View Full Version : I have an allotment!!!
True :-D
I applied a couple of weeks ago . . . they said on the council website that there was a 4 month waiting list at the allotment site I was interested in, but a letter came through today - together with a gate key and a small map telling us to go and have a look and let them know if we're interested!!!
I think this is going to be SUCH fun :D
dinahsmum
27-11-2008, 01:06 PM
Oh wow!
Kazz, you and me - we'll have to start an allotment sub forum!
What are you planning? Have to see it first I guess. Hope it's not too overgrown.
If you possibly can, get some posts and wires up and plant some summer raspberries now. They'll repay you in spades in the summer and summers to come.
You can put other soft fruit bushes too.
You can get your garlic in now, and jerusalem artichikes for next year (take care - they invade like mad) (I'll send you half a dozen tubers if you want) and order your asparagus to go in in the spring.
Don't go crazy - slow and steady is the best way.
Have you still got the carpet from the room refurb? They make great weed suppressants for parts of the allotment whilst you're working on another.
alexgirl73
27-11-2008, 01:30 PM
how fab Yola, I'm very envious of you lot with your allotments lol. My little veggie patch should hopefully be ready for spring planting.
That's wonderful Yola, you can't beat home-grown veg...:D
Maybe you could let Dominik have his own little patch there where he could plant his own seeds and look after them..;)
Mags, yes . . . the idea is that the boys will be fully involved and certainly Domi will have his own 'patch'! Good thing is that it's on the way home from his school so when the days get longer we can stop off on the way back. Beats sitting infront of the TV or fighting with his brother :roll:
Hilary . . . WOAH girl LOL!! I can't even keep a tomato plant alive in a pot in the back garden so don't scare the knickers off me with all that techno talk - those are things I've only ever seen on supermarket shelves up to now ;)
Seriously, I want to go and have a look at it, I've no idea what size the plot is or what is there. Once we've had a shufty - hopefully on Saturday - I'll take some pics and we'll go from there. I won't have masses of time to spend there so what gets planted will need to be quite self-sufficient :D I then need to get my Mum's old trusted Reader's Digest brick of a garden book out and do some research and planning.
But an allotment thread certainly might be an idea for complete gardening numpties like me to glean a few good ideas :-D
angieh
27-11-2008, 02:14 PM
Great good luck Yola.
Have to say that my garden has become too big for me to cope with as far as digging and general maintenance goes. This very morning I have "interviewed" a gardener - he starts next week!
How exciting Angie!!! Any special plans or is the gardener just going to keep things 'ticking over' for you?
Elaine
27-11-2008, 02:51 PM
Will you have a bee hive in your allotment Yola?
Hmmm. OH might be interested . . . worth a thought :)
angieh
27-11-2008, 03:01 PM
Just keeping things a bit tidier atm Yola - I have enough weeds to keep him busy for a while!
dandysmom
27-11-2008, 05:56 PM
How exciting, Yola! Don't despair at lack of growing experience, it's not all that difficult, and there is nothing like fresh produce from your own plot! We're here to help anytime!
DM - I'm working on the basis that if I don't try it I'll never learn! So yes, once things get under way I'll be asking for lots of pointers and tips from all you seasoned vegetable cultivators :-D
dandysmom
27-11-2008, 08:56 PM
Yola, I've never had an allotment, all my experience is growing in a small City backyard bed; but I've grown all sorts of things besides the usual tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs. Have grown asparagus (yummy!), dill, shallots, garlic, Chinese chives and other things; mostly successfully. This is going to be so much fun (and some hard work) for you and the boys! Look forward to more posts and pics of your space!
Are you cursed with garden destroying squirrels and rabbits?
Great good luck Yola.
Have to say that my garden has become too big for me to cope with as far as digging and general maintenance goes. This very morning I have "interviewed" a gardener - he starts next week!
See if Hilary, Yola andI lived nearer we would be ideal gardeners we'd even pay you for the privillege:-D
DM - I'm working on the basis that if I don't try it I'll never learn! So yes, once things get under way I'll be asking for lots of pointers and tips from all you seasoned vegetable cultivators :-D
I am not seasoned I only got mine this year and done nothing with it due to the trouble with my arm....but have surpressed it with old carpet :roll: as per gardening guru Hilary's instruction I want to put a shed on it for keeping a cool bag in in summer and a flask :-D
But I look forward to it too, we wil be away in the Summer Yola we need laptops with webcams to getdirect instruction from Hilary.;)
Good luck with the allotment Yola.
My dad had an allotment for years. We spent many a happy hour there and he grew some wonderful produce. I remember one year we had so many marrows we didn't know what to do with them all!
dandysmom
27-11-2008, 10:43 PM
Oh Lord, I forgot to mention zucchini! Unless you are awfully fond of them or have friends that will take the surplus.....don't put in too many; they produce like crazy!!
calismum
27-11-2008, 10:53 PM
What fun that will be Yola - I love my garden and it is great fun trying to decide what to plant and then hope it turns out to resemble the picture on the seed packet.
