Goodbye Allotment

Above you will see a photo of my beautiful lavender coloured shed down at my allotment in Epsom, Surrey with a variety of lavender called Vera growing in front of it. Last week I handed my 3 adjoining plots back after 5 years as I no longer have the time to dedicate now I have the lavender field and also there is a long waiting list and it didn’t seem fair to keep them any longer. I took on the first plot back in 2017 when I moved to Epsom after getting divorced. The allotment was only a 5 minute walk from my new cottage and in those days there wasn’t a waiting list so within a few a month of applying I was preparing the rows for my first planting that September. Over the years as I learned about the different cultivars or varieties of lavender I would buy enough to fill one or more rows - each row only holding 9 plants. Once I had filled those I took on two adjoining smaller plots and so in total had 25 rows as well as a few fruit trees and a small flower meadow. My offer to leave the plants was not taken up so I have moved them up to Mentley and have recreated the plot in the bottom left corner of the Lavender field using 5 of the varieties. Rosea (pink), Edelweiss (white), Hidcote (dark purple), Munstead (mid blue), Vera (large purple) and also a row of Little Lady (small blue) which I love and grows well here. The 3 remaining varieties Maillette, Folgate and Grosso are our main field crop which I distill for essential oil and floral water or hydrosol and the Folgate I also dry for bunches. The first 6 varieties mentioned are available in our YARD STORE which this year is open from 14th April 11am - 4pm and Fridays through out April and May and also you will be able to see them growing in the Lavender Field when it opens on Saturday 3rd June. Having the allotment gave me the opportunity to experiment when creating a 4 acre Lavender field was only in my head. if you get the opportunity to rent a plot do take it. It offers a creative release to see what you can grow. Alas I didn’t bring the shed up to Mentley as I don’t believe it would have survived the move but one day you may also see a similar lavender coloured shed in the. corner of the Lavender field and I hope the new plot occupant will leave the original shed that colour!💜