ALLOTMENT SITE TOUR 2025 / EMMA'S ALLOTMENT DIARIES

[Music] God, I'm going to cry over sweet corn. I can't believe it. This can't be happening. They're both after their breakfast. Oh no. Good morning everyone. Starting today's vlog here on the entrance way to my aotment site with some very noisy parakeetses. Sorry about that. My name's Emma. These are my a lotment diaries. I vlog three times a week about my a lotment plot here in South London. And a lot of you have been asking for a little bit of a walk around, a little bit of a tour of the site. So, I thought today it would be the perfect day to do it. Got blue skies and sunshine. And I'm here incredibly early, so hopefully it'll be a bit empty and we can have a little nose around and see all around the a lotment site. So, if you do enjoy this video, give me a thumbs up. Hype the video. If you hype the video, I think it recommends it to more people. So, it's always helpful. So, I'll show you around the a lotment site, then I'm going to show you my plot and give you a little tour. And then I've got a couple of jobs to do today. So, we will do a little bit of gardening as well. So, I hope you enjoy this video. I've just seen three foxes run through here. Here's one of our little friends now. This is a baby. Hello. There he is. One of our little a lotment plot site foxes. Oh my gosh. You coming right over? Oh my goodness. This is an unusual start to the vlog. What a beautiful looking fox though in such good condition. Do you remember when I first got my a lotment? Oh no, don't take that. That's rubbish. Remember when I first got my a lotment plot and the foxes were so mangy and like ill and now they're so lovely. Now they seem to be in quite good condition, which is really nice actually to see. They're obviously a lot a lot more protected now and looked after. There you go. We'll just follow our little foxy friend in. So, I normally go this way and today we're going to go this way. Have a little bit of a mooch around and see what other people are doing. See if we can get some ideas, some inspiration for our plot. Um, and we're going to start with my friend Emma's plot here on the corner. Emma helps me out so much with my a lotment and I'm so so grateful. She gives me great advice as well. But this is her beautiful, beautifully maintained plot. Obviously, she's at the front of the plot, so her plot is unfortunately vandalized way more than mine is. And you can see she's had to board all of her her shed windows up. A really really Oh, what was that bed? It's nice. A really sad reality of um a lotment life, unfortunately. This is her polycarbonate greenhouse. And look what she's done for water. This is absolutely fantastic. What a great idea. So, I've got this bit. So, this I've got this. This is like a little bit of a drainage on the side. And what she's done is attached a tube which then goes down into a um a water bucket. That is absolute genius. I'm going to copy that. Thank you very much, Emma. [Music] Fortunately, we will start to see some of these plots that I always say are abandoned have been taken on and looked after. And you can see someone's got this one recently and put all of these uh ground sheets down, which is an excellent way of getting all the weeds down and sort of preparing it for springtime. Especially if you don't want to dig it all out by hand like I did. Um sometimes if if you don't want to grow into it immediately and you're happy to wait till spring, you can just cover it all over. Just let nature do its job. It'll all die back and in the springtime you can uncover it, put the beds in, sort it all out. Who could not love this plot? This plot gives me so much inspiration. I remember when I first got my a lotment. I would come down here and see what this lady was up to because honestly, she just does it so so well. She utilizes every single bit of space in her plot and I just find that so inspiring. She's got all these lovely squashes and pumpkins growing along her her fence. And then you can see that every single bit of her plot is planted up with something. And that is just all inspiring. Honestly, even her shed is used as growing space. Look, I think these are are they grapes? They might be grapes or some kind of fruing climbing bush. But even her shed is absolutely full of things growing. I mean, it's amazing. [Music] quite a few a lotments that I feel like just have not been used this year. Um it looks like they've sort of got started on them and then maybe abandoned it or given up. Um and there's quite a few that look like this. All the kind of things have been brought down. It seems to have started work but then not sort of finished. And then can you see down there sort of the areas of sort of abandoned abandoned plots or just maybe it's part of this plot and