Allotment Stuff > Locations and Sites
Changing location - by over 1000 miles
BarriedaleNick:
I still love London for its vibrancy and availability of everything but after 37 years here I have had enough of the noise, pollution and generally busyness. It's tiring!
The new place (if it comes together!) is great for veg - they have a massive plot and when we went to see it last week it was full of beans, toms, melons, squash and all sorts of veg. We will wait to see how things like carrots and parsnips and other root veg do in the heat but there is a well and town water supply. We might have to adjust our timings a fair bit as even in March they have chillies outside..
The whole area is agricultural and the next door field is currently used for growing rice! We drove past fields of peppers, corn and tomatoes and there are vines everywhere.
We are the the yellow star pin on the map - you can see the river and all the fields next to it..
BarriedaleNick:
Well we are here and we are settling in. It ain't easy but I know I would rather be here than back in my old life.
The sun has been shining for the last few days and the days are warm - nights get cold though and there will be frosts at some point. Today it was 20c and I got a nice 25mile bike ride in - lovely to see the open countryside and the river and hardly any cars.
Growing seasons are going to get some getting used to I think. There is a place at the local market that sells veg plugs and you get 15+ for a Euro! Hardly worth staring them yourself but of course I will. He is selling Brussel Sprouts, leeks, onions, all sorts of cabbage, lettuce and loads more so I assume they will all grow well now.. The monthly market has a great seed stall and they are pretty cheap too - also loads of bulbs and trees so I bought kiwi, lime, edible passion fruit, plum and apple.. I can grow apples and bananas in the same place!!
The soil is familiar - bloody clay! It is really variable though as some places are really sandy and some solid sticky clay. The land wasn't worked this year and is covered in weeds - some familiar and some not so.. Obviously I am not growing on all 6 acres but there is still a huge amount to do - still the garlic and onions are showing and I have a few rows of onions and leeks and the rhubarb crown I planted is showing through so all is well.
Covid wise - no real lockdown and everything is open - but not on weekend afternoons! There is a 11pm curfew but I am normally asleep by then so it doesn't affect me so life is pretty much as normal..
Met a few folk and keeping in touch with mates over Zoom etc...
There have been some tough moments but really I don't think I'll ever go back to the UK to live..
ancellsfarmer:
Great adventure, just keep telling us all how its going. Feel we need a ray of sunshine right now. Will there be livestock on the remaining ground or 'natural planting' as some descibe wilderness!
galina:
Glad to hear you are literally putting down roots in your new home BarriedaleNick! Yes please keep the news coming. How is your Portuguese going? :wave:
JanG:
It sounds wonderful. It seems that you get the best of both worlds growing-wise: the cooler weather crops you’re used to growing - Brussel sprouts, leeks, cabbages etc, plus a whole exciting new range of warmer weather crops. Perfect!
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