I never thought this day would come.
I went down the allotment on Monday - a very wet bank holiday - and by the time I came away I'd made the decision to give up my plot. I only had an hour to spare and as I tugged ineffectually at weeds I realised the enormity of the task. It made me feel depressed, not joyous, as allotment work usually did. It was time to let go.
I've been struggling for a while - I almost gave it up after my daughter was born but decided to keep going. But now, knowing that there's a list of a dozen or more people waiting for a vacant plot on my site, it doesn't seem right to battle on, letting most of the allotment revert to a weedy mess, when there are others desperate to get digging.
I just don't have the time these days - the times of being able to spend whole weekends down the allotment are gone, and I've decided that it's easier to focus on my small garden, which I can tend in the evenings or during the baby's nap time.
The raised bed area is still looking reasonably respectable, as are the blackcurrants which I mulched heavily in the spring, but everything else is becoming scarily jungle-like. So, the plan is this: use the next month or two until the currants and strawberries are ripe (must harvest them for my annual jamfest) to slowly remove my raised beds (which, being Link-a-Bord, can easily be reassembled again in future elsewhere) and Freecycle the plastic compost bins and a few other bits and pieces. Then I'll give notice and let someone else take it on.
When I wrote my book on allotments, I cautioned against taking on a plot if you don't have the time to dedicate to it: and right now, that's me. I am hoping that I can grow some veg in containers in my small garden to keep the grow -your-own sprit alive, and that some time in the future I'll be able to get back to a plot.
I shall miss it terribly but I am sure I'll get some vicarious pleasure from reading all those other allotment blogs. This blog will keep going, of course - and I hope to bring you some news of what I am up to in my up until now largely neglected garden. Job one is to increase the size of the beds to accommodate more plants as they're very thin and miserly at the moment. I also need to try to find room for a compost bin in addition to my Can-O-Worms, but I think I'll go for a posh beehive-type one this time.
I also need to tell you about my clandestine comfrey-gathering exploits, but I'll save that for another post ...
I went down the allotment on Monday - a very wet bank holiday - and by the time I came away I'd made the decision to give up my plot. I only had an hour to spare and as I tugged ineffectually at weeds I realised the enormity of the task. It made me feel depressed, not joyous, as allotment work usually did. It was time to let go.
I've been struggling for a while - I almost gave it up after my daughter was born but decided to keep going. But now, knowing that there's a list of a dozen or more people waiting for a vacant plot on my site, it doesn't seem right to battle on, letting most of the allotment revert to a weedy mess, when there are others desperate to get digging.
I just don't have the time these days - the times of being able to spend whole weekends down the allotment are gone, and I've decided that it's easier to focus on my small garden, which I can tend in the evenings or during the baby's nap time.
The raised bed area is still looking reasonably respectable, as are the blackcurrants which I mulched heavily in the spring, but everything else is becoming scarily jungle-like. So, the plan is this: use the next month or two until the currants and strawberries are ripe (must harvest them for my annual jamfest) to slowly remove my raised beds (which, being Link-a-Bord, can easily be reassembled again in future elsewhere) and Freecycle the plastic compost bins and a few other bits and pieces. Then I'll give notice and let someone else take it on.
When I wrote my book on allotments, I cautioned against taking on a plot if you don't have the time to dedicate to it: and right now, that's me. I am hoping that I can grow some veg in containers in my small garden to keep the grow -your-own sprit alive, and that some time in the future I'll be able to get back to a plot.
I shall miss it terribly but I am sure I'll get some vicarious pleasure from reading all those other allotment blogs. This blog will keep going, of course - and I hope to bring you some news of what I am up to in my up until now largely neglected garden. Job one is to increase the size of the beds to accommodate more plants as they're very thin and miserly at the moment. I also need to try to find room for a compost bin in addition to my Can-O-Worms, but I think I'll go for a posh beehive-type one this time.
I also need to tell you about my clandestine comfrey-gathering exploits, but I'll save that for another post ...
This sounds a bit drastic, and I feel like a bossy old lady for even suggesting it, BUT here goes ... your baby will not be a baby for long, and you will want her out in the garden at the earliest opportunity ... can you find someone, or a group of people, to help you through this patch, which WILL BE short-lived ... people who you could share the work with, and the produce, even if they are doing most of the work this year. And another thing, maybe you should try to find ways to bring your daughter down to the allotment with you, so that she's sharing in it right from the beginning. How wonderful for her to have a summer on the allotment, lying in the dappled shade of the plants you have grown.
I urge you to rethink - the baby-time is short short short ...
Joanna
Posted by: Joanna | May 30, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Brave decision Jane - I've found your book really helpful so sorry to hear you'll be giving up something you clearly enjoy a lot. Look forward to hearing about the garden though - mine's a shambles so hopefully can get ideas from you on that too.
Good luck!
Posted by: Gareth | May 30, 2008 at 12:51 PM
An allotment is time consuming - if you can't keep on top of it then it becomes an stressful chore.
