Mixed mild weather at the beginning of the month, some bright days, but always short and getting shorter until the Winter solstice three weeks in and the first day of winter. Grabbed the opportunity to spread fresh woodchip early in the month. The woodchip, which is sporadically delivered to the allotment site, is a byproduct of local tree work. Arborists have the chance to tip their chipped waste for free (they would otherwise have to pay at a green waste recycling centre) whilst allotment holders get to intercept a waste product and recycle it as mulch for pathways, which fits with the spirit of allomenting – reuse and recycle.
Speaking of recycling, the shed, which was erected in April 2015, was majority made of recycled decking boards acquired through the freecycle website. The shed window was salvaged from renovations to the kitchen of our 1950s bungalow, the door I found on the street. Hard to believe it’s practically ten years since. In the intervening time I’ve planted all around the shed, initially with Hemerocallis fulva which has edible flowers and tubers, although I’ve never harvested the tubers I’ve eaten plenty of the flowers. There’s only a small amount of the Hemerocallis left now, the rest of it making way for a mixed planting of ornamental and culinary. The espalier apples are James Grieve and Egremont Russet. Herbs of mint, rosemary, chives and sage. Last year I planted two roses to climb through the apple trees, Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ from David Austin and a German Macracantha hybrid rose called ‘Raubritter’ which I propagated from hard wood cuttings in 2022/23.
Self seeders play an important role and already in this small area I can see the saucer shaped succulent leaves of Umbilicus rupestris, many feathery seedlings of Nigella damascena, the often weeded out native ‘weed’ Linaria purpurea, winter flowering Primula vulgaris, the patterned foliage of Cyclamen hederifolium, rather tired looking Alchemila mollis and Allium schoenoprasum, and a single fan of spikey grey green leaves that is Sisyrinchium striatum.
I mostly leave things alone during December, it’s dark, damp and grey a lot of the time and there’s preparation for Christmas and tying up loose ends elsewhere before the new year. But next month, January, is for me a month I always look forward to as the view of the year ahead comes into focus.
Tend&Grow 