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This video shows a step-by-step approach to improving a garden plot and turning it into a more organised and productive growing space.
I go through clearing areas, improving soil, planning layouts, and making practical upgrades that help plants grow better and make maintenance easier. Small changes carried out in the right order can make a big difference to both plant health and harvests.
Suitable for new plots, overgrown spaces, and anyone wanting ideas to renovate and improve their growing area. Perfect for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.
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0:00
Let's have a tour of my a lotment this
0:02
August time. Welcome to Gardening with
0:05
Ben. We're going to give you a tour of
0:06
our a lotment, show you what's growing,
0:08
what's not growing, and also show you
0:10
the a lotment transformation that we
0:12
have done over the 5 days of me being
0:15
off work and how much we've actually got
0:17
done and what jobs are still left to be
0:19
done. So, let's stop talking and let's
0:22
have a tour of our a lotment. So, we are
0:24
at the front of our plot. This is still
0:26
on my jobs to-do list. I don't think
0:28
I'll do it next weekend. It'll probably
0:30
be the weekend after. But we're going to
0:31
get all this cleared, ready for the
0:34
spring bulb planting and getting it all
0:36
ready for looking good in springtime cuz
0:38
the bindweed has taken over and all the
0:41
hedging needs chopping back and that
0:43
needs trimming as well. It's getting too
0:45
tall. It's only meant to be a small
0:47
little um uh conifer. It smells
0:50
gorgeous. But yeah, it only a small one.
0:53
I bought it for a pound and look at it
0:55
now. You'd pay a fortune for that.
0:58
But yeah, we're going to get all that
0:59
cleared and all tidied up. Looking good.
1:02
Ready to get all our spring bulbs in.
1:03
That's if there's room cuz stuff's taken
1:05
over now. There might not be much room
1:07
for spring bulbs this year in there.
1:10
Let's go on to the plot.
1:12
We've pruned back all the plum tree.
1:14
Giving it a good chopping back. Taking
1:17
some height off it as we're not meant to
1:18
let them grow too tall on a lotments.
1:20
But yeah, all that's being pruned back.
1:22
I need to tidy all the rubbish away. But
1:24
we've got some plums off the tree. what
1:27
were left on it. So yeah, a nice little
1:29
harvest from that.
1:33
The cooking apple tree. Wow, this has
1:36
done absolutely amazing this year. And
1:38
there's still loads on there to pick. We
1:41
need to keep getting these rotten ones
1:43
off because we don't want them spreading
1:45
to other pl other apples. But yeah,
1:48
there's still loads and loads of cooking
1:50
apples and keep taking them rotten ones
1:53
off. But look at all these apples. all
1:56
hidden away under there. Absolutely
1:59
loads this year. The crumbles that my
2:01
mom's been making have been phenomenal.
2:04
We started off with rhubarb crumbles and
2:06
now we're living on apple crumbles. So
2:08
yeah, a good year for fruit this year
2:11
down at the a lotment.
2:13
Next up is my next transformation area
2:16
where we've cleared out all this bed and
2:18
we've put in some autuminal bedding
2:20
plants. We've also got some gnomes to
2:22
the a lotment which we're selling off in
2:24
B&M's and some little toad stools as
2:28
well which look fantastic. But yeah,
2:30
we've got some violas. We've got some
2:34
um I forgot what they're called. Come
2:36
back to me.
2:39
We've got some cichlmen. That's if
2:41
that's how you say it. I always say
2:43
cyclon cichlmen. But we've got obviously
2:46
there's lavender plants in as well what
2:47
we planted this year. Hopefully they get
2:49
bigger next year. But yeah, it looks
2:52
absolutely fantastic with all the
2:53
different colored cichlid in it.
2:55
Absolutely gorgeous. We're keeping them
2:57
watered, keeping them alive. And we also
3:01
planted some Rudbeckia as well.
