Pumpkins & Petals — Hannah's Allotment Journey

🌱

3 Years Growing

& still learning every day

About Me

Hello, I'm Hannah 👋

Three years ago, I stood on a blank, overgrown patch of earth on a Chesterfield allotment site with absolutely no idea what I was doing. My dad had just passed away, and I desperately needed somewhere to channel my energy — somewhere to breathe, to heal, and to feel connected to something bigger than the noise of everyday life.

That bare piece of land became my sanctuary. With nothing but a spade, a few seed packets, and a lot of determination (and YouTube tutorials!), I began building Pumpkins & Petals from the ground up — quite literally.

I came into this as a complete beginner. I didn't know the difference between an annual and a perennial. I planted things at the wrong time, over-watered, under-watered, and had more than my fair share of slug disasters. But every mistake taught me something, and every tiny harvest felt like a triumph.

Today, my allotment is a place of colour, calm, and quiet pride. Growing my own organic fruit, vegetables, and flowers from seed to plate is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. This space is my tribute to my dad, my therapy, and my classroom — and I'd love to share what I've learned along the way.

3

Years Growing

30+

Varieties Grown

100%

Organic

My Journey

From Bare Earth to Blooming

Three years of successes, spectacular fails, and everything in between. Here's how my little plot in Chesterfield has transformed.

YEAR ONE

The Great Beginning (& Great Disasters)

Cleared an overgrown jungle of weeds, nettles and couch grass. Built my first raised beds from reclaimed pallets. Planted way too many courgettes (the neighbours got very tired of me!). Lost an entire row of carrots to carrot fly. But that first homegrown tomato? Absolutely magical.

🌱

YEAR TWO

Finding My Rhythm

Added a cutting flower garden — dahlias, sweet peas, and cosmos became my favourites. Grew my first giant pumpkin (it was more of a medium pumpkin, but we don't talk about that). Started composting properly and the soil began to come alive. Learned the joy of seed saving and swapping with fellow allotmenteers.

🌻

YEAR THREE

Growing in Every Sense

This year I'm growing with real confidence. Experimenting with heritage varieties, companion planting, and successional sowing. I've started foraging and making herbal remedies from calendula, chamomile, and elderflower. The allotment isn't just a garden anymore — it's a way of life, and my dad would be so proud.

🎃

What I Grow

From Plot to Plate

Everything is grown organically — no pesticides, no chemicals, just good soil, compost, and a lot of patience. Here are some of my favourites.

⭐ Favourite

🎃 Pumpkins

My absolute pride and joy! From tiny seeds to massive orange beauties. I grow carving pumpkins, butternut squash, and little ornamental gourds. Nothing beats a homegrown pumpkin soup on an autumn evening.

⭐ Favourite

💐 Cut Flowers

Dahlias, sweet peas, cosmos, sunflowers, zinnias — my cutting garden is my happy place. Fresh flowers from plot to vase every week in summer. They also attract the pollinators my veg desperately needs!

🍅 Tomatoes

Once you've tasted a sun-warmed tomato straight off the vine, supermarket ones will never be the same. I grow cherry toms, Gardener's Delight, and big beefy Marmande. Blight is the enemy — but we fight on!

🍓 Strawberries

Sweet, juicy, and gone before they even make it home! My strawberry patch has expanded every year thanks to the runners they send out. Netting is essential unless you fancy sharing them all with the birds.

🌿 Herbs & Medicinals

Rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, chamomile, calendula, and lavender. These beauties pull double duty — flavouring my cooking and forming the base of my new herbal remedy experiments. Nature's medicine cabinet!

🥕 Seasonal Veg

Courgettes, beans, peas, beetroot, lettuce, carrots, potatoes — the list grows every year! I follow the seasons and am learning about successional sowing so there's always something ready to pick.

New Adventure

Herbal Remedies
& Foraging 🌿

My newest passion is exploring the incredible world of herbal medicine. I'm learning how the plants I already grow — and those I can forage from hedgerows and woodland — can be transformed into natural remedies, teas, salves, and tinctures.

From soothing chamomile tea to help with sleep, to calendula balm for dry skin, to elderflower cordial that tastes like summer in a glass — it's amazing what nature provides when you know where to look.

I'm very much a beginner here too, researching carefully and learning from experienced herbalists. It's another beautiful way to connect with the land and the seasons.

🍵 Herbal Teas 🧴 Natural Salves 🫙 Tinctures 🌸 Elderflower 🍂 Foraging

Community Wisdom

Tips & Advice

Hard-won lessons from my plot and the wonderful allotment community. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned grower, there's always something new to learn!

💡 Hannah's Beginner Tips

1

Start Small, Dream Big

Don't try to do everything at once. I started with one raised bed and a few easy wins — lettuce, radishes, and courgettes. Build up your confidence before tackling the tricky stuff.

2

Compost is Gold

Seriously — your soil is everything. Start a compost heap from day one. Kitchen scraps, garden waste, cardboard — it all breaks down into the most beautiful, rich growing medium. Your plants will thank you.

3

Embrace the Fails

Things will die. Slugs will feast. Blight will strike. It's not failure — it's learning. I keep a garden journal to track what worked and what didn't, and it's been invaluable.

4

Grow What You Eat

There's no point growing a mountain of celeriac if nobody in your house eats it. Focus on the things your family actually loves — you'll be far more motivated to look after them.

5

Make Friends on the Plot

Other allotment holders are a goldmine of knowledge. Don't be shy — ask questions, swap seeds, share surplus. The allotment community is one of the friendliest you'll ever find.

6

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch

A thick layer of mulch suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and feeds the soil as it breaks down. It's the single best time-saving trick I've learned. Cardboard underneath works wonders too!

🗣️ From the Allotment Community

Share Your Wisdom 🌻

Got a tip that's helped you on your plot? Share it with our growing community!

Your Name

The Honest Bits

Growing your own isn't all sunshine and Instagram-worthy harvests. Here's the real picture — the wins AND the spectacular fails.

🏆 Proud Moments

✓ My first ever homegrown tomato — I nearly cried. It tasted like nothing from a shop ever could.
✓ Growing a pumpkin big enough to carve for Halloween — bucket list moment!
✓ An entire summer of fresh cut flowers on the kitchen table every single week.
✓ Making my first batch of elderflower cordial from foraged flowers. Summer in a bottle!
✓ Feeding friends and family entirely from my plot for a Sunday roast. Best feeling ever.

😅 Spectacular Fails

✗ Year one courgette tsunami — grew 12 plants. We were drowning in courgettes. The neighbours stopped answering the door.
✗ Entire carrot crop wiped out by carrot fly because I didn't know about barrier netting. Not a single one survived.
✗ Planted my runner beans out too early. One late frost and they were gone overnight. Lesson: harden off properly!
✗ The Great Slug Invasion of Year One. Lost almost all my seedlings. Now I'm armed with copper tape, beer traps, and pure determination.
✗ Tried to grow sweetcorn. The wind flattened every single stalk. Derbyshire weather: 1, Hannah: 0.

🌻

Join the Growing Community

Follow along with my allotment adventures, seasonal updates, and beginner-friendly tips. Let's learn and grow together!