Avenue of blossom

The Society's Secretary has been busy of late. The would be allotment holders, on the waiting list, have been contacted and are due to visit the allotments on Saturday 25th June 2011 at 1pm to learn of their obligations and cost to being a AWAS plot holders. Since the plots are so new the range of vegetables that can be grow will be limited to those that grow above ground for at least for the first season.


It has been decided that a condition of taking a plot will that the plot holders will be required to purchase and plant a fruit tree at the front of their plot. The vision is that in ten years time their will be fine avenue of blossom in the spring and fruit in the autumn. The existing plot holders did a similar thing when the long orchard was invented. Apple, Pear, Cherry are to be the choices. Trees rather than bushes are needed.

AWAS ethos

We at Ashby Would Allotment Society have always tried to:

•       Use materials from sustainable sources
•       Use recycled material
•       Source materials locally
•       Use local commercial services

The idea is to lessen the impact of our actions, minimise the carbon footprint of the development and benefit the local community. The "new" products used were the plastic undeground perforated field drain pipe and the water trough. The trough should have a very long life. The plastic underground perforated field drain pipe is made from recycled plastic. The maximum distance material travelled was 18 miles. That was the perforated field drain pipe.

Recycled materials used were:

• Top soil
• Manure
• Perforated field drain
• Stone for French drains
• Stand for the trough
• Car park and paths

No materials were removed from site. AWAS will be continuing to plant up the bund with native trees species.

Hammered home

The last act was to mark out the plots. We had sharpened several three foot [1m] posts and laid them along the path at roughly 15 foot [5m] intervals. We decided where the paths between the plots where to be. The first post was placed. With the corner post hammered home as a datum we measured off the plots and paths, tapping a post into position. Next we went to the back of the new plots by the foot of the bund and measured off  the plots. A peg was positioned to compliment the plot makers by the path and after checking, was hammered in. We checked the alignment of the posts, at the front of the pots, and after slight adjustments the posts where hammered home, checking them against the staff so that they ended up at the same height above the path. Under a threatening cloud we finished the last post as the sun was heading for our local horizon.

Blading the soil

The top soil was delivered in batches. Each batch was bladed out with tractor's bucket. The blading compressed the soil into the manure to create a firm growing medium. All the top soil having been delivered and bladed out the plot was taking on a completed look. The farmer brought back JCB Mark to do a final dressing of the plot. The tractor bucket is not designed for fine work whereas the JCB is.

As a final act the farmer took the trouble to fill in the pot holes on the allotment drive way although it was ten winters and not the heavy machinery that cut up the drive.

The Trough

The water trough was always going to be sited next to the path but the generosity of the National Forest and the eagerness of JCB Mark gave us a path nine feet wide almost a foot deep [2.7m by 300mm]. That required the trough to be raised to be level with the path. One Sunday morning with several lengths of scaffolding planks, eight 600mm pegs and a box of screws and a flurry of activity in the cold wind a stilage was created. The space enclosed by the planks was back filled with more of the hardcore. It was tamped down and paving stones laid over the top. The trough was positioned and set upon three timber pads. The pads are to protect the bottom of the trough from the paving stones. The service box was fitted to the trough and the mains water plumbed on to service box.

Installing the trough feels like the end is in sight.

Trailering manure

We were now into the flow of the project. The economic down turn, leading to the lack of available top soil, forced a rethink as did working the earth for the drains. The substrate is fertile evidenced by the profusion of Daisy's in the fallow year of 2009. BTCV, previously know as 'British Trust for Conservation Volunteers', one of the bodies we used to consult with during our planning stage, were blown away on their site visit with the speed of regeneration of the soil. An alternative plan was devised. A thick layer of manure would be applied to the site and capped with a layer of top soil. Volumes were calcualted, costs rejigged and contractors engaged. Matt and Zoe trailered tons of manure to cover the whole plot and levelled it out. It was about this time the weather broke. The long hots days were replaced by heavy rain. Luckily the rain was not persistent but it did make what would be the growing areas too sticky for running vehicles over them.

We found a benefactor in a local top soil and turf merchant. He gave us the top soil at a little over cost to him and more than we agreed to take at no extra cost. Again he wanted to support a local initiative.

500 tonnes

We have been lucky in our friends. The National Forest had a great deal of hardcore left over from the landscaping of the bagging plant. We were given free access to the 500 tonne bund of hardcore. JCB Mark and the farmer's trailer drivers Matt and Zoe made a dint in pile. The hardcore was trailered up to the allotment from the other end of the park and tipped to make the car park. The car park was put in first to give good access for the heavy trucks that would be making deliveries. The heavy trucks acted as free road rollers compressing the surface. Once the drains were in more hardcore was tipped to create the access path down the centre of the plot and to top dress the soft spots on the car park.