they haven't been back which I'm really surprised about cuz they have this lovely great big structure here with a table outside. I think and you can totally disagree with me right now. It's absolutely fine. But I sometimes feel like people enjoy that initial kind of building of their a lotment plot and then not so much the maintaining it and coming back. So I find that sometimes when new tenants take on a new plot, they dive in, you know, they clear it to the ground. Sometimes they do a big bonfire. Um they build all the structures, they put up sheds, they get really inspired and they're really creative with it and they sort of make these incredible looking a lotment plots, but then they don't come back and sort of keep growing. So they might put some things in at the beginning and then they go off and then they kind of get bored and they don't come back again. And so the plot kind of ends up a complete mess. And then by the time they decide to come back, you're sort of starting from the beginning again. Even though you've got a beautiful shed up, it might be overgrown now. All the weeds have come up everywhere and the work is just too much. So it's nice to see plots that have had so much time put into them. And it's it is if you've got the money and you've got the time and the resources, by all means, go for it. put in new beds, put in new sheds and stuff, but in my opinion, sometimes it is better to go slower and to do it more by hand because then you're more likely to come back and maintain it. You could totally disagree with that, but it's just my experience from being here. Um, and from what I've seen, I think someone just dropped something then. I hope it wasn't expensive. But yeah, let me know in the comments what you think about that and what it's like at your sites. Now, that is one heck of a professional looking water collector, isn't it? Wow. They look like Daleks. This is interesting. I think they've used a poly tunnel frame, but they've netted it. So, they might have fruit in there, fruit bushes or something. That's a very clever way of repurposing your poly tunnel frame. I'm also very happy to see the mismatch of kind of different uh green houses and the way they've been put together and kind of fixed. Makes me feel a lot better. Some of the houses here have got gates in at the back that lead out to the aotment plot. So, I'm wondering if a lot of the houses actually own an aotment plot and then they've just put like a a gate or a door at the back of their fence and they can just come onto the site. How cool is that? Now, this one is a big shame because I do know from looking around earlier in the year that the council came and completely cleared this plot ready for a new tenant to take it on. Unfortunately, it looks like nobody has and it's kind of starting to revert back to its state. The council did come and make a bit of an effort to clear the plots that were really overgrown. A bit like my one was. Didn't offer then, did they? But anyway, yeah, you can see that they have sort of cleared the plot, but unfortunately unfortunately no one's taken it on. So, it is starting to become overgrown again, which is a big big shame. If any of you out there are looking for an aotment plot, I've counted about 10 so far. Please message me. come down. Please take one of these plots. It is just such a shame to see them turn to that, especially when they have been cleared. This has had a very good attempt to grow into it. I think they'll get there. They've got some fantastic tomatoes going on. Absolutely brilliant. Look at all those squash plants over there. The plot is a little bit overgrown, unfortunately. They will get probably a letter of cultivation because 75% of your plot does need to be maintained. Actually, if it's just to there, they might get away with it. Actually, they might get away with it. And then you can see the back has been covered. I don't know. What do you think? You tell me, guys. Does this count as a well-maintained a lotment plot or not? Leave me a comment. Let me know. And then again, what about this one? What do you think? Is this a well-maintained a lotment plot or not? Let me know. They have clearly started to grow things. We've got some sweet corn here. We've got some rhubarb, I think, there. Got lots of lovely flowers. We've got a compost bay over there, which is brilliant. That's a great start. I can see some uh some old crops in there, too. What do you think? Little bit of weeding, and it'll be up to scratch. Oh my goodness. There's somebody doing a pumpkin archway over here. I haven't been on to anyone's site yet into anyone's plot cuz you're not really allowed to. But wonder if I can just get a little bit nearer. I really like this plot. This was one of them that was sort of really overgrown and it was cut