I think it's best to concentrate on your own garden and retain the enjoyment. Good luck.
Posted by: easygardener | May 30, 2008 at 02:04 PM
One of the most important things women can do for other women is to let them know having children can change your life - and that this is nothing to feel guilty about.
You can have an allotment again.
Allotments are not the only place where things grow.
You will never have this particular child again.
I am a Feminist, even if it has gone out of fashion to say so - and I know that pregnancy and childbirth reduced both my brain power and stamina.
If I started off with a brilliant brain and lots of stamina - well, maybe it didn't matter - but, in fact, I have been disconcerted and saddened by the change.
I can't be the only one.
I think many of us try to hide it.
If this is not the right moment in your life to have an allotment, then it is a strong decision to give it up.
It is an especially strong decision when you are publicly connected with allotmenteering.
I feel like ranting - I want to make up slogans in favour of women being themselves - not the superheroines we would like to be.
I was pleased to read this post. Sad that you will miss something you have enjoyed - pleased you are bravely keeping life in your own hands and defying expectations.
Susan Harwood
http://shoutingattheradio.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Susan Harwood | May 30, 2008 at 05:13 PM
I hated loosing allotment 21 but it is great having a veg plot at home. Smaller, easy to keep weed free and plenty of crops. I do miss the company of other plot-holders but find lots of help and good advice from fellow bloggers. It's amazing what you can grow in a smaller space - I look forward to reading about it.
Best wishes.
Posted by: frankie | May 30, 2008 at 08:14 PM
Time. It's a bugger isn't it.
Posted by: Simon Kirby | May 30, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Tough decision. I once did that when my kids were young; just didn't have the time and was in 'competition' with retired/unemployed blokes who had loads of time. 25 years later I have another plot on the same site. Take the long view, keep gardening, come back later.
Best regards
Posted by: Woody Wilbury | May 30, 2008 at 08:47 PM
Life is long (contrary to popular opinion). Plenty of time to bask in each phase. Thanks for sharing your phases with us. I, for one, look forward to seeing how this one shapes up.
Posted by: ricki | May 30, 2008 at 10:49 PM
I can understand your decision. There is an implied sense in your post that it has happened rapidly, but I note you have built in time to rethink while waiting to harvest your fruit plants.
It is true that babies turn into toddlers in the bat of an eye and then are at school before you know it. However they do make your time more chaotic whatever age they are. It took me 18 months after my first son to think about doing things I wanted to do rather than had to do.
Currently my plot fills me with fear at times and I know that my nine month old will change frequently just like my other son did, so I can't predict what I will be able to do with the plot this year or next. My return to work looms on the september horizon peeping through the jungle of weeds. I don't feel guilty for clinging on to my plot I waited so long (3 yrs) for it. I'm sure that there is a way to maintain the allotment (not necessarily to the standards I would wish to set myself)when time poor. I read a lot of blogs in the hope that the secret will be revealed. So I would say hang in there and write about it.
Our site offers half plots for those who are struggling, can you downsize?.
Using your garden may not be a satisfactory solution. Unless you have a big garden, currently mine is filled with lots of ride on toys and a goal there is no room to grow anything.
Posted by: Rhiannon | May 30, 2008 at 11:26 PM
So sorry to hear of your decision ... your book and your blog really inspired me when times were hard and my plot was a jungle of 6 foot tall brambles. Last year was my first summer and with a few beds dug, the weeds just came rolling in - and I was back to being depressed about the whole thing.
This year, I got 200 square metres of tough, weed suppressing membrane (it's not cheap, but it was a present!) from e-bay, pegged it down over my beds and have planted through it. My plan is to reuse it over and over again, just moving each section around the plot as my crop rotation requires. It's working really, really well so far - the plants are growing really well through it, the rain seems to penetrate it pretty well, and the weeds are almost completely gone. For now ... we'll see how my plan fares over the coming weedy months. I've left myself with just a couple of beds to weed by hand, which I can just about manage in my time-poor little world.
It's a plan ... maybe worth a try before giving up the plot completely? I'd be happy to send photos :0)
Posted by: laipai | May 31, 2008 at 08:24 AM
hi everyone thanks for your kind comments. I really have made my mind up on this one - it may seem like a snap decision but it's actually been brewing for months. I can't reduce to a half plot as I have one already (five poles) and the longer I leave it, the more the next person will have to deal with to get the plot back in production.
And as several of you have pointed out, this isn't a decision for all time - I can have an allotment again when my circumstances change.
Anyway I am really excited about sorting out my garden - a new shed, composter and possibly even chickens are in the pipeline!
Posted by: Jane Perrone | May 31, 2008 at 09:50 AM
Will you be having a pastel purple hen house with lavender bushes?
Posted by: Esther Montgomery | May 31, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Hi, just to say that you're absolutely right to be excited about your new plan – there is plenty you can grow even in a small garden. I have an 18 month old and there was a waiting list of about 7 years for local allotments so I've always grown things in my small back garden in raised beds and pots and absolutely love the fact I can pop outside in my dressing gown and potter around picking off snails or get salad for supper in 2 minutes. When he has his midday sleep I'm out there faffing around as gardeners do - it works really well. Good luck! Alex - theediblegardener.wordpress.com.
