We had our very first allotment bonfire this evening. All the up rooted plants, weeds and rubbish was starting to build up on both mine, and my Dad’s plots. I had broad bean stalks, strawberry runners and sadly my tomatoes were struck with the dreaded blight so they had to go. To me, this is a sign that Summer is nearly over and Autumn is well on the way.

It’s September already and Summer has just flown by. It seems only yesterday that I was planning, sowing seeds and getting the soil ready. It has however, been a great Summer with plenty of harvests, plenty of lessons learnt and great fun too. The year isn’t over yet though and theres still plenty growing on Plot 15C. The gherkins are still producing, pumpkins and munchkin pumpkins, borlotto beans, swiss chard and carrots are still all a plenty. There’s also the purple dwarf french beans which are growing nicely and I’ve also sown some kohl rabi and turnips. And not forgetting the brassica bed full with kale, red cabbages and flower sprouts!

There’s big plans for next year too and I just can’t wait to start planning and preparing. One of the big plans involves chickens. Now I have wanted chickens ever since I got my plot last year, I love the idea of looking after chickens, letting them roam the allotment and collecting fresh eggs every morning. I am a complete animal person anyway, and I know your not meant to get attached, but I can see myself naming and caring for my chickens. The only problem is I don’t have permission yet, and as you can tell I’m getting my hopes up a little! I re-read the allotment rules and although it states that ‘rabbits and hens are allowed on the allotments’, I decided to get in contact with the parish council and they are bringing my question up at the next meeting. Which means on the 10th of September I will be told if I can keep chickens on plot 15c, and I just can’t wait to find out!

If the answer is yes then of course I will need to make space for a coop and run, this is where my other big plan comes into play. I have three large rotation beds up my allotment, a roots bed, legume bed and a brassica bed. The idea is to take away one bed and then split the other two beds into three smaller rotation beds. That’s leaves me with a 3.7m by 3m bed for the chickens and even some flowers too (I am totally getting my hopes up aren’t I!?)

Now if the answer is no, then I am still going ahead with this plan of three smaller rotation beds. However, because I wouldn’t need any space for a coop I would simply fill the spare bed with cut flowers, and maybe even place a table and chairs in the flower meadow! So really I can’t start planning until next week when it find out if I can have chickens or not, fingers crossed that the answer is yes!