The Evolution Of Avalon

In 2023 I finally had the infrastructure in for plot 1 (the left side) and I mounted the the sign above on the potting shed and my allotment was named "Avalon". Yes I'm a bit of a King Arthur and the Knight Of The Round Table nerd!

Here was my Planting Layout Plan of Avalon in 2024 

I've always planned my work but working my plan has often proved difficult, circumstances sometimes alter what you were planning, and 2023 was no exception to that rule. My wife passed away and then 3 months later I found out I had cancer.

Due to the radical radiotherapy treatment for my solitary bony plasmacytoma cancer in October/ November 2023 and the loss of mobility due to the associated autoimmune disease which came with extensive hypermetabolic arthropathy.

Arthropathy is a joint disease can be associated with a hematologic (blood) disorder, and my cancer is a form of blood cancer. My PET/CT Scans show I have problems in all my joints and as a result walking, is difficult, and getting down on my hands and knees to weed and sow seeds is now impossible for me. 

That plan for 2024 above has now being superseded and new alternatives being explored, but lets start at the beginning with how my plans for my first half plot 1A and the right half of what was to become Avalon started way back in 2012, in fact lets go back a little further.   

I started my working life in 1974 as a draughtsman, I ended up writing a CAD (Computer Aided Design) package with a friend in the heady days of 8" Floppy disks and 10 Mbyte hard disks and kit that generated so much heat a special room with fans had to be built for it.

I have used many CAD programs over the years and became a CAD Manager, wrote an AutoCAD emulator for Cadvance as we could find people who could fly AutoCAD, but had no Cadvance skills. So when it came to drafting sketches on how I was going to arrange my plot CAD was my answer. 

Recently my old computer which was running on Windows 10 and was not upgradable was making a horrendous noise and the hard disk was on its way out after 13 years. In the process of upgrading I lost all my CAD and BIM software, and I had a lot of different varieties and versions installed on that machine.

Now days as I'm retired, I only really use CAD for my annual update of the plot layout and what I'm going to grow where etc. I down loaded NanoCAD 5 Free version which is basically very AutoCAD compatible, as can be seen on the photo above. 

I would highly recommend NanoCAD for anyone wanting to get to grips with the basics of AutoCAD or any 2D CAD package and it has to be said, with the change in how software is now licenced NanoCAD is a much cheaper alternative to AutoCAD, for professional use and Free for hobbyist.  

If you don't want to try CAD at least draw on paper to scale and Avalon's journey started with the most simple or drawings, the shape of the plot on plan. 

OK why did I draw it at an angle, because I had access to the OS map for my allotment and could measure the angle of the boundary wall such that when I later added a North Arrow to the drawing I could see where the sun came up and went down again in Summer and Winter. 

2012 First layout before really clearing the plot and finding out from my neighbour that the line of the plot edge was further forward and the path was not as wide as it looked. Beds drawn at 2.4 x.1.2m so I could edge with 3 number 2.4m decking boards cutting one in half. I made a stupid assumption that 450mm wide paths would be adequate, I later found out they were not and you need at least 600mm in order to kneel perpendicular to the bed when weeding and sowing. Measure from the sole of your foot to your knee to see how much room you will need. 

2012 Second attempt at deciding on a bed layout and where to locate the shed. The drawing now has the north point, with Summer and Winter sun paths shown. Again paths drawn at 450mm which is way too narrow.   

My wife in the photo was very short and so was the door to the shed, but it makes the plot and the shed look a lot bigger than they really are. 

Views from the South East corner before and after clearing the bindweed and debris 

Plot after burning all the weeds and removing rubbish, and arranging a woodchip drop off for making paths. 

January 2014 - I had bought a load of ex council 600mm x 600mm paving slabs which I had laid at home as a hard standing for my car, and when I decided to have the whole of the front garden block paved, the contractor dropped them off and laid them on the woodchip path I had laid down the middle of the allotment. The slabs are reflected in the drawing as are smaller 450x450mm slabs sourced off Freecycle. 

Adi my plot neighbour on plot 2 & 2A informed me that my plot boundary on the South boundary was further over and the wide path only needed to be 600mm  

February 2014 

March 2014 view from the South West corner of the plot, and the second hand Palram greenhouse has been assembled on what was bed 6

June 2014  - The drawing of the plot brought into a graphics package and marked up with my idea on how to install a watering system so I didn't have to drag a hose pipe all around the site to water the beds. There are only 4 spurs but they are long enough to reach the furthest point, and are shown where they can access. 

