Gardening, Growing and Green-ing Adventures

No hangovers here! Hope you are all doing well and thank you for being silly last night (or merely cheering my silly on!!)

I did mean Skegness! Am a bit sad about places I loved that were down to earth, nice happy places being "hipsterised" and are now very trendy and therefore expensive places to go. I suppose that is "progress" or something...!

 

Glad you feel fine! Yes I agree, it's very sad when that happens. Not so much of it happening up here, but there are developers building expensive luxury homes all over the green belt, and it's very sad to see countryside being replaced by big houses squashed together.
When do you have to decide which plot you prefer?

 

It's a long swim though

 

GOOD MORNING meluvverly's on this BEEutiful morning All chipper here too
Thanks for the sillies Tops did 'ave a giggle.... Luv luv,luv this plaque me friend sent me- it mentions "BE SILLY"

 

I have made the choice and said I would like Plot 1, and have let the council know, should hear back in the next few days to confirm and fill in paperwork and so on.

I love the thought of @"M" having a quick swim over to France for a bit - surely a ferry (or a train!) would be faster :o)

No problem doing that at all!

 

BeeHappy said: ↑
it mentions "BE SILLY"

DITTO

 

:spring:

Congratulations!! You must be so excited. Please can we see photos soon. I'm glad you have chosen plot 1, as it sounds well set up for you. Well done!

I love the thought of @"M" having a quick swim over to France for a bit - surely a ferry (or a train!) would be faster :o)

Well, we could wave to her as we pass

 

Awesome news tops! I know you've picked it and I'm too late.. but as good as plot 1 sounds I would have gone for 3! Once your all planted up you may find yourself wanting more space.. i did so went halfers on another plot. If you picked 3 you could put in varieties of fruit bushes which you know what they are BUT this also could go against you as it takes a good 2 years to get established and bear some decent fruit. Wish you all the best with it whack some onions in trays and garlic in pots while you wait and plant out on a "warmish" day, not too late

 

(costs a bob or two though good money better spent on gardening, methinks? )

Or, better yet (seeing as you're passing) ... throw me a rope and act as my tug boat!

 

Morning all! I keep forgetting to update this, so here we go!

Here's a pic from viewing the plot, behind me are some fruit bushes and canes, and in front was where the veg was!


in mid-December i got the "keys" to the plot! The previous plot-holder had said they needed some time to clear the plot. so despite agreeing to it in November, it didn't go through until December. I was then not very well over the festive period, so my first visit was only in the first week of Jan.

When I viewed the plot, there were some fruit bushes and canes and lots of wilted vegetables, which I was told would be removed before I took the plot over. The councillor thought that the previous plot holder wanted to take the fruit bushes with them hence leaving a few weeks for them to do this. On the first visit, everything was still as it was - so I have inherited some dead veg and lots of fruit bushes and canes! The last plot holder had also pulled down some of the annual veg grown earlier in the year and stuck them in a massive pile so one large bed had been used as a compost heap! However, I did very kindly get left two compost bins and tops to use - so have put these in use.

I asked for lots of IDs at that point - thank you all for helping with these! Sadly I think i've a couple more! Does anyone know - are both of these Rhubarb crowns?



First visit in January, I started tidying. Lots of the plot was overgrown, and needed attention. There's no shed or greenhouse but part of the plot at the end is a bit shady, leafy and untidy due to being behind next-door's greenhouse - this is where some of the fruit bushes are! I think I uncovered a rhubarb crown which was under a load of glass/windows and plastic rubbish - see above!

Also got digging on the front part and got rid of loads of stones, dead veg and weeds from the front two beds at the front and dug them over:

I wasn't sure what half the stuff in the third bed was so left it and asked lots of questions here!

Today I have been up the allotment and done a fair few things:
- pruned the Gooseberry bush. (it may stay or go, not a gooseberry fan, but want to see how it does.). It doesn't scrape my legs any more!
- Taken out what looks like dead sweetcorn, chard, kohlrabi and potentially artichoke.
- pruned the Currant Bush (may be blackcurrant but not sure as not seen any leaves or fruit!). It looks to have Big Bud Mite on some of the branches so I have taken a few buds and a few crossing branches off too.
- pruned the other Fruit Bushes (not sure what they are)- there are two of these so the previous plot holder must have liked them!

- tied in the Raspberry Canes
- Tidied up the Loganberry Canes
- Cleared up the "Pile Of C**p" which was about 3ft by 3ft and 2ft tall at top point:
Before

after:

And, I've carried over a cheapo fold-up chair and table, so I can now sit with a cuppa, relax for a bit, and have something to put my tools on!

Next plans:
- draw up a map of the plot, and work out what I want to grow where.
- pot up, or attempt to somehow constrain, strawberry runners which are literally everywhere!
- potentially trim the 2x Fruit Bushes a little more?
- plant out my Onions, Spring Onions and Garlic which I've started from seed/clove, in the next month
- think about getting a Wheelbarrow so that moving stuff around is not difficult!
- Plan some more veg and start seeds off!
- Check out if the brassica I have inherited needs to go or not (and try and work out what it is)...

Thank you for reading! If anyone here has any recommendations of other things I should do, or any other general advice, please do say! I am a total beginner and would very much appreciate any pointers or advice!

 

Bravo toppers!! your hard work is duly noted and now you've earned this:

Recommendations?

* Keep your eyes open for your fellow allotmenteers - they may be able to ID some of the stuff you're not certain of (they, most likely, would have seen them when they were fruiting)

* Unless you find a good deal on a wheelbarrow you may try asking one of your plot neighbours if you could borrow theirs for half an hour while you're both on site.

* Strawberry runners: if they are in the way, pot them up. The runners are the next generation and I believe that the parent plants should be replaced roughly every three years, so those runners, potentially, have 3 years left in them

* Regarding the no shed: one of the plot holders in the allotments opposite me hasn't a shed either. But, keep an eye on the sales for a storage bench - which is what he has, the plastic type - you get to store tools inside it plus somewhere to sit; they hold a surprising amount of tools. Do get a padlock though

Well done on your hard work; exciting times ahead!

 

Thank you very much @"M" this is all very encouraging stuff! I feel a bit knackered thinking about it all at the moment, but I have the flu and thus motivation to even go outside is low!!

I've only been at times only one or two other people have been around. The couple I met have said it can be quite dead at this time of the year but that it gets busier as the days go on!

They are pretty much everywhere all over the place - so much so that I can't see where the original plants have come from! It's clear the previous plot-person loved fruit!!! I shall try and pot them up next time I am there and see what happens.

Oooooh that's a good idea! Do you mean something like this?

Thanks so much for the encouragement! :D

 

Oh no! Poor you Stay in, keep warm, well hydrated and ... get well very soon!

Yes, something like that I was given one (years ago) which has a back to it and arms but certainly that storage box would work; a couple of pretty cushions on it in the summer and a glass of Pimms and the whole experience will be that little bit more rewarding after a day of tending and digging

 

Hi @toppington, I'm sorry to have missed the latest update on your allotment progress. I have developed ongoing health woes which mean my involvement in the forum is very random, I'm either here a lot or... not!

Wow! You have done so much already! You've made a great start, and the allotment is looking much more organised. It will be exciting for you to start planning how you are going to make it your own. You have inherited some interesting fruit and it will be fun to discover what some of it is. Thankfully you have the most important equipment now - a table and chair - so you are practically done!

Looking forward to your progress reports!

 

I'm late to this thread but loving it, and very impressed with the amount you've achieved so far.

How is the plot going?