Beds or paths

The previous plot holders had mounded up beds across the plot. No sides, but clearly defined beds. I didn't mind, but they were very displeasing to my partner, so we've leveled many out and laid weed-proof membrane between them. The paths are about the size of the membrane and chosen as the path(s) of least resistance for this year. Next year I'm hoping to remove some to increase the growing area. I'm hoping to pop paving stones in some beds to make them workable despite being larger. Our goal was just to use the majority of the accessible land this year. (Challenge to myself to ensure that I really would make use of a full plot.) Next we'll be looking to optimize a bit.

I currently have an edged bed, edged with reclaimed wood from around the house and garden when we moved in, which is my veg growing space. It is surrounded by grass and soft fruit bushes are dotted around in the grass. We've got gooseberry, black currants, white and red currants. Also blackberries crawl through the hedge at the back. I am considering a grand plan for the veg area and am considering a potager type garden in that space. One day I am going to remove the leylandii hedge which boarder this area on two sides and replace them with fence. One fence i intend to grow trained fruit on, the other maybe a line if raspberries. Then I am considering taking all the turf up, putting in a variety of edged and raised beds in different shapes and probably gravel paths between so they can be narrower than my lawn mower. That's the plan anyway, if it ever happens is another story.

I had old rubber mats on the allotment, but I’ve a mixture of slab, bark and gravel in the back garden. I prefer gravel as you can spray the weeds or just pull them. The bark is wet and messy after the rain and the weeds soon become rampant between the slabs but are much harder to get out than gravel.

The only negative to gravel is my spaniel likes drying himself on dusty gravel just after a hose down meaning you have to start all over again.