Gradually the beds and paths are formed  

Planting Layout for 2015 when I added the Tomato Grow House against the wall, and only three beds of spuds with first early potatoes being grown in buckets along the West boundary, composting Daleks placed as a barrier against the stones from my neighbours trimmer hitting the greenhouse   

Planting layout for 2016 only three beds of spuds with first early potatoes being grown in buckets, First year for Butternut Squash and gave up on strawberry bed.  

Planting layout for 2017 four Beds of spuds planned but due to the wife being taken into hospital only two actually made it into the ground on this plot and two beds on my Spencer Road plot, Bed 7 became Cucumber, Gherkins and Sweetcorn.

I start to look at what's going where on the plots next year and below is the first stab for Mill Green Plot 1A in 2018.

My crop rotation is based on four beds of spuds, 12 full sized beds so a three year rotation clockwise with everything moving along four beds each season  

Preliminary Plan for 2018 on the basis that I would keep on Spencer Road for one more year. At the time of outlining this plan, I had no idea if my neighbour was going to give plot 1 up, but you can see my thinking if he does. If it happens then his plot is larger than mine and I will have a wealth of space to move into, once it is cleared of all the brambles, Nettles, bind weed and couch grass.

October 2017 The paperwork arrived for the overgrown plot 1 next to Plot 1A and I was now the proud owner of Plot 1 as well as 1A. I needed to measure the exact length of the new plot but proportionally what I've drawn up at this stage is very near, as based on the Ordnance Survey data .

Above is Plot 1A

First stab at a layout for Plot 1

There is a step between plots 1A and 1 and I would like to have access straight onto the plots. At the moment I have to walk along the bottom of plot 1 and then along the foot path between plots 1 & 2. and this time of the year got soaking wet if I don't wear wellingtons

What I have drawn as paved is the main route into plot 1, up towards the shed and greenhouse area and then heading towards the end of the existing path on plot 1A. 

There is a ramp between plots 1 & 1A as there is a difference in level of around 150 - 200mm.

The L shape at the bottom and side is likely to be a mixture of trees grown as a living fence comfrey and wild flowers for the bees.

Paths will initially be woodchip with the exception of the main path, for which I have enough slabs on the Spencer Road plot 23B which I have paid for until October 2018 which gives me time to get the site cleared where the shed and greenhouse are planned to go. I will grow vegetables on Spencer Road that are low maintenance like potatoes, Marrows, Squash etc. which can basically be planted and left to it.    

So getting in everything above beds 17 - 24 and the main path is my objective for 2018 and everything below the main path in 2019 if I'm being realistic.

Combined Drawing of Plots 1 & 1A

This panorama does not extend right the way down to the corner of Plot 1 so I will get a better photo next time I'm down on the allotment. At least now I can attack at least the first 1.5m along the boundary between plots 1 &1A, its a shame that the nettles have all gone to seed and dropped them.

2017 November 

It's that time if year when you can't get on with things on the plot because of the weather and the dark evenings, but what you can do is plan how you are going to layout your new plot.

I've tweaked the plans and have decided to re define the boundary between plots 1 & 1A and it will run mid way between the beds should I ever have to divide the two plots up again.

Plot 1A End - If divided then the boundary will run between beds 1 & 2,  12& 13 and  29&30

Plot 1 End with fruit on the South West boundary as a living fence of Raspberries

An early Sunday morning start around 8:15 as last week and today the target was still to remove as much Hawthorn and Bramble from against the wall as possible

Day 1

Day 4

Wally gave me a hand to expose what now appears to have been a foxes den, after I exposed more ground and found another entrance into a cavernous hole in the ground which was under the Hawthorn and Brambles  

Day 1

Day 4

October 2020 Proposed layout of the bottom of Plot 1 

A swift visit to the allotment this morning between 7:30 to 10:00 to drop off composting materials and to finish sorting out the Plot 1A shed. I also managed to give it a coat of paint touching up the weathered section and painting all round. 

I finally realised that the OS drawing is inaccurate and the plot is not as long as I thought it was and I have now corrected the error and put in the fruit beds and the Square Foot Gardening beds and tried setting out the planting plan for this year and the start of a whole new crop rotation system. 

