact on my capacity to cope with my plots – at least in the short term. I adopted a rescued lurcher, who has been appropriately named Carrot, and hopefully in time will be an excellent allotment companion. But I had seriously underestimated how much input he would need in terms of training. For much of the summer I could neither leave him home alone nor can I get much done on the plot when he’s with me. And the result has been that the brambles are back! And so are many weeds including bindweed and docks. I am now having to arrange help and support to allow me to tackle these but its hard work and could have been avoidable if I had got ahead of myself with this new plot and could have spent some money on coverings.

Save seeds from as many crops as possible – beans, peas, tomatoes etc Reduce the number of new seeds purchased so saving a few £££

I did sow some seeds that I had saved last year – with mixed results! A few tomatoes, but failures with a pepper and squash. Some germination but then failure as seedlings.

Have saved peas – Kent Blue and Roi des Conserves – from this years crop and also beans and tomatoes and tomatillos.

Erect shed – make functional for storage of tools etc

Still awaiting construction of a base!!!! A priority for 2020

Encourage more wildlife including pollinators, natural predators etc by growing flowering plants, companion plants, bug hotels, and a wildlife pond.

Do have some flowers – marigolds, nasturtiums, sunflowers, borage etc which are good insect attractors. No bug hotels yet. And my pond is in (slow!) progress! In return for not having half-plot rotavated I cheekily asked contractors on site if they could scoop out a pond for me – which they duly did. It has filled up with rainwater which doesn’t drain out due to the clay subsoil so I haven’t yet got around to reshaping and modelling it. And it is now surrounded by weeds and brambles.

Use Garden journal regularly to keep track of what sown/planted etc

Have used my journal irregularly since Carrot came into my life – and the planner too. Am trying to get back on track.

Record weight of harvested produce – to enable tracking and comparison in future years

Ha ha! Initially no harvests worthy of weighing. And now not organised enough to do so. Will look at how to start doing this – maybe with specific crops eg tomatoes, potatoes rather than every lettuce leaf.

Make home-made pesticides from soap etc and use regularly against pests

Did this one! Made a spray from soap & used it on blackfly on broad beans. Possibly helped although seemed to get a rust infection afterwards. Cinnamon to deter ants has not worked well so tried nematodes in polytunnel with mixed results.

Sign up as a mother garden with Food Forest Brum and pledge to share cuttings of perennials I am trying together with surplus annual veg plants.

Not done this yet – still on back burner

Volunteer regularly with Stirchley Fruit & Nut Village – to learn skills, contribute to planting trees and forest garden in area and make new friends.

Started off well with tree planting and a grafting workshop but arrival of Carrot hampered this one.

Photograph plot and write regular blog articles about my allotment and other growing activities

Most I’ve managed are a few tweets and photos on instagram. Since Carrot arrived I’ve been under so much pressure just to do something when on the plot that I haven’t had time or capacity to take many photos. And its looked such a mess! Hopefully will start to improve in 2020!

Take time to sit and enjoy the sound of the bees

I’ve barely noticed the bees – although the ants are another story! But as I start to get back on top of the overgrown areas hopefully will be able to find solace once more.

So a some successes – and a few failures or put on hold for now. What the above doesn’t mention is the impact of my role on the allotment committee during a year when the council were implementing major works including construction of a new road and installation of a clubhouse and storage sheds. It had a major impact both on the actual time it took but also on my stress levels and the sense of enjoyment I had on the site. Thankfully the work is now (allegedly!) complete and in 2020 I should be able to give more time to my own plots.

It’s Spring and change is in the air

It’s 12 months since I first saw my plot – and an unprepossing sight it was too! I was given the option of taking it on from 1st April 2018 or waiting until it had been rotivated as part of the council’s downsizing works on the site. Not being a fan of rotavation I opted not to wait. And am I glad I did – the works have finally started this week! My plot is still very much a work in progress but I am satisfied with what I have achieved and learnt over the last year and am so much better prepared for this year.

