Now well into the second growing season on my allotments (two half plots) and I have made much progress this spring in redesigning the spaces to suit my gardening methods. Most significantly I have removed the bed edging boards and started the process of joining up beds and making new pathways to provide a more user friendly environment. Straight lines formed from the boards and the need to step in and out of beds is not a very happy way to garden. The plants too are constrained by the boards, I like to plant each bed in a mixed way with flowers and veg and mixed family groupings more pleasing to the eye than following strict rotation rules or mass planting groups.
Before, with boards
And after:
Doing nicely, above, a little bed of salad leaves and gorgeous crimson broad beans in flower.
I have always called my methods ‘Sally gardening’ but apparently there is method in my madness and as mentioned in the heading, this is known as polyculture. A blend of vegetables, flowers, herbs and perennials inter planted to make the most of the land area, microclimate and soil conditions. I have willow fedge with peas clambering happily amongst the withies, I plan to install a small pond or two later this summer, plant more perennial veg and generally experiment with what I can grow by creating flexibility and enhancing the planting opportunities as I garden.
Bearing in mind this is a challenging site situated 300m up in the Peak District. I believe this method to have advantages over traditional methods because I am creating microclimates and cover with willow fedges and shrubs and I am gaining maximum area on the ground by reducing paths and straight lines.