back by the council and somebody has actually taken it on and actually they've done a really good job. I absolutely love the rose. I think it's just really really cute. I believe that is a pumpkin arch. Those are pumpkins or squashes going up there, aren't they? And they've got these little beds here. And then if I scoot across here, look at all these lovely little rows. I think that is really, really sweet. It's obviously very difficult to maintain an a lotment plot, especially if it's your first year and your first time. And actually, I know there's a few weeds around, but this is a really good example, I think, of a very well-maintained plot. Um, for a first timer, I think this is lovely. Yes, I know there's a lot of weeds. Yes, I know it's not perfect. I can see it's a little bit overgrown, but we are in September to be fair. But from a first- timer, what do you expect? They've got a lot of stuff growing there, and I think it looks lovely. And so if you have just got your first a lotment plot, don't panic. That's a good well-maintained plot. Honestly, that's a good standard for your first year. And look at all the stuff that they've they've bagged up to get away. I think they're doing brilliantly. Honestly, I feel quite inspired by that plot. I tell you what though, nothing will ever inspire me more at the a lotments than seeing a site like this, a plot like this. This is this is my inspiration. Just a blank canvas, no weeds, just a little bit of grass. the things you could do with this plot. That is absolutely all inspiring. It's so neat. It's so wellmaintained and cut back. Someone's worked really hard at this. They got the compost area, the shed there ready to go. Oh my gosh, I wish this was mine. I really do. [Music] Just caught sight of a load of parakeets eating a giant sunflower head. So I think that's probably who ate all my sunflowers. Actually, you know what they've done here? They've netted over some of the heads so they can collect the seeds. Um, and it's from the parakeetses. They're trying to protect them from the parakeetses. They are ravenous. Look at this. This is a great idea for making sure you Oh, look. We've caught one. Caught in the act. Yeah, it's a great idea for saving all the seeds. You see in there? Looks like a little parrot, doesn't he? He sort of is a parrot. It's parakeet. Got loads of these in London. And these have been eating all the sunflowers, haven't you, mate? Beautiful birds, but honestly, they are so noisy. Anyway, I promised that I wouldn't sort of have a go at any of the plots here, and I'm really not. The only thing I ever get annoyed with is when I see plots that are abandoned or not used because with all this news that the a lotment sites could be sold off to flats all around the country, it's very very scary and very serious now when plots are not being used because if the council think we're not using them or there's not enough tenants on them, there's a very very real possibility that they could be sold off. So, it's so important if you get an aotment just just at least just cover it over. That one that was covered over, that will do. That's fine for this time of year, but please do something with it. Now, as we come around the corner, we reach my a lotment. Actually, it doesn't look so bad now. Trying to be a little bit objective just as someone coming around having a look. Actually, it sort of looks quite well maintained. Don't know what I'm so worried about. Right, here we go. We've got two giant beds of brassacas here. These brassacas have sort of seen better days. There's a couple of cabbages there. Um, I uncovered mine and looking around the site, no one else has done that, so I think I might have made a bit of a mistake by uncovering them. However, they do seem to be coping okay with it. I don't seem to have too much damage. We've got the archway here. Didn't do very well this year, but then I didn't focus too much on it this year. I focused on the other one. Um, but we've got all the nesters and the borage as usual. Looks really quite pretty, doesn't it? And then the cosmos has been flowering like crazy. Bit of a late flowering for the cosmos this year. How beautiful, though. Definitely not complaining. You can stay. We've got our main crop potatoes here looking absolutely fabulous. I mean, they've done brilliantly. So happy with those. I might have to cover them over with some fleece um to stop the frost cuz I think I won't be harvesting these till about November. Got a miscellaneous bed here which really does need to be cleared, mulched over. I think there's a rogue pumpkin growing in there, but that's really about it. If I look back this way, you've seen this view a hund times, but there is my lovely shed. And then we've got some beds in front. We've got the carrots here doing