3:04
These are annual ones. They're not
3:07
predal ones. Uh unfortunately, if they
3:10
grow well, we may get some pred ones
3:12
next year. But yeah, can't wait to see
3:14
them. They attract the butterflies as
3:16
well, which is a great thing. I love the
3:18
butterflies down on my W. Yes, they can
3:20
cause damage with the caterpillars, but
3:22
I do love to see them. Now into the
3:25
polyonal, the tomatoes, which keep on
3:27
giving and don't stop giving
3:30
the sweet millions. We we picked
3:32
absolutely loads yesterday and there's
3:34
more ready today, but we'll be leaving
3:36
them on for a few days before we harvest
3:39
them ones. And we've got some also some
3:42
beef steak ones which need picking as
3:44
well. Absolutely fantastic. The
3:46
irrigation kit what I purchased has done
3:48
absolutely amazing this year. So good at
3:51
keeping things wet and damp and keeping
3:54
things alive for me. Look at us orene.
3:57
Absolutely amazing.
4:00
Can't believe how good that's grown.
4:02
That's that's probably ready for
4:03
harvesting to be honest. And we've got
4:05
another one here. The more you pick them
4:08
obviously the more they'll grow.
4:12
On to us melons. I don't think they are
4:14
watermelons. They don't look like
4:15
watermelons now. So, I don't know what
4:17
variety these are. If anybody knows the
4:19
variety, do let me know in the comments.
4:22
But yeah, we've got two of these at that
4:24
size and that size. I've got another one
4:27
growing up there which is doing good.
4:29
So, yeah, hopefully we'll get a few on
4:31
them. I'll be happy with a few. Then on
4:35
to my
4:37
um bianial flowers which were planted as
4:39
fox gloves coming on. Well, these need a
4:42
good watering actually. There's wall
4:44
flowers,
4:46
sweet williams,
4:47
there's loopins.
4:50
They're doing all right.
4:53
Then there are
4:55
primulas.
4:57
There's holly hawks. Chinese cabbage has
5:00
got eaten by something. Something's
5:02
enjoying it. Uh, forget me knots. And
5:06
more forget me knots. And then there's
5:07
Christmas potatoes are popping through.
5:10
Look at them. We've got Aaron. We've got
5:12
Penton Javelin and we've got Maris
5:15
Piper. So yeah, again I put in my
5:18
irrigation in these so that it keeps
5:20
them wet, keeps them moist and keeps
5:23
them alive and growing well. So yeah,
5:26
they're doing pretty good. Speeding
5:28
along. These should be ready in December
5:31
time. Ready for harvesting.
5:34
Now onto the plot. It looks a bit
5:36
different when you walk out here. Now
5:38
we've took out the fencing while we're
5:39
there. We've tidied up the beds, made
5:43
them proper beds. We put a little paving
5:45
slab so that we can walk across and get
5:48
onto the plot pretty easy. We've put a
5:49
bed there as well. We're going to fill
5:51
them with compost and put some bedding
5:54
plants in, probably some winter plants
5:55
in and some tulips and daffodils in as
5:59
well for springtime to make it look
6:02
nice.
6:04
We've also put up an archway which looks
6:07
amazing. We put two butterfly houses as
6:10
well to attract the butterflies to give
6:12
them little houses to live in. But yeah,
6:16
absolutely amazing.
6:18
There's pumpkins.
6:20
These are probably ready for harvesting.
6:21
Actually, I think that one is ready for
6:23
harvesting. It's certainly dying off at
6:26
the plant. But yeah,
6:30
it should be ready for harvesting that.
6:33
So, we'll have to snip that off and take
6:35
it home. Obviously this year
6:37
everything's ready early. Autumn's come
6:40
early for the plants. A bit like
6:42
pumpkins, sweet corn. Trees are dropping
6:45
the leaves already. But yeah, I don't
6:48
mind. It's a decent sized one for me.
6:50
It'll do me. I don't need a massive
6:52
pumpkin.