Posted by: alex | May 31, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Jane, good luck with it ... I'm sure it will be fun - and making new plans is the best kind of fun. And I think you are very generous to think of the allotmenteers who will follow you on your patch
Joanna
Posted by: Joanna | June 01, 2008 at 10:16 AM
All the best with your new home garden. While perhaps not an easy decision, it seems like a good one and an opportunity to work on your home garden. I'll be watching with interest to see what you grow!
Posted by: Patrick | June 01, 2008 at 05:12 PM
What a difficult decision to make but I do understand your reasons. There are so many different pressures on your time and for the time being you must let it go. I hope you find new and innovative ways to grow veggies in a garden and in containers, that's what I do! Just finding the space to fit everything in is a constant and wonderful dilemma.
Posted by: Matron | June 01, 2008 at 07:32 PM
Oh Jane, best of luck. I too am juggling with a young baby, working full time and a plot, though determined not to give up (well I'm on the committee so I can't!).
I wish you all the best and look forward to a 'gardening with a baby' blog!
jane
Posted by: jane | June 02, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Oh Jane, best of luck. I too am juggling with a young baby, working full time and a plot, though determined not to give up (well I'm on the committee so I can't!).
I wish you all the best and look forward to a 'gardening with a baby' blog!
jane
Posted by: jane | June 02, 2008 at 10:40 AM
Sorry to hear you're having to give up your plot, but I have been there and done that too! I had to give up my half-plot after our Son came along. I quickly came to realise that I couldn't justify hanging on to a plot in the face of huge waiting lists, when I couldn't commit the time required. I still miss my plot (especially when I pass other allotments), but I know that one day I will have another.
Good luck with growing veggies at home, Square Foot Gardening is your friend!
Posted by: Clive | June 02, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Don't comment, but often read, and just wanted to say that I'm sorry you're giving up your plot but sounds like you've thought long and hard about it.
I've got five children and have had our allotment for about six years and have managed, not always successfully, to combine both.
Have to say the hardest bit is when they're crawling. Their skill for moving doesn't match the capacity for listening!
Good luck with veggie growing at home. Can't wait to see your posts about that (I do some at home but could do with more inspiration!)
Posted by: Mrs Be | June 02, 2008 at 01:19 PM
Brave decision Jane.You know your limits and it's not fun having to run just to keep up with everything. I struggle with home,garden,lotty and studying. My M.E is unpredictable and it's frustrating if you feel you aren't doing things well and just holding your head above the water.
I am currently trying to make the lotty less work, (raised beds and weed membrane between) as it can feel I'm mowing not growing but I may still need to make the big decision you have made.
It's a balance as the lotty has helped me with depression,fitness,stamina and given me a sense of freedom and escape from stress-also some fruit and veg of course!
Shame there's not a mummies collective plot where you can keep the fruity perenials and share the work and produce. Of course that takes organisational time and it sounds as though you have your hands and brain-ful at the mo.
Have fun inspiring the next generation of gardeners and enjoy the virtual lotties out there.
Posted by: Natalie El-Barrawi | June 02, 2008 at 02:19 PM
Like everyone else, I'm sorry to hear this, but my initial panic was stayed when I saw you weren't giving up _gardening_, just the allotment. I've always resisted getting the U.S. equivalent, preferring to battle it out with the inadequate space and sun of my little yard plots. Like Alex, I like being able to garden out my back door, and the dressing-gown option is a plus.
My kids are grown now, but when they were young, I found moving them into and out of cars a royal pain. So much easier to set up a playpen in your yard. We've been known to hang a baby-bouncer from a tree-limb and have coffee nearby.
Enjoy your baby, enjoy your garden, and, above all--
Blog on!
--kate
Posted by: theManicGardener | June 02, 2008 at 03:21 PM
We gave up a plot soon after Ben was born and I know it hurts a lot but it was right at the time. Started up again when he began school and he loves it now. You just have to prioritise what feels right for you and your family. Really glad you'll keep the blog going. Wouldn't be the same without Horticultural to go to.
best
clod
Posted by: clodhopper | June 02, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Like everyone else here, I'm really sad to hear this news. I love the idea of you having chickens in your garden, though.....
Posted by: emma t | June 03, 2008 at 09:46 PM
Sorry to hear it, Jane, but better to let something like that go than plod on and feel miserable about it. Things change; life moves on. Chickens sound great.
Posted by: vivh | June 05, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Have done the same this year and for the same reasons - our 6 week old daughter means that I can just about get out and weed/water etc in our own garden but not manage a whole allotment. I have to say that while I miss the allotment I am really enjoying doing small vegetable gardening and loving being able to do it well because it's not overwhelming - it's amazing what you can still grow at home.
Posted by: Jeremy | June 12, 2008 at 09:58 AM