Allotment – Winter Mess to Magic with Its Laura Kate

This is not how we found it. Towards the end of the summer of 2023, I’d finally got my hands on a full-size allotment plot, but it hadn’t been touched in years and was completely overgrown. Brambles taller than me, couch grass everywhere and the remains of an old shed slowly sinking into the ground.

Being heavily pregnant and still working at the office, any thoughts of clearing it were at the back of my mind. But winter has a way of giving you time to plan – and a few dry weekends to make a start.

Its Laura Kate’s Winter Allotment Plan

Rather than trying to dig the whole plot at once, we broke it into sections and worked through it bit by bit. Here’s the approach that took it from winter mess to (almost) magic.

1. Clear the worst first

We started by cutting back the brambles and long grass so we could actually see what we were working with. Everything that could be composted went into a new compost bay made from old pallets.

2. Cover and suppress

For the areas we couldn’t dig straight away, we laid down cardboard topped with a thick layer of manure and wood chip. Over the winter months the weeds underneath are starved of light and the soil life does the hard work for you.

3. Build beds and paths

Once a section was cleared, we marked out beds that I can reach across without standing on the soil, with wood-chip paths in between. It makes the plot feel manageable – one bed at a time rather than one giant field.

4. Plan the planting

With seed catalogues spread across the kitchen table, I planned a simple rotation: potatoes to help break up new ground, a bed of brassicas, one for roots, one for beans and peas, and a space for squash and pumpkins (soup season is non-negotiable in our house!).

An allotment is never finished – and that’s the joy of it. Every season teaches you something new.

What I’ve learned so far

• Little and often beats one exhausting weekend.
• Cardboard and mulch are your best friends on an overgrown plot.
• Ask your plot neighbours – they know the soil, the pests and the best varieties.
• Grow what you love to eat, not what you think you should grow.

Growing our own fruit and vegetables is a big part of how I nourish my family. Knowing exactly where our food comes from, from seed to plate, makes every meal feel more meaningful. Follow along as the plot comes to life this spring.