I hope it turns out to be a decent sized plot and you decide to take it.
As previously said, we'll all be happy to suggest, help and enjoy with you.
angieh
27-11-2008, 11:20 PM
See if Hilary, Yola andI lived nearer we would be ideal gardeners we'd even pay you for the privillege:-D
That's so kind of you - at least I could provide tea and biccies or cake (OH does like to bake!). :lol:
Thanks everyone :D I will take my camera with me on Saturday when we go to have a look.
One question - what size plot would be considered 'too small to bother with'? Or do you just adapt your crop choice/diversity to work with what you have?
I have been sent an ordnance survey copy and the map is 1:1100 . . . the plot is about a CM square on the map, (scrabbles for calculator) so by my apalling maths that makes it about 11M x 11M? Does that sound right? Surely it can't be 1.1M x 1.1M (see how number-blind I am :oops: )
calismum
27-11-2008, 11:26 PM
Thanks everyone :D I will take my camera with me on Saturday when we go to have a look.
One question - what size plot would be considered 'too small to bother with'? Or do you just adapt your crop choice/diversity to work with what you have?
I have been sent an ordnance survey copy and the map is 1:1100 . . . the plot is about a CM square on the map, (scrabbles for calculator) so by my apalling maths that makes it about 11M x 11M? Does that sound right? Surely it can't be 1.1M x 1.1M (see how number-blind I am :oops: )
11squ m would be really good size. I think my friend in London's is about 8m x 6m and that is quite big.
If it is 11m squ you'd have loads of space to divide up and to have shed etc.
random
27-11-2008, 11:40 PM
Oh how exciting Yola, there are allotments right near my house and I have been on the waiting list for one since April so i'm a tad jealous but best of luck with it and hope you enjoy it. Ours are supposed to be 1/16 of an acre so the council website says but I have no idea what that is in meters!
Look forward to seeing how you get on!
Right, well we went this morning and it's a great place! It's really peaceful up there and there is a whole newly allocated area so it's not taking over someone elses plot. There were lots of people there putting up fencing and sheds and stuff . . . I'm SO excited!!! Even poor old OH who was suffering and dragged himself out of bed especially to come and look raised a smile :)
The size is probably more like 8M x 8M but it's aready been dug over - I think the space will do us really well :-D
The River Thames is just behind that hedge (and across a field) so in summer this is going to be such a fabulous place.
Here's a pic of the area . . . mind you this is a double-length plot which is yet to be subdivided. We're going to ask if we can have all of it and then my brother can join in too!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/yolamealing/ImportedPhotos00012.jpg
The most exciting thing we saw was, and bear in mind our conversations on the 'Bee' thread . . . some bee hives!!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/yolamealing/ImportedPhotos00014.jpg
angieh
29-11-2008, 03:55 PM
How wonderful Yola - so glad you haven't got to tackle an overgrown plot which can be so disheartening.
Woah that sounds lovely Yola, and looks great. Having it dug over is a major bonus......and the bee's are a great "extra" you can get to do all the basics learn loads and with none of the responsibility...as such.
Wonder if anyone keeps chickens....
alexgirl73
29-11-2008, 04:19 PM
That looks fab Yola. Just think of all the scrummy things you can grow there :D
dinahsmum
29-11-2008, 04:25 PM
That's just great!
Now, get some muck delivered and spread in a 4-6" layer, throw over some old carpeting, thick cardboard weighted with stones or weed suppressant fabric, enjoy Christmas, read your books and get ready to start in the new year
.. and ask Santa for gardening gloves
Oh wow, Yola, that's fantastic! It looks the perfect spot for you ....and what a coincidence about the beehives..:D
When my SIL first had his allotment he had to hire a rotavator as his plot was so hard, uneven and overgrown.
dandysmom
29-11-2008, 05:29 PM
Wonderful! DM's advice is perfect; think of all the fun you'll have and the pleasure of fresh homegrown produce with no pesticides, insecticides, etc. And the bees for pollenation are a real bonus! And a great learning experience for the boys too, seeing where food comes from!
I'll ask up at the riding stables tomorrow about 'muck'. DM can it be 'neat muck' straight from the horse as it were??
Natalie
29-11-2008, 07:37 PM
Wow Yola...thats a wonderful project you have there. Looking forward to hearing all about it and seeing lots of pictures.
I shall save you a tube of Deep Heat :-)
Yola I would ask first if there is a supply already there...ours (my allotment) the muck comes from the riding schools localy and people on the allotment are allowed to used what they like when they like.
calismum
30-11-2008, 06:07 PM
Fresh dung is fine but if you are getting mucked out straw with urine and dung it can bee too strong. If the allotment don't have a supply ask at the RS if you can bag some rotted stuff from an old muck heap.
Looks lovely and quite flat too.
Just think of the lovely salads and veg next year.
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