IDIDOT'S GUIDE TO OWNING AN ALLOTMENT. BOUNDARIES AND WINDBREAKS.

Oh well!  It might be driving us all mad but it's very pretty isn't it.  My garden pictured here on the left.  I live near the sea so we never get the huge amounts that some get.  I do remember though as child living in a remote area of Northumberland and my Dad was able to hang his coat on the top of a telegraph pole .... that is absolutely true.  Now that's a real snow fall.  The village I lived in had no food supplies for weeks and ahelicopter dropped food.  Our GP came to the village only if absolutely necessary on his skis!!!

So I would be very suprised to find you have been on your allotment today unless you have any type of live stock as we have - in the form of hens.  I have to day they're getting on scant and the absolute necessary attention at the moment but they do look very sweet when they have managed to jam themselves 4 to a box instead of one to keep warm.  How they don't suffocate themselves is a mystery.

While your passing the time you can get on with the task of planning your allotment using pen and paper or if your site is not new to you perhaps there are some 'jobs of improvement' you can be considering.  One of these is creating wind breaks. You may have to check your allotment rule book for this as some won't allow hedges.  Small bushes are usually ok and of course allotments are there to be productive so fruit trees are a must.

Check the height of anything you plant to ensure it won't be cating too much shade over your neighbours plot. Although allotments are essentially open places,  windbreaks are useful for poultry, fragile crops and you if you plan on spending time just relaxing. 

What to plant :- 
Fruit bushes such as  raspberries, gooseberries or currants.  These are obviously useful and be sited to provide a wind break and shade for plants which don't like too much sun.

Jerusalem Artichokes are perennial and look good too.

Hedges give a semblance of privacy and good shade and shelter but there will most likely be rules regarding hedges.  So check up first.

Apple and Pear Trees are great but be careful where you will put them so as not to cause bad feeling between yourself and you neighbours and remember they will need lots of water.

Low natural fencing such as woven willow can look really good.

So these are afew suggestions. I hope you come up with some of your own.