I have been most dilatory writing my blog in 2012. Of course, I blame the weather, which has been appalling. We had about 2 weeks of summer this year - and that was in March! At the moment, everything is flooded (and it's still raining) - no prospect of working on the allotment in the near future! For Christmas 2011 we had parsnips, carrots, sprouts, potatoes, beetroot and onions from the plot - this year it was only parsnips! However, I have started to make some improvements which will hopefully go some way to producing some good crops in 2013, no matter what the weather.
I have put in some decent wooden posts round a couple of my 'mini' plots, and put up some green netting to keep off the birds etc. Also I have started raising one of the beds, with gravel boards round the bottom, which I am filling - as and when the weather permits - with compost and manure. This will be the plot for potatoes in 2013, but I will do one plot each year, and continue improving the soil in the others. This should give both a better soil structure and better drainage. There is talk of putting a French drain round the whole site, but the clay is so thick that I doubt this will help anyone except those with plots nearest the fence.
We were due to level the area around our two containers, and seed it with grass, also put picnic benches etc to make a community garden, but it has been so wet that this has had to be postponed until spring. However, we will at some stage be putting in electricity, which will be a boon. We will also be welcoming a third container, this one for the South/South East/Britain in Bloom bits and pieces. So, despite the weather, some progress is being made. As expected (especially after such a disastrous year) a few people have given up their plots, but there is a waiting list so we expect to be full up again in 2013.