Waiting for the works to commence has had an impact on my plot though. I’ve had to leave the top 5-6m vacant to allow access for machinery to clear brambles from the vacant half-plot next to mine. And also to allow for drainage to be installed – this will also run through my top section. So not only could I grow anything in this area I also haven’t been able to erect my shed – and it also meant that I couldn’t site my polytunnel at the top end of the plot.

Plot east of mine

Plot south across the road

The plots to the east and south of mine have been vacant and completely overgrown. Although this is often thought to be problematic due to spread of weed seeds etc I have actually found it to be beneficial to me. Every time I felt a bit down about my progress I could look across at the next plots and see what mine would look like were it not for my interventions. Also as a first time (not counting a half shared plot 30 years ago!) and slightly experimental grower I have quite enjoyed being tucked away in my little corner with no-one sucking through their teeth and telling me they wouldn’t be doing it that way if they were me 😉

Contractors came onto the site on Monday this week to start the full programme of works which are scheduled to take 5-6 months and will include the installation of stone roads, improved drainage, more water taps, car parking, community room and trading shed and fully-accessible raised beds. I had anticipated that work on the plots may be the last on the schedule but was delighted to discover that they are actually first. First chance I had to take a look was yesterday afternoon – appropriately a very sunny first day of Spring. And there parked next to my plot was a massive digger – and those vacant plots have been cleared, along with the brambles at the back and side of mine. I wish I could have seen it happening but am very pleased with the results.

Something’s been digging my plot

Brambles gone

So as I prepare to start my 2nd year on the plot not only is the Spring energising me but also the changes that are taking place across the whole site and what I hope that will do for our community of growers.

A growing addiction?

Laid up with a bad back recently (an unfortunate cycling-related injury – something went twang as I stood up after locking it up!) I decided to have a go at sorting out my seeds. Before I knew it I had opened up Access and was putting together my very own seed inventory and database – how nerdy is that? I was somewhat horrified to discover that I had over 120 types of seeds – is this usual?

I did only take on an allotment in April last year so I seem to have accumulated these packets in a fairly short space of time. And they don’t include the empty packets from varieties that I grew and used up all the seed this year. So where did they all come from? And what am I going to do with them all? Surely I can’t find space to grow that many varieties – and if every seed was viable I would have enough for a large market garden.

In my defence I didn’t buy all of them. My neighbour gave me quite a number of packets surplus to her requirements – many of them ‘free gifts’ with various gardening magazines. They were either varieties she didn’t like or types of vegetables that she had no interest in growing. I’ve had a few given me as presents – including a couple from my son after visits to a Cornish garden and Kew gardens. And they do include some seeds I saved myself last year – including two types of tomato I grew in the garden, pepper seeds from a green pepper my neighbour gave me to taste, french, runner and field beans I harvested on the allotment and several types of squash from fruit I’ve purchased from my local farmers’ market. But the majority I have bought myself either online from a variety of seed companies including small independents such as Real Seeds, Incredible Vegetables, Tamar Organics and Norfolk Cottage Gardens; or from garden centres and some bargains from the Malvern Autumn Show. Plus my six choices and a surprise freebie from my first selection from the Heritage Seed Library.

As I’ve added each type of seed to the database I have also been allocating space to the crop on my garden-planner. And adding the particular variety and any notes about it to the plant list. I intend to use the growing chart the planner produces as I probably couldn’t produce anything as good, let alone better, from my own database.

