The Joys and Tribulations of the Budding Community Gardener

Challenges and surprises in a community garden are part of the fun, and a great opportunity to connect with nature and other gardeners. (Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock)

Nature can have a dramatic effect on our mood. Plants and animals can calm our frayed nerves by giving us a very real connection to other living beings. They bring happiness. They bring companionship.

Planting seeds and watching the wonderous process of germination is something I will personally never tire of. Staring at trays of seeds on an hourly basis to check on their progress, calculating the percentage success rate of germination, and planning on which crops I could potentially have are all parts of this exciting cycle.

The Tortoise and the Hare

In the New Year, I was lucky enough to acquire one of 42 new allotment plots on the outskirts of our village in Lincolnshire, England—the equivalent of a community garden plot, each being a 33- by 33-foot parcel of land rented for the sole purpose of growing fruit, vegetables, and flowers. The field had laid fallow for several years following the demise of the much-loved village farmer, Roy, who had owned the land. It was a big commitment, but one which I thought would afford me the opportunity to connect with nature, grow food, get some much-needed exercise, and meet with likeminded people on a regular basis. So far, all my expectations have come true.

Each plot is currently at a different stage of development. Some people were up and ready with polytunnels, raised beds, sheds, and water collection structures seemingly within days; others have been too busy with work commitments to make much progress. Mine has also been a “late bloomer” (I have had valid excuses; I assure you it was not through a lack of enthusiasm).

However, I am sure my plants will catch up sooner or later. Gardening is a process to enjoy along the way after all. It is not a race. We are not competing (although I admit to being secretly competitive). It is about enjoying what you are doing and, within reason due to growing seasons, taking it at your own pace. Sometimes it’s good to walk instead of run. This is my self-enforced mantra for this project. It’s all about appreciating what I have in the moment.

Lessons Learned

Being slightly slower off the starting blocks, I have had the fortune to learn from the mistakes of others. I had locations in mind for my polytunnel and the “cheap as chips” shed I hoped to acquire (still haven’t), but my plans were confirmed by the fallout from a particularly unpleasant April storm.

As a bit of background information, the wind can be mighty strong where I live. I had therefore planned to place my polytunnel end-on towards the prevailing wind with the door facing the lee side. This is sound science—offer up the smallest surface area to the prevailing wind. Avoid having the curved side of the tunnel facing it if possible as it could act like a giant wing and cause uplift as the airstream speeds up over it. (I recall a lesson in aerodynamics my Dad taught me as a child, holding the convex side of a spoon under the tap. Jolly useful lesson, that was.)

On that stormy April day, polytunnel covers were blown off, never to be seen again, frames mangled, other tunnels damaged, and roofing felt ripped of shed roofs. Hard-earned cash was wasted, plants were killed and much inconvenience caused. Lesson learned. Research is key!

My polytunnel is now firmly installed and has been reinforced by drilling holes in the frame and bolting wooden and aluminum supports between each section. The frame has been pinned into the ground using gargantuan pegs that once held railway tracks in place (given to me by a fellow plot-holder), and the tunnel cover has been dug into trenches, weighted down with wooden planks and back-filled with soil. Belt and braces!

Other plot holders have also been invaluable sources of information on the purchase of fencing, how to rabbit-proof and deer-proof our vegetables, useful gardening and construction tools, and biological pest control.

A fellow allotmenteer recently suggested attracting wireworms away from precious potato crops by impaling chunks of bought potato on sticks and burying them in the soil. Wireworms (the larvae of click beetles) are generally problematic when meadows or lawned areas are converted to vegetable plots. That’ll be our entire allotment area then. Yay!

In theory, it’s a great idea. You want potato? I’ll give you potato! Ideally one would lift out the “sacrifice” potato chunks beetle larvae and all, and the potatoes for the dinner table would be unharmed.

On the subject of potatoes, try not to mix them up. A freak accident involving a wobbly tray and a garden spade sent mine flying. Now, a mix of the three varieties are planted out in neat little trenches and it is anyone’s guess when each will mature or which cultivar it will be.

Keeping Costs Down

Growing your own fruit and vegetables can be expensive. My advice: Communicate with your fellow gardeners and share. From the onset, all the allotment holders have had a WhatsApp group. This has been an invaluable resource for advice such as where the special deals on seeds are.

Gumtree and Facebook marketplace as well as other local “pre-used” websites are also invaluable. Getting hold of palettes and used timber for building compost heaps and raised beds, conduit piping to form cloche frames over plants, and unwanted rain barrels can all be great ways of saving the pennies.

A real boon for a gardener, if you have the space, is an IBC tank (Intermediate Bulk Container). Those bad boys can hold 260-some gallons of water, are usually fairly cheap to source, and may just be the difference between your plants surviving a dry spell or not.

Next Steps

I “christened” my allotment with a foxglove carefully transplanted from our back garden to by the door of my polytunnel: a perfect sheltered spot for the bumble bees which will hopefully visit it before or after buzz pollinating the tomatoes I hope to grow in there. Over the next few days, borage plants, a selection of wild flowers, and lupins will be transplanted. Attracting the beneficial insects to the area before I plant out my vegetables is key.

The next few days will hopefully involve the construction of a lean-to to catch rainwater, the rabbit-proof netting being attached to the fenceposts, and the planting of French beans, squash, and, as you call them in the US of A, zucchini. My relationship with my new allotment is still in the early stages. I’m not sure how things will work out, but like all relationships, it’s exciting to see how it develops.