This is bound to get tweaked between now and next season a little, but it's a starter for 10.

Plot 1 

Plot 1A

Unfortunately for me where people have been disposing their weeds along the front of the bees and combined with the long grass that has not been cut around the dip tank and water tap the end of my hose that I had buried across the path and taken to the tap was lost. 

This was where I wanted to be by the start of the season for 2020 until the Corona Virus came and as a result I can't get to the allotment as I'm self Isolating to protect the wife. 

Two hours with my Daughter Emma on the allotment this afternoon, taking grass from my sisters back garden in a rubber tug and filling the Dalek in layers, watering it in with layers of spent woodchip paths cleared this week, and shredded paper. Weeding the mares tail and weeds from the Asparagus beds and the path next to the Asparagus beds, then knocking up some fox protection.

Emma cleared the weeds from the onion beds and planted some onions in modules, and then recovered the beds. A quick water and then our time was up.

Plan Layout for 2022 before moving the Asparagus Bed next to the Raspberries

Now that I finally have the infrastructure in for plot 1 and the potting shed I have put the sign up on the potting shed and my allotment has been named "Avalon". Yes I'm a bit of a King Arthur and the Knight Of The Round Table nerd! 

Here is the Planting Layout Plan of Avalon (Plots 1 & 1A) for 2024 as at December 2023 

I've always planned my work but working my plan has often proved difficult, circumstances sometimes alter what you were planning, and this year is no exception to that rule. 

So here is what I had planned for Plot 1 as of December 2023, and the square foot garden bed 3 didn't happen in 2023 as I managed to get a load of paving slabs off Freecycle and I wanted to make the path wider so that I had room for bringing in wheelbarrows of wood chips into the plot and swinging around the corner of the potting shed when using the main path that goes past the sheds

The formation of the climbing frame greenhouse altered when I looked into what parts I had in the boxes and made a redesign of how I was going to build it and ended up using the mesh panels as structure for the walls and not cladding to the greenhouse frames I bought in the B&Q sale off when they stopped selling them. 

Above is the plan for plot 1A ....

So at the end of 2024 I started by making the two Square Foot Garden beds by the potting shed into raised beds and as of the end of 2024 had half converted one full framed ground level bed into a two scaffold board high (450mm) Raised beds with a path in between, Bed 15 in the drawing below.      

Above was the proposed layout on the basis that I could get hold of a load of Free 1200mm x 800mm pallet collars or 800mm x 600mm pallet collars and twin them up to make 1200 x 800mm Raised beds. That didn't happen the person offering them never came through with the goods. I managed to get a load of old decking from Freecycle and I will be using those to construct the raised beds once I have used the 1.2m and 0.9m scaffold boards I bought 

Photo after the climbing frame greenhouse and the raspberry boundary beds were installed, but before I made the Square Foot Garden beds into raised beds and started installing raised beds. 

There is a difficulty with just trying to convert the framed bed layout into raised bed layout as I made the paths 600mm wide and the standard wheelbarrow is 620mm and will not fit. My solution in the design is to turn alternate beds narrower thus making the paths wider so I can get the wheelbarrow around the allotment to all the beds.   

Over 2025 I have been looking into options like poly tunnels or a larger level entry greenhouse as I'm having difficulties getting in and out of the two 1800 x 1200mm (6ft x 4ft) Palram greenhouses, which at the moment I'm using to dry coffee grounds in the plot 1A greenhouse, and to store magic cardboard to line the bottom of the new raised beds, in the plot 1 greenhouse. 

Above is the plan for plot 1A 

Above is the plan for plot 1 

The seasons in the UK for 2025 and 2026 are marked by the following astronomical dates: 

This file is printed into snagit and then processed into a negative using infranview which make it more visible than a colour on white background for uploading on manvslug.

Above is the Plot 1 end of Avalon and the plan is to get raised beds 12 & 12a, 13 & 13a, 14 & 14a and 16a built and to get beds H1 & H2 extended in time for planting and use next year  

Plot 1A end of Avalon and for the moment the plan is to leave the ground level 2.4m x 1.2m beds alone but I have shown how the beds could ultimately be modified in future years, depending on how my recovery of my mobility goes.