6:55
The sunflowers have done absolutely
6:57
amazing. These are starting to die off
6:59
now. But yeah, absolutely fantastic the
7:02
sunflowers this year. Lots of different
7:04
colors.
7:06
Absolutely gorgeous. Been a fantastic
7:08
year for sunflowers.
7:11
I've got some broccoli ready for harvest
7:13
in there. I'll take that home to eat. I
7:15
think snip them off. As you can see,
7:18
they've been devoured by butterflies or
7:20
something. But as heads are all right,
7:23
we'll take his heads on to eat them
7:25
before they go to flower.
7:30
We've got some
7:33
more squash here. Look at that one. That
7:35
one's ready for harvesting. But yeah,
7:37
everything's so dry. It's not doing very
7:39
well this year. Not doing very well.
7:42
This sweet corn's not as good as my
7:44
other sweet corn, but we've got some
7:46
cobs on it. Uh we've got a few cobs
7:48
growing on them. Uh these ones don't
7:51
seem to have done pretty good, these
7:52
ones. I don't know why, but
7:56
probably not enough water.
7:59
And then these sunflowers. Absolutely
8:01
gorgeous. Look at them. The bees are
8:04
loving them. Absolutely amazing them
8:07
ones.
8:10
But yeah, we cleared all those beds. All
8:12
those beds are cleared. We've been hard
8:15
at it these last five days. Harvested
8:18
them to take home. Look at them.
8:20
Absolutely amazing. So, we'll be taking
8:22
them home for tea.
8:26
Got another pumpkin there coming along.
8:29
A little green one. That one's nearly
8:32
ripe.
8:35
And then we've got some sweet corn that
8:37
we need to harvest as well. This one's
8:39
done all right. This one. I'll put the
8:41
bottles over them to stop the rats from
8:43
eating them, which works wonders. Uh, it
8:45
seems to work. So, we'll be harvesting
8:47
some sweet corn to take home for tea
8:50
tonight, which we can't beat.
8:54
This is our golden delicious apple.
8:56
They're not growing very big at the
8:57
moment. Hopefully, they'll get bigger.
9:00
They shouldn't be ready till September
9:01
be ready till September time anyway. So
9:02
time anyway. So hopefully they'll get
9:04
hopefully they'll get bigger before
9:04
bigger before then. These ones are
9:05
then. These ones are getting to a decent
9:06
getting to a decent size. I don't know
9:07
size. I don't know what variety they
9:08
what variety they are, but they're
9:09
are, but they're getting to a decent
9:10
getting to a decent size. So hopefully
9:11
size. So hopefully we'll get some eating
9:13
we'll get some eating apples. That one's
9:14
apples. That one's a good one over
9:15
a good one over there. I can see a good
9:16
there. I can see a good one.
9:17
one.
9:19
But yeah,
9:21
come winter time, we'll be pruning all
9:23
these trees back a bit cuz they're
9:24
getting too big now. And clearing it all
9:26
out ready for next year.
9:30
Let's see if we've got any grapes ready.
9:32
That's the main thing. These are black
9:35
grapes. These ones. Oh, look at them.
9:40
I'm going to take them home.
9:42
Take them home and eat them. They look
9:44
delicious then. Wow. Oh, we got some
9:47
more. Look.
9:50
Amazing.
9:51
We'll be taking them home to eat. These
9:53
have got seeds in these ones, but
9:55
they're doing absolutely amazing. First
9:58
year I've had grapes on. I'm impressed.
10:01
Absolutely impressed with these. So,
10:03
yeah, we'll snip them off and take them
10:07
home to eat before the wasps get them.
10:15
So, I hope you've enjoyed our August
10:17
tour of our a lotment. Make sure you
10:18
drop us a follow to stay up to date with
10:20
all our videos down here at the a
10:21
lotment. Until next time everyone,
10:23
remember keep smiling, keep shining, and
10:26
keep gardening with Ben everyone.
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