Please excuse the pun! Long ones, square ones, round ones, triangular ones (as seen on Gardener’s World), raised ones, flat ones... The question of how to work with the soil, how to arrange things is actually quite a big deal when you make the decision to grow your own veg.

The traditional way with long rows separated by temporary paths is fast being replaced with the idea of raised beds. Certainly in our allotments most of us have installed raised beds of one version or another. We decided to fill half of our space with raised beds and the other half we are treating more in a traditional way. Here we have planted potatoes and raspberries. We’ll also put the brassicas here and the sweetcorn and squashes. Our theory is that we can happily trample the soil for things like sprouts, the squashes can ramble wherever they like and the potatoes can take up all the space they need. Last year we planted the sprouts in a raised bed but the beautifully double-dug soil just wasn’t what they wanted and they failed to form into nice tight buds and instead we got sprout ‘flowers’.

The raised beds get everything else: herbs and salad, peas and beans, roots etc and also the asparagus.From what I can tell there are certain benefits from keeping it traditional. For a start, it’s much cheaper – all that wood is quite expensive and although raised beds are more free-draining, they can dry out much quicker. The wooden boards also provide more hiding places for pests. However, having defined beds which are never stood on saves a whole lot of back ache – ours only needed forking over and then a quick rake before being ready to plant (unless of course you decide to add manure in the spring like we did and then have to dig trenches to put it in!).

Then there are raised beds without solid sides. See the photo of Maggie’s beds. She has years of experience on her own allotments as well as working for Sutton Seeds and managing the organic garden at Cockington Court, Torquay. She said that the paths just need hoeing to keep them free of weeds whereas our paths have required more drastic action. Last year we spent many hours keeping the weeds and grass down on the paths as my ’design’ meant we couldn’t get a lawn mower in.  Last week an enormous lorry load of wood chippings was delivered to our house and barrow load at a time we have wheeled it over to the allotment and onto the paths. I’m sure it will be worth it.

At the end of the day, what only really matters I guess is that the plants grow and you get to eat them. This week we picked the first of our ‘All Year Round’ lettuces, some ‘Scenic’ spinach, radishes and rocket. It is worth it! 

Our new woodchip paths to keep the weeds and grass down

Stuart and Lindsey's square beds

Maggie's raised beds

Chris and Jimmy's traditional rows of potatoes

A view across some of the allotments