Sweet Pea Lane

Visiting the allotment site is like entering into another world. The wildlife is prolific (much to some of the plot holders annoyance) and the birdsong sublime. The site is made up of large plots on one half of the site and smaller half plots on the side of the site that has recently been extended. Turning off the main road into the site, a narrow lane with thick high hedges runs straight ahead to another lane that turns at ninety degrees to the left and right. This is "Sweet Pea Lane" and is where my plot can be found.

During my first year at the allotments sweet pea was prevalent growing along fences bordering the lane. Thus the lane was named accordingly. “Sweet Pea Lane” runs parallel to the railway tracks, with the large plots on one side sloping steeply down to the embankment which is subtly screened off by mature trees and hedgerows.

Gorgeous Rosa Rugosa perfumes the lane.

Further along, the pink roses and sweet summer raspberries give way to Nasturtiums, Montbretia (Crocosmia) and Sweet Pea.   

The grassy lane meanders slightly uphill to the highest point of the site.

A gate in the picket fence leads through to my plot which slopes downwards towards the hawthorn hedge at the foot of the railway embankment.

Pink and purple old-fashioned scented sweet pea blooms above the brightly coloured nasturtiums.

At the opposite end of the Lane, before "Free Speech Corner" and the turning to "The Mall", both sides of the lane are bordered with glorious Evening Primrose flowers, Teasels, Fennel and Foxgloves.

Yellow blooms of the Evening Primrose glow incandescently as dusk approaches.

The tall spikes of Verbascums tower above the flowers of the Evening Primrose.

Teasels stand tall and striking in front of the South African Daisy.

At the allotments city life vanishes; there is no rush hour traffic or hoards of people. Instead, surrounded by nature, there is peace and tranquillity; the scents of flowers and herbs, of newly mown grass and perhaps the smell of wood smoke. The only sounds are those of the bees buzzing, birds singing and the breeze whispering through the leaves of the trees.