The Plot Thickens - No-Dig, Allotment Living

The Easter weekend has been a busy one with birthdays, family lunches and some time spent on the allotment. Vicky's rhubarb has bolted and Karin has found a way of using those odd pieces of cutlery in the drawer.

The sowing continues - Karin's running out of window sills and Vicky's finally got her seed compost out and is on a mission to play catch up!

Vicky has had a tidy up of her plot and got her potatoes in. Karin is chuffed with the germination rate of her seeds in the shop bought seed compost, after smugly proclaiming only a few weeks ago she had converted to her own seed compost mix. Hay bales feature heavily, with a plead to the local branch of Morrisons; please do another beautiful Halloween display and we'll relieve you of them afterwards.

Karin is super excited today to visit – Share St Albans, a brand-new Library of Things in our city that’s all about sharing, borrowing, and reducing waste. If you're not familiar with the concept, a Library of Things is a community-driven resource where locals can become a member to borrow things they need instead of buying them – from garden tools and kitchen gadgets to camping gear and DIY equipment. The possibilities are endless!It’s inspiring to see how this concept can make life easier while also helping the environment.So, here's a question for you: Do you have a Library of Things near you? If not, do you think it’s something that could work in your community?Let us know what you think – and maybe even share your best ideas for things that should be included for working on your allotment plot! 

Vicky has finally made it to her plot and has had a satisfying time turning her compost; getting temperatures that make Karin jealous. Both have done some seed sowing; Karin has trebled her space indoors for trays with some very handy Ikea shoe racks. Her plastic greenhouse in the garden has of course fallen over once again.

This week, we’re shaking things up a little by recording in the afternoon, with a pot of coffee, from a Community Wild Garden near Vicky’s home. Surrounded by nature, this inspiring spot sets the tone for today’s conversation—all while Vicky stays close to home.

Probably the shortest episode ever, due to a traumatic week in Vicky's household. Karin is planting seeds for both, and is relieved to have found a solution of sorts to the lettuce growing slug problem; a high rise salad bar right outside the back door in the garden.

Are you getting itchy fingers to get sowing? Or have you got cell trays balancing on every sill? As we spring in March, seed swaps are on the calendar and we're looking forward to the sowing season. Karin's full steam ahead, Vicky's in the planning phase still with Pigeons still munching on last year's broccoli.

It's been a mixed half term, full of exciting but also sad events. Karin had to say goodbye to her beautiful German Shepherd Tilly, leaving an empty feeling house. Vicky has spent her birthday present; a microscope course at the Soil Ecology Laboratory. She has come away full of new knowledge of all things soil, putting her microscope to good use looking at her own bokashi.

Karin has a very bold plan for her plot 2 - a market style garden full of spuds for the summer, a great way to aerate her potentially compacted soils and suppress old weed growth with the potato abundant leaves. Vicky shares an update of Soil Squad's news after a busy week of preparations for the plot, including building a re-used and repurposed version of Mr Dowding's compost bay shelter and getting ready for the website's photo shoot!Happy listening peeps.