The Future of the Orchard

I heard a scary rumour last week that the allotment site where I have he Orchard has been earmarked for development. There is a plan to build houses on the land!  I looked into it, and discovered that things are at very early stages, but the idea is definitely there. The government has asked local councils and landowners to suggest land for house-building. Our allotment site was suggested. The site is privately owned, and the owner was reportedly “surprised” that the parish council did not support his plans.

So nothing is happening at the moment. Other allotment holders I have spoken to insist that nothing will come of it, but that is just wishful thinking. Put your head in the sand, ostrich–like, and hope the problem will go away.. I am not so sure. The government want land to build houses on, and the owner of the land has put the site forward. Eventually it will happen. Maybe not next year, but I expect within the next five years.

So…..for the time being no more financial investment. (A few days after I ordered a tayberry to put in the fruit cage!)  And I think it would be prudent to make plans for the future either way.

So what can I do? Well, make better use of the existing space at the Allotment, to start with.

• There is a strip along the front of the greenhouse that would do for some strawberries.
• There is room for a 3ft wide bed in front of the chicken run where I could start off a new asparagus bed.
• There is a fairly large area by the shed where I could transplant some bushes. Maybe 6 would fit in there.
•  Maybe I could even steal 18 inches or so from the fence end of some beds for more strawberries and perennials.
•  The strip behind the greenhouse where I grow runner beans would do for some raspberry canes. I can incorporate the runners into my main rotation easily enough, losing some of the beans for drying, which are admittedly not essential. 
•  And there is a triangular shaped area in front of the compost bins where I could grow maybe 5 rhubarbs plants.

How about the 8 fruit trees I planted 15 months ago? There is no room at home – the garden there is tiny (though I have managed to squeeze in a herb bed). However we do own another house, which is rented out to students (the fruits of 7 oppressive years working in Saudi Arabia). The students are always very excited about the large garden when they move in, and then do absolutely nothing throughout the year! So why not fence off the back end of it and use it productively?

Last time I looked the garden was severely overgrown, with several fairly mature trees growing where 25 years ago there were flower beds. If I have all the trees chopped down (My woodburner will be grateful!) and cover the area with carpet, I should, within 2 years, have space to transplant my fruit trees.

It sounds like a plan!