Allotment News - I Plant A Hedge

It's been a while since I posted anything about the Roskhill allotment. The fact is, I have had a couple of very mediocre years on the plot, when the results of my labours have been disappointing - to say the least. Lat year in particular, the only seed that produced a crop above the ground were the mangetout peas and broad beans. Underground - the potatoes and carrots were OK, and we had some rather small onions, but other than that - everything else failed. I don't know why. The weather did not seem to be especially different to usual - in fact, the 'growing' month of May was quite mild and dry. Strangely - I had a problem getting seed to germinate - even the kale and swede, which are Highlands staples!

One suggestion from the locals is that by removing a tatty windbreak fence, I have opened up the plot too much, leaving the land exposed to the chilly winds. I like the look of the bigger space without the fence, and I have gradually 'tamed' the jungle that used to grow on the far side of it - it looks lovely in spring as it is full of daffodils and bluebells.

But - if having a windbreak may mean a return to rewarding vegetable production, then a windbreak I will have to have. However, I have decided to go the natural route, and this winter, ordered 30 metres of windbreak hedging shrubs from a nursery which claims to supply plants suitable for a harsh coastal climate... Over the last couple of days, I have put them in the ground, and yesterday they experienced their first Skye storm - the Met Office reported we had winds gusting to 70mph... so that was a sharp lesson for them, and hopefully they will soon get used to the conditions where they are growing!

I'll be buying seed soon, and will report here on how the allotment season goes. Wish me luck!

This was in 2010 - with windbreak fence on the left.
I had just taken over the allotment,
and was in the process of clearing the weed-filled beds

2015 - without the fence, and with bluebells flourishing

And now - with the new hedge planted