Week Ten: The Allotment

After nearly two and a half years of being on the waiting list, I got the keys to my allotment! Over the next year I will be turning this space into a natural colour garden - growing flowers, plants, vegetables and herbs that can be used to make natural dyes, paints and photography developers. There is alot of work to be done but I’m looking forward to seeing how this space transforms through the seasons.

Front Section

The allotment has a couple of greenhouses and a large shed at the end of the space. There is broken glass and ceramics hidden amongst the overgrown plants, and the raised beds are somewhere beneath the grass. It is very easy to get overwhelmed when looking at the allotment and the amount of work to be done. The first task will be making the allotment safe so that my friends and family can come along to help out. I’ll be splitting the space into four sections: the front, the greenhouses, the back, and the shed. I’ll be starting work on the front section first before moving my way through the rest of the sections. I’m imagining raised beds in the front section and a wilder layout in the back section leading up to the shed. There are tools that have been left behind and I can’t help but think of the person that this plot had previously belonged to. I found myself wondering who they were and why they had left the allotment behind.

Back Section

I hope that one day I can turn this into a space for the community to learn about natural colour making. I would like to replace the shed with something that can be used for workshops and artist residencies. I'm imagining large windows and a warm place to dwell and look out onto the allotment plot. A space for artists, creative practitioners, and the local community to come together and connect with the land.