Towards the end of 2012 I was offered an allotment plot by our local parish council. Getting an allotment is quite the luck of the draw. You apply to the council who put your name on a list and then you wait. You could be waiting months, you may be waiting years. It all depends on the amount of allotments in the area and the amount of people wanting one. I was lucky as I didn’t have to wait too long at all for my plot, in fact I turned down the first one I was offered as I thought it was too big, too isolated, and too over grown for me to be able to manage even though it had an onsite lockable shed and running water – something the plot I ultimately accepted didn’t offer.
My allotment is in a sheltered spot just minutes from a section of the Trans Pennine Trail at the end of a line of fourteen other productive plots that grow a variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Should I want to walk there I can – although I am not sure how that is going to work out given that I will have to transport my tools until I can afford an on-site lock-up, the previous tenant clearly nurtured it well during his time there and it has a constant stream of dog walkers, hikers and cyclists passing its gate.
The plot measures almost 7m x 11m; quite a size for a novice gardener but as a family project with three generations ready to roll up their sleeves and, quite literally “muck” in it is going to be an exciting new adventure for all of us.
