Winner of the 2020 Best Newcomer Prize, Bethany Osborn acquired her plot (2E) in 2019.
Owning a plot during lockdown has made me appreciate how essential it is to be outside and connected with nature. It brings me great pleasure learning new skills and growing different plants which always taste better than shop-bought !
It's been a fun experience developing my little plot over this past year. When I first got it, it was in a bit of a state, but with a sheer amount of grit and determination and lots of help from my parents; we’ve turned it around and it’s done really well for its first year growing crops.
I think it is important for the younger generation to learn how to grow produce. From a very young age I was fortunate enough that my parents taught me how to tend to crops, be patient and watch it all grow on their plot. Bethany and her Mum - © Rob Lavers
We’ve experimented with companion planting this year and it has worked well. For the first time, we have grown peppers which taste amazing! The kale seems to be the star of the show this year, we netted it properly to keep the cabbage white out and also tried some un-netted plants with companion plants around it, which did get attacked earlier on in the season, but they are picking up now and creating a good continuous crop.
My allotment is a great place to develop my love of gardening and alongside my job, it is also helping my RHS studies in Horticulture. Although I wish the weeds would slow down!! Bethany - © Rob Lavers
With everything going on in the world, it is nice to be able to escape and reconnect with nature for a couple of hours and to be proud of what we have grown.
Looking forward, I want to grow more heritage varieties, rather than the newer hybrids. Visiting the Heritage Seed Library in Ryton earlier this year with work was really interesting and is well worth a visit to see the behind the scenes on how heritage seeds are preserved and always in fruition. This trip really inspired me to research the heirloom seeds and it is something I would love to try next year.
Also, next year, I want to develop the allotment further, by improving the poly tunnel to make it more weather-proof after this stormy year. I also want to grow more flowers too, which will hopefully draw more pollinators to the plot and make it a growing wildlife habitat for many species.
Bethany - © Rob Lavers