Primarily this blog is written by me – Lee.

I am 38 and have been keenly gardening for about 5 years now – since I moved out of London to a place where I could afford a place with a garden.

I live with my girlfriend and our 4 year old son in Eastbourne, near the sea and the South Downs.

I work full time as an exhibition designer but try to get down to the allotment as much as I realistically can over the weekends – and occaisionally in the evenings if the crops need watering.

We acquired our allotment in March 2011 and very quickly dug most of it over and got some seeds into the ground – we now have most of the plot in production – and I have had just about enough time to also build us a shed and lots of netted cage frames – to keep the butterflies and birds off of the brassicas.

We have decide to try to grow lots of the expensive salad leaves for the summer as well as the usual Beans (lots of types of beans), peas, courgettes, rhubarb, kale (a family favourite), sprouts, cabbages, kohl rabi, raspberries, gooseberries and red currants – as well as a few flower varieties (nicotiana, sunflowers and Hollyhocks).

We were lucky to get a plot with a cherry tree on it too – and have this year managed to full a bucket full – before they were all got at by the local bird population.

Here is a plan of the site – so that you can see what we have planted and how we have laid out the plot. I think we have learnt though – that a central path that goes all the way to the back would be much better next year.