quite well now. I can see lots of green in there. Fantastic. That's the strawberry patch there with the um orange Californian poppies growing in there. We have the trees in the middle here and then a pathway that I've made next to it um which connects to the other a lotment plot which I took on. Let's take a walk through here. How beautiful is it in this lovely autumn light? Gosh, it's beautiful. This is my new structure with the rose growing on it. We have an apple tree, flower bed underneath. [Music] Right, it is marginally warmer in my poly my I keep calling it poly tunnel, my polycarbonate greenhouse. Hope you enjoyed looking around the a lotment sites. Um I I sort of think that you've seen my plot quite a few times. I don't think I'm going to win any prizes for the best kept a lotment here. Um, and I'm certainly not going to win any prizes for the best compost area or the best structures or the best the biggest pumpkin or anything like that. But sometimes when you have a look around it, it's it's great to get inspiration from other plots um, and seeing what other plot holders are doing and what's working for them. And also, it it did make me feel a bit better. When I looked at my plot, I thought, you know what? It doesn't look as bad as I thought it does. You know, I always just come straight to my plot, but seeing other people's. I know you shouldn't compare and everything, but sometimes when you compare and yours comes out on top, it's it's quite nice. Um, there were just a couple of jobs that I wanted to do today and very small jobs, which is why I did the tour. Firstly, I did actually want to check on my greenhouse because we had really high winds the other night and I stupidly left the windows and the door open. Secondly, want to water the seedlings. And thirdly, want to see if the sweet corn is ready. So that's that's what we're going to do. Actually, the first thing we're going to do is feed Einstein the bird. Let's do that. Coming then. Always got to start by feeding the bird. >> Oh no, foxes turned up. They're both after their breakfast. Oh no. Oh no. [Music] [Music] [Music] Right, I'm going to dead head these cosmos. They flowered so late this year and I really really want them to stay for as long as possible. So, I'll keep dead heading. [Music] Look at this. This is a miracle. This is I've got more Jack be Littles growing. Only two, mind you. Only two. But I can't believe that this vine has developed more fruit on it. Like more pumpkins. It looks positively dead. Bit of a pumpkin miracle that is. We'll do our daily sweet corn check. See if any of it's ready to harvest. No, no, guys. It's being eaten. I left it too late. I can't believe it. I can't believe it is all being eaten. Oh my gosh. The little horrors. See what we get. Look at that. That is brilliant. That is That is brilliant. And it's such a shame that the top of it got eaten, but I think it's because I sort of pulled it back a little bit to see what was going on. Big mistake that was. I should have had more faith in them. That is fantastic. Look at that. Look at that. That's absolutely beautiful. Look at this one. God, I'm going to cry over sweet corn. I can't believe it. This can't be happening. Oh, it's beautiful. Oh, it's beautiful. I'm going to cry. I'm getting emotional. Getting emotional over sweet corn. I don't know if it's completely totally ready cuz some of the top isn't. But actually, all of this looks good. It looks good to me. That's a good sweet corn, right? Oh my gosh, these sweet corns are really good. How are they so good? What did I do this year different? Please tell me. Right, there are like a lot of earwigs in these ones. I actually completely forgot. Oh, the earwigs love sweet corn and they will basically just go in and eat it all. I completely forgot. I just It's not something that I grow very successfully very often. It's not It's not great. It's not the greatest sweet one. I mean, this one's This one's probably the best one that I've picked. Um, I will be able to use some of that. I know if some of it's eaten, but that that is absolutely fine to use. So, I'll take this one home. The other ones, I think that little shadow there might be an earwig. I'm a bit worried about that. It is an earwig. It's a huge earwig, but I can see immediately that um this one's not worked very well. Hey ho. Right, that's it from me today. Hope you've enjoyed um my little a lotment site tour, my little a lotment plot tour. Um a few little jobs that I've been doing. Like I said, there wasn't too much to do today. I'm going to take this home. Wasn't quite expecting this, but hey ho, it's all good. I hope I don't bring an earwig home by accident. That would be awful. Anyway, thank you so much for watching, guys, and I'll see you in my next one. See you next time. Bye.