I’m reconfiguring some of the layout of my plot to allow for the hopeful restoration and resiting of the polytunnel and in the hope that I will finally get my shed erected. And I am trying to use the data about planting and harvesting dates to make some sensible decision about succession planting to make the most of the space and number of beds I have available. But trying to find suitable spaces for the sheer numer of varieties I really want to try is proving challenging! And I do have a nagging question at the back of my brain about how many vegetables I can actually eat! And fairly soon I will have to face the very vexed question of just where am I going to find space to get these seeds started – they’re not all going to fit on my kitchen window sill 😉

Is this normal – or am I becoming a secret hoarder of seeds? Am I making a newbie error behaving like a kid in a sweetie shop? Will I regret the error of my ways when I start looking closely at the sow-by dates? Answers on a postcard please….. 😉

Malvern Autumn Show 2018

I’ve been happily snapping away this year on my allotment and elsewhere and thought I’d have a go at putting some of the images together into a video format – if only because I want to teach myself a bit more about how to create videos for future projects.

So here, for anyone interested is my first small effort showing images from a recent trip to the Malvern Autumn Show. If you’ve never been I can strongly recommend it. I went with my sister and her only complaint – there was too much to see! So we’re definitely going back in the Spring to see what is on offer there.

Video from the Malvern Autumn Show 2018

And because I omitted to include it in the video here is a pic of my favourite exhibit at the Show – a Giant tortoise! So much nicer than the freak show of the giant vegetables;-)

Two Weeks In….

Mushroom Ragout with poached egg

Brussels sprouts & tofu

Ultimate winter couscous (bulgar wheat)

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted veg with caper vinaigrette

Brussels sprouts & Tofu

Two weeks in and going strong! Above are a selection of Ottolenghi inspired dishes I’ve enjoyed cooking and eating over the last couple of weeks. I say “inspired” because I’ve had to adapt on occasion to the ingredients I have available but there haven’t been many deviations. Swapping hen’s egg for duck egg to top my mushroom ragout – which may not have had the full variety of fungi in the original recipe – doesn’t seem like a cardinal sin.

I’ve actually cooked or prepared more dishes than this – but I seem to have omitted to photograph them all before tucking in. Must try harder!

Verdict so far

Cost? Hard to tell as haven’t kept detailed records of previous expenditure on food but allowing for stocking up or restocking additional spices etc I don’t feel I’ve spent much extra. But using large quantity of fresh herbs could add to food bill – will definitely aim to grow more in garden this year and look into what I could do for next winter. I’m usually only cooking meals for myself or myself + Aidan and try to cook enough to have leftovers next day for lunch.

Waste? No cooked food gone to waste – as too good to not want to eat leftovers. But buying veg specifically for one recipe can mean that I’ve got spare raw veg left over. Still have a dozen sprouts lingering after the sprout and tofu dish which haven’t found their way into another dish and are looking increasingly sorry for themselves. But intend to start preparing more winter salads or slaws to have for lunch or as meal accompaniments to address that problem.

Healthy eating? Certainly eating a larger variety of veg on daily/weekly basis than have done of late although would like to include more greens (all food looks a little orange at the moment).

Vegetarian? I’ve not gone completely veggie -but am probably eating more completely veggie meals particularly when I eat with Aidan. But I have got some meat in the freezer and have several times cooked a chicken breast or lamb chop to have with a vegetable concoction. The only meat I’ve bought since New Year has been some liver and bacon from Kings Heath Food Assembly (see later blog). Had liver & bacon on bed of braised veg with cauliflower mash one night and have had bacon and mushrooms a couple of times for breakfast.

Low carb? I have been low (but not zero!) carbing and have found it relatively easy using this style of cooking. I have had occasional grain – bulgar and also freekeh. And I made some low carb bread (see later blog) which lasted me a week. Suspect if want to follow a real low-carb diet I would need to reduce further at least initially and see this as a real possibility with little effort.

Time of preparation? Pleasantly surprised that haven’t spent that much longer cooking than previously – but even when have it has been enjoyable rather than a chore. I’m excited to see – and eat! – the results.

Overall verdict: Enjoyed reconnecting with food and cooking some interesting, flavoursome meals from fresh and in-season vegetables. Will definitely continue my Plenty Food Project – and will try harder to find time to write more regularly.