Design allotment garden

Functions and elements

Here is a list of functions and elements I thought up. Not all listed elements are possible or allowed.

• visual appeal
  • focus on keeping garden front neat
  • use ground cover
  • use big plants
  • use perenials (shrubs and trees)
  • flowers or pumpkin field
  • maintain good relations with neighbors and allotment association
• sitting and relaxing
  • bench
  • shelter
  • chairs
  • table
  • many flowering plants
  • keep out rain and cold wind
• water management
  • tap with ground water from central, electrical pump
  • rain water
    • store in rain barrel
    • store in pond (not allowed)
    • store in soil
  • drip irrigation
    • from bottles
    • from rain barrels
• toilet use
  • at home
  • at the outhouse next to the caravan
  • pee in garden
  • compost toilet on site
• seeds
  • from shop
  • from fellow gardeners
  • harvested from fruit and vegetables
  • rescued from compost pile or garbage heap
  • sourced from foraging
• plants
  • from shop
  • donated plants
  • cuttings from various sources
  • rescued from compost pile or garbage heap
• growing seedlings (voorkweken)
  • at home
  • in greenhouse
  • in cold frame (koude bak)
• self-maintaining
  • automatic systems
  • smart design
  • use perenial plants
  • ground cover
• biodiverse
  • insect hotel
  • bird houses
  • different plants
  • bee plants
  • polyculture
  • use edge
• healthy food
  • fruits
  • vegetables
  • herbs
  • use weeds as vegetables
• tool storage
  • at home
  • box or crate
  • shed
• reuse garden waste
  • compost bin
  • hugelkultur
  • salvage from communal compost terrain
• pest control
  • slugs
    • hedgehog
    • birds
  • insects
    • birds
    • hedgehog
    • insect hotel
  • mice and rabbits
    • cat
    • birds of prey
    • fox
  • humans
    • present a low-value target
    • confuse by scattering produce around the garden
    • confuse by combining edible with poisonous plants
  • diseases
    • healthy soil life
    • biodiversity

Time spent / Overhead

Measurements taken February 2021

• 13:00 prepare and gather materials and tools in hand cart for transport to allotment
• 13:30 travel to garden on foot
• 13:45 arrive at garden, start work
• 15:35 gather tools to take back home
• 15:45 leave from garden on foot
• 16:00 back home
• 16:10 tools cleaned and back in storage

Total time: 3h 10m = 190 minutes

• overhead: 30 + 10 + 10 = 50 minutes
• travel time: 15 + 15 = 30 minutes
• working in garden: 110 minutes

9 ways of observing

• I wonder...
  • how to reduce the number of external inputs to the garden?
• Observe energy
  • sun shines mostly unimpeded in summer. In winter, slight obstruction by tall trees
  • in winter: cold wind across the plot, little windbreak
  • energy in keeping up with the garden falls as harvest season progresses - we get burnt out from all the harvesting and processing
• Observe flow
  • flow of people on the main access path
  • main traffic in the garden is over the pavement across the middle
  • watering at the front of the garden is easier than at the back due to having to carry water containers by hand
  • the garden is quite exposed to wind blowing across it, this leads to frostbite on plant leaves in winter
• Observe communities
  • allotment association
  • my direct neighbors use more traditional methods of soil cultivation
  • the golf course at the back of the allotment
  • a bumble bee nest in an abandoned mouse hole
  • clusters of lice in some plants
• Observe patterns
  • at the front is sunnier than at the back
  • at the front is more public than at the back
  • in 2019 we came every two days to water the garden
  • we prefer to go to the garden late in the evening when there are less people around
  • using 75cm beds with 45cm walkways in between is convenient and not suited to Arno's style of gardening
• Observe edge
  • chicken wire along the edge of the garden: no access to rabbits
  • entrance gate at the front
  • no gate at the back
  • access to the back by jumping across the fence with the neighbors and using the back door to their garden
• Observe limits
  • watering is by hand and only at a very low volume
  • limited amount of fertility can be brought in from outside
• Observe from stillness
  • the garden is a joy to observe: so many different insects, bugs, beetles, bees etc. around
  • by letting annuals and bi-annuals go to flower
• Observe past & future
  • when we started in 2019, I observed no insect activity in the garden. The soil looked dead.
  • I hope we can further enhance biodiversity in our garden
  • I hope we can inspire other people to try a different approach in their gardening

Attitudinal principles

• Multiple elements x multiple functions
  • greenhouse
    • for growing plants and
    • for sitting in chilly weather
    • for rain water harvesting from roof
  • paths between beds
    • for easy access to plant beds
    • to put weeded plants from the beds
    • covered with mulch to keep ground covered
    • to provide fertility and moisture to beds
• Everything gardens
  • T.B.D.
• The problem is the solution
  • T.B.D.
• Yield is theoretically unlimited
  • T.B.D.
• Work with nature
  • leave as many plants growing where they come up
  • note where plants like to grow and plant correspondingly the next year
  • mulch with what is naturally growing: chickweed, amaranth and knopkruid
  • find out what is already growing and edible
• Minimum effort, maximum effect
  • check out community compost pile for discarded plants
  • use composted material under oak trees as mulch to add nutrients and mycillium
  • recover seeds from donated fruits and vegetables
  • put in self-seeders (annuals)
  • plant trees, shrubs and perennial vegetables
  • choose wild plants to attract solitary bees

Implement

• use knopkruid and amaranth as mulch
• berry shrubs, fennel from Susanne
• mint, citroenmelisse, rhubarb from Leo
• asperges from Tjeerd
• apple tree from neighbor and from baby boom project
• tomatoes, chard, wolfberry, onion, pumpkin, potatoes, poppies, zinnia from previous tenant
• gooseberry cuttings from communal compost pile (failed)
• goudsbloem and mint from communal path
• figs cuttings from Francesco (failed)
• mulch small walkways with oak leaves

Planted 2019-02-23:

• Phaseolus coccineus (runner bean / pronkboon of keverboon)
  • purple spotted bean
  • perennial vine (usually treated as annual)
  • Käferboon / Fuerbohne / Stiense pronkboon / Pronkboon paars gevlekt
  • plant distance 30-50 cm in a row, 120-140 cm between rows
  • vine can grow 3m or longer
  • plant on site, from half May 15 till end of June
  • harvest from 3rd week of August till first frost. Pods need to be harvested every week or no new pods will form
• Borlotti bonen / Borlotti Lamon / Borlotti extra dik

Maintain

T.B.D.

Evaluate

T.B.D.