Terry Walton has some sound advice for allotment newcomers
‘Watch, observe and ask’ is a good philosophy to adopt when working on the plot
The month of March has opened its account and slowly but surely the winter months recede further. What will this new month bring? It’s renowned in folklore as one of ‘mad March winds’ and it can be a cold, cruel month. So, beware out in the garden and resist the urge on those pleasant, warm days not to rush into rash planting.
There are telltale signs in the hedgerows that some life is stirring. Long, fluffy catkins hang there in dense bunches and wiggle about in the gentle breeze, as if the hedge is alive with crawly bugs. These caterpillarlike objects would be horrifying if they inhabited our plot and our vegetables but look graceful and beautiful on the willow trees. Are they more plentiful and longer this year?
At the bo om of the plot there’s another telltale sign that spring is around the corner as the pond comes alive. Yes, the croaking of the frogs can be heard around the plot, signalling their return to the place of their birth. They’re much later this year as they’ve waited with patience for the last of the ice to melt. The water seems to boil at their frantic activity and efforts to draw a female’s a ention, to become fathers to a mass of jelly-like balls with jet black nucleuses. The
gardener’s friend is back in town and don’t we know it! Soon they’ll merge back into the undergrowth and become our allies in the fight against pests. Their return is always
welcomed on my plot.
On allotments up and down the country, have you noticed that gardeners have a very inquisitive nature? They look about as they carry out their tasks, all the while observing others. They’re not bashful to call over, ‘what you doing there then?’ This is how knowledge is shared and the tricks of the trade passed on over the generations. It’s a great way for newcomers to find out historically what crops grow well on particular allotments. It’s also a way of finding out the calendar of sowing for this piece of land.