Selfsufficientish.com

OK, so these are just the "before" ones...

We're starting major landscaping work this weekend, and hope to have the allotment space done just after Easter...

Top Left Corner of the field (will be chicken area)


Bottom Right Corner of field (access from garden to field, orchard to right of picture)


Bottom Left Corner of field (will be allotment space)


Greenhouse (will be full of tomatoes etc soon)


Orchard (have done substantial work to this already)

Looks lovely! Is this your own field? When you say 'allotment' do you mean a veggie patch for you or a shared allotment?

It's our paddock/field at the bottom of the garden (the main reason for buying the house last summer!)

We're making a veggie patch I guess, but we'll be re-siting the compost bins, some of the water butts etc, to make it more like a stand-alone allotment, so I don't have to traipse down to the house etc for water/compost.

Mmmm, nice!

Masco&Bongo wrote:It's our paddock/field at the bottom of the garden (the main reason for buying the house last summer!)

We're making a veggie patch I guess, but we'll be re-siting the compost bins, some of the water butts etc, to make it more like a stand-alone allotment, so I don't have to traipse down to the house etc for water/compost.

Did you show us the greenhouse pictures back then, cos I think it looks familiar?!

Looks like a nice big plot of land to keep you busy. Very busy! Have fun!:mrgreen:

Before (Summer 06)


I'll keep this thread updated so you can see our progress in creating our allotment

Stripping the turf away - 31/03 - 01/04 (2007)

First strips come up


OH using the turf cutter


Slowly getting there!


Pretty much done!


View from bottom of plot

Next time - marking out beds and rotavating!

Good idea getting a machine to remove the turf! Now what are you going to do with it all?

I bet you're really pleased because instantly it looks like a veg plot! Look forward to more photos.

Oohh I love a thread with pics! Nice one M&B!

I started doing a before and after thing with our garden, ooh lets see, about 18 months ago... trouble is, we are still mostly on the 'before'!!

We're keeping the turf banked up at the side, and covering with some plastic sheeting we've got.

After it rots down for a bit, we're going to plant stuff on the top... note sure whether we'll do a hedge of mixed lavendar and rosemary, or some potatoes, or some wild garlic/alliums

Hopefully the bank will provide a bit of a wind break....

Got a rotavator coming on thursday, and more woodchip than I can shake a stick at to make the paths...

Oh yes... go for wild garlic... not that I'm biased!! I've got some in my little bit of woodland and it's coming up nicely this year.

Shirlz aka wildgarlic

That turf should be lovely loam by this time next year if you keep it covered, perfect for planting into. Don't just grow stuff on top of it!

Delivery of woodchip... so, quite a lot then....


Masco with copious fenceposts and a gate...


Me, starting to check out one of the beds (before I discovered couch grass)


Allotment on Easter Saturday afternoon, starting to lay landscape fabric for woodchip

It's coming along nicely. I bet you can't wait to start sowing things!

Going to put carrots and potatoes in this weekend and move my strawberries, but not much else is big enough yet!

Will have some sweetcorn, peas and courgettes ready soon though and some herbs later in April...

Got the last of the woodchip to put down this weekend, and the compost boxes to re-site, so still plenty for us to do!

Masco&Bongo wrote:, so still plenty for us to do!

Indeed. Looking like you are getting there though.