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About My Little Allotment
My "gardening journey" began three and a half years ago when I got an allotment after hitting a low point in my mental health. Six months before I got an allotment, I gave birth to my second daughter, Mila, but I had a really difficult pregnancy and a severe birth. Six months after she was born, my mental health deteriorated and I became very ill. I suffered from severe panic attacks, night anxiety, was unable to do anything because I was afraid something might happen to my family, I lost a lot of weight, and found it hard to find life worth living. I was really not doing well, but fortunately I had support from my doctor, my family, and friends.
I signed up for cognitive behavioral therapy and was diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), which was a huge shock to me. I learned a lot about PTSD, as well as postpartum PTSD, and how I could work on improving my mental health. There was a lot of information about how focusing could help with PTSD and how garden therapy could be beneficial, as it is very task-oriented. So I applied for my allotment six months after Mila was born, having fallen ill a few weeks prior. That's how "My Little Allotment" came about, and to this day, I can honestly say that my allotment has helped me find myself again, helped me get back on my feet, and helps me manage my mental health much better in everyday life.
My allotment saved me and brought me back to a happier, more positive place in my life, and I will always be grateful for how amazing garden therapy has been for me. I am now completely obsessed with gardening, allotments, and plants, and I wouldn't change it for anything.
Tell us your gardening secrets…
My secret: First, you need to make sure you prepare the area where the pumpkins will grow - pumpkins are very thirsty and hungry plants. When it comes to sowing pumpkins - here are some tips on how to make watering more efficient.
You should dig a much larger hole than you need for sowing, and then pour some highly concentrated compost into the bottom of the hole. Place a large pot next to the large hole, then plant the pumpkin in the hole next to the pot and fill the hole with compost (leaving the pot empty). The pot then acts as a watering can for the pumpkin.
When watering the pumpkin during the growing season, you can water directly into the pot. This way, all the water goes directly to the pumpkin plant's roots and does not evaporate from the soil. Pumpkins (especially giant pumpkins) are very thirsty plants and like to drink a lot of water every day. Therefore, make sure to use plenty of mulch around the plant to keep the moisture in the soil even on hot days. Make sure to add fertilizer directly into the pot with the pumpkin, at least once a week - giant pumpkins can be quite greedy.
There are many great plants that can be grown over winter, and that's why now is a good time for autumn sowing of onions and garlic. Make sure they are planted in well-drained soil so they don't get too wet, as this could cause rot. This way, the plants will survive the winter and be ready for harvest in June. You can also sow seeds like kale, winter lettuce, lamb's lettuce, arugula, Quercus crispula, and mustard in allotment beds and pots, and then enjoy a nice green winter harvest.
How can we find more of your tips?
More tips and advice from “My Little Allotment,” as well as photos of my allotment, can be found on my Instagram page @my_little_allotment and my Twitter account @allotment9a.
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