Plot 5: a new urban Community garden

As of 1 Oct, our community food project has moved to a new plot on the same allotments site.

This is Plot 5 (previously we had a forest garden set-up on the west border, Plot 33A: https://permies.com/t/40/262302/Plot-community-forest-garden).

We have much the same aims:
Give our urban neighbours a chance to visit our beautiful site, the last part of the farmers field where our suburb was built;
Empower people to experience food growing for themselves;
Supply the local Black-Led Mutual Aid community (c. 100 people) with local fruit and vegetables: they can never get enough.

Here is our first photo, from when we were surveying the site on Thu 18 Sep 2025. This is an oversized, somewhat unfortunately sited, cherry tree of unknown quality (could be a bird cherry).  We need to prune it sympathetically in May, I am told, and then wait for fruit in c. Jul.

This new plot, Plot 5, is nearly twice the size of the old one, Plot 33A.  

It is much sunnier, only being seriously shaded from the polewards North side.

It is much less prone to drought, being on the bank of the Grand Union Canal. Water drains this way, and pools outside the clay lining of the canal to the North.

The plot is laid out in four quarters: two sunside with the cherry tree in one; two canal side with the shade tunnel in one.

Trees: a tall row of mixed deciduous and conifer on the poleward/North/canal side (including a dead elm);
Two Coes Golden Drop small own-root plum (N side);
One Red Williams Pear dwarf grafted (N side);
One damson, East boundary, suckering into the veg bed;
One cherry, unknown, own root, overgrown on sun side.

Other plants: two gooseberry bushes, and two potential elm saplings.

The existing equipment includes:
An old tumbledown shed that needs emptying & dismantling;
A fairly stable new little shed with a few tools;
A reasonably sound shade tunnel with four beds & lined paths;
A decent waterbutt with inlet & outlet pipes;
Three tall growing frames e.g. for climbing beans, or squash.

Lots of potential! But lots to clear away under the canal side trees too.

I've started laying out beds in the clearer sun side quadrant.

One other benefit of this move: the allotments site intend to keep managing the old plot, 33A, for the community.  It's so difficult to garden, due to both the sun and rain shadow from sycamore in the neighbouring house gardens, that it's likely to be the last plot chosen for new tenants.

Instead, the open beds will be used for propagating fruit e.g. grape, tayberry, damson etc.

So we don't completely lose it.

Here is a view of Plot 5 from the SE (sunny) corner, looking NW.  You can see the open area for vegetable growing, including a squash frame.

First thoughts...
Nice that you've got some structures - that will give you a head start. Maybe the old shed would make sides for a compost area? Shade tunnel for leafy greens perhaps? Are you sure that is shade fabric though? It looks more like bird netting in the photo - might be more useful for protecting fruit bushes perhaps. I've been pleased how many more blueberries I achieved when the birds weren't taking more than their share!
Lots of material for mulch standing dead. Teasels could be a nuisance weed, but the birds love them.
The A frame looks great, but I wonder whether it could so with some end braces to stop it lozenging. Are the legs dug in securely?

I hard pollarded one of my bird cherries last year and it has come back strongly. The reason to prune in summer is that the trees can shrug off some diseases like sliverleaf more easily whilst in growth, but sometimes a one off winter prune is appropriate.

From the school of "you can make chutney with almost any fruit or veg", rather yummy grape, apple & star anise chutney made from the thinings, under-ripe & blemished fruit left over from the Community Mutual Aid.

Nancy Reading wrote:Nice that you've got some structures - that will give you a head start.

Indeed, definitely a "selling point" for me & the umbrella group too.

Nancy Reading wrote:Maybe the old shed would make sides for a compost area?

Oh, good thought!

Nancy Reading wrote: Shade tunnel for leafy greens perhaps? Are you sure that is shade fabric though? It looks more like bird netting in the photo - might be more useful for protecting fruit bushes perhaps. I've been pleased how many more blueberries I achieved when the birds weren't taking more than their share!

More good points. But we have so many pigeons, the brassicas need protection from them too.  It's a fine enough net to keep off cabbage white butterflies, not sure about white fly though.  In fact, it keeps off some of the windo too, definitely feels slightly more sheltered & a touch warmer in there now we're in Autumn. So, given the net also has a fair optical cover factor, I think it has some useful shading properties. So brassicas will be one of the crops we try this coming year, anyhow.

Nancy Reading wrote:Lots of material for mulch standing dead. Teasels could be a nuisance weed, but the birds love them.

Yes, yes, and yes, I love teasels as eye-catching plants too.

Nancy Reading wrote:The A frame looks great, but I wonder whether it could so with some end braces to stop it lozenging. Are the legs dug in securely?

It seems fairly secure, as it carries some fairly big squashed two summers ago. But definitely worth further investigation.

Nancy Reading wrote:I hard pollarded one of my bird cherries last year and it has come back strongly. The reason to prune in summer is that the trees can shrug off some diseases like sliverleaf more easily whilst in growth, but sometimes a one off winter prune is appropriate.

Ah, interesting   I will explore further with the site secretary, who is our expect in top fruit. They might panic if I "lollypopped" it before May .. good to keep the site secretary happy!

Many thanks!