Allotment Diaries: Plotting a Productive and Pretty Patch

Welcome to a water-logged Allotment update! It's not a fun time to be on the plot, but it is a fabulous time to get plotting. So put the kettle on and settle down to get inspired on this year's growing.

When to plan

One thing I love about gardening is the cyclical nature of it. Winter is a quiet time outside, which gives us time to pause and space to think about the year to come. In the meantime, the snowdrops are flowering and I can see shoots poking up through the soil around the plot - tulips, daffodils and irises to come.

New shoots in Winter

I really haven't felt like doing anything in January so I'm a little behind where I would normally be on plot designing. But fear not, there's still plenty of time if you're in the same position - to dream, to plan and to get your seeds in order before the sowing extravaganza in March.

I've got better at making a note of things that are working (or not!) and ideas throughout the year so I have at least got somewhere to start from. And in September I went to France for a few days and whilst sitting in the sunshine (remember that?) sketched the plot, thinking not only about what vegetables and flowers I wanted to grow but how to make the plot look joyful all year round. So planning is not an exclusively Winter activity but now is a good opportunity to get into the details - when to sow indoors, when to plant out, succession planting and potential companion planting.

Sketching the plot in the sunshine!

Where to get ideas

There are so many ways to get inspiration for the plot. My favourite is other people's plots - either peeking over the fence at other allotments, my sister's (extremely tidy!) plot, and professionally tended gardens. Last year we visited Sleningford Hall on Open Gardens weekend and spent far too long envying their carrots, but it also reminded me that I wanted an asparagus bed. The year before my sister was growing Rainbow Chard and it looked so bright and colourful I plant it every year now.

Books can be useful especially if you're starting from scratch or developing something out of the ordinary, such as a fungi patch. I find a good gardening book motivates me to get excited about Spring even when it's still cold and wet outside.

Books for inspiration in the warmth

And probably most importantly, don't forget to think about what you want to use from the allotment. We love Cavelo Nero and never seem to have enough, so I'm dedicating more space to it this year. Potatoes were fun to grow for a couple of years but this year I'm just growing first earlies, because new potatoes are delicious fresh from the plot, but maincrops just taste like any other potato. And I haven't grown sweetcorn yet because, well everyone else seems to... then I remember how much I love corn on the cob so that's a new crop for 2026!

How to plan the plot

In recent years I've started to sketch the plot as above because this helps me visualise the aesthetic, which has become an important factor to me. You could transfer this to some graph paper to get more specific on spacings, but I'm a trained management consultant so spreadsheets come into their own here! I plot the beds to scale - and referring to last year's plan ensures I don't repeat crops like potatoes in the same bed to help prevent disease. Then I make a timeline, so we're in proper project management territory here.

Geek-level planning

When it comes to timings, I use the info on the back of seed packets, combined with a spoonful of experience and a smidgeon of windowsill space limitations. I rarely look at this again after March but I always intend to stick to it!

Make a start

By this time you will have a long wish list of plants and it's time to dig out the box of seeds you already have and figure out what you need to get hold of to bring your plan into reality. Even with allotment group discounts, buying all this new can get expensive so look out for local Seed Swaps. We're holding one in The GreenHouse on Saturday (21st Feb, 9.30am - 4.30pm) which is always well attended and completely free. Don't miss the opportunity to exchange seeds and connect with fellow gardeners!

Freshly manured beds and the praise of growth to come :)

So that's how I go about plotting a productive and pretty patch on my allotment, and I'd love to hear your ideas.