Bob & Hel's allotment

Really nice to have this section so instead of adding to my gardening thread I can now post our progress of our new allotment on here...how cool is that? Thanx once again mods.

We were kind of lucky with how quick we were able to get our hands on an allotment as we made our minds up about getting an allotment on the Wednesday, went and saw one on the Saturday and was told we could start on the Monday but only got one as I told the guys down there we would take anything on!

So here's what our plot looked like before we started 5ft high nettles that seem to get bigger as we moved in to remove them. So on that very same Monday that we handed over our £9 for it (that included £2 subs each & £5 for the water) the annual fee of £8 was waived as they said it would have to be cleared and we wouldn't get a chance to do that for quite sometime we set to work to prove them wrong as little did they know I'm up for the challenge!




Here's another shot of our plot it's 75ft x 40ft and has been unloved for many years we have since been told at least 10 years has past since anyone dug it, you can just see our new 'neighbour' Ray's plot which is pretty tidy and almost 3 in 1 although there are 3 of them tending to it!



This shows you the progress we had made in a week (Monday to Monday), we have done everything by hand and I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see them myself just how big nettles roots grow!





As you can see from the pictures it's not the greatest plot on site the plot is sloping and has a couple of trees down one side that makes the soil very dry along that edge although right down at the bottom of our plot, it also gets waterlogged in winter or when it rains heavy like last year so we are going to burn our stuff down there and maybe later on have raised beds made from car tyres which is Bob's idea.

Sadly the work down at the allotment it a little too much for Bob so I now have to retire my loyal friend 'The Whip' :D But Bob does do a fine job at clearing the tops for me and keeps me company although I'm sure he's just making sure I don't run off with the lovely guys down at the allotment's!:eek:

I have to say it is a very sociable site and most of the guys have popped around to see what we have been doing, all can't believe how much we have cleared without the help of machinery. I would truely say to anyone thinking about 'doing' an allotment 'go for it' as you will be rewarded with not only plenty of fresh veg (in time) but plenty of new friends too.Hel.xxx.

 

Great work Hel, just don't overdo it and make yourself worn out. You put me to shame, it would take me months to get that amount of work done, roll on retirement, can't be long now

 

Helen I must say that you and Bob have worked wonders with your plot in getting it cleared so quickly considering that both of you have been unwell and having not very good weather of late.

I would suggest that if you can get hold of some old external doors or some of those compost bins from your local council then you can either make yourself a wooden com post bin or use the portable ones.Once you have the bins in place you will then be able to add all your grass clippings and also your kitchen waste.Once you have some compost ready you will be able to add it to your plot.

Any bonfire ash you can make from tree prunings woody type shrub prunings etc will all go towards making your ground lighter and easier to manage.

Sounds a reasonable price to pay as well.We pay £15 for the whole of our 30pole and that includes water,but ours are private allotments and not Council owned

 

Lol Terrier Bob took early retirement nearly 3 years ago at 50 although he does keep himself very busy in fact he doesn't know how he managed to do all that he did while he was working 12 hour shifts and working the weedends too, now it's just as bad as then time goes so quickly or so he tells me!:D

Kandy thanx sweetie believe it or not it's doing my back the world of good so much so that if I miss a day of digging I'm suffering the day after if I don't dig! Bob's doing well also although sometimes it does get a little too much for him I just need to find things for him to build at least that way he doesn't need to feel he has to keep up with me!:thumb:

Very good advice about the ash from the fires Kandy as we have done a little burning but it has been very windy up here and the rain has knocked us back a little bit too in fact we lost 3 days work because of it, although we did manage to do some today before the heavens opened up once more!:eek:

Bob's not been put off with the weather he's just come back from picking up some pallet wood from Free-cycle he's just got to remove the nails and has already made up his mind that he's going to knock up a nice compost bin with it.

Our plots are also private it's such a pity it's not run by the council as most of the new sites near the town get more on their plots like sheds, greenhouses etc. all paid for by the council but I suppose that's a price we have to pay living in the sticks!:rolleyes:
Hopefully it will be nice enough to take some more pictures of our progress tomorrow.Hel.xxx.

 

Hellen and Bob in in few weeks you will be catching me up

check wot we was doing today


ive just got in from a cracking evening down our plot . BBQ ann all . wot more can i ask for, i was siting there chating away then i sudenly realise i was totaly relaxed.

bbeeeoooooootifulllllllllllllllllll

 

from left to right

that's Me then caldeep then pete then ingrid (petes wife ) then my wify jo (joclyne)

ive done many a bbq in my time but this one felt real good . we even had some vegie from the allotments . i wonted some salad on my burger but my wife forgot to get some from tesco . so i wondered off and picked a few beetroot leaves. fresh or wot picked and eaten in less than 30 seconds

more than likley i will have another bbq up there in a few weeks or so . but i will be holding a bbq when the sweet corn is ready to pick. dribble bribble freash sweet corn on a barby. nearly as good as mushrooms on a bbq , now that is sommate you gotta try . wack a big mushroom on a bbq keep turning till it all look's dryed up then eat
the flavour is propper mushroom full on and the middle is so dam juicy

:thumb:

 

Hi Master now that's what is it all about having a good natty and something to eat is a bonus!

Working is ok don't get me wrong but the pure unselfish friendliness of people down on the plots is so wonderful, strangely enough a couple of days after taking on our plot one of the guys mentioned about setting up a Barbecue and us all joining in!

Now I do hope your lovely wife Jo didn't have to do all that cooking I mean isn't outside cooking a guys job?:confused:

I have to admit I do love a good barbie although the boys don't seem to have the time now but once our deckings done I'll be getting the neighbours round that's for sure although not the nappy thrower!:eek:

Colin I do a mean skewer meat kebab with onions, mushrooms and peppers on it all marinated with the meat in a little oil and some lovely sauce called 'Reggae, Reggae sauce' by Levi Roots do you know it? My goodness if you haven't tried that I can really recommend it to you...rest assured it's lip smacking good and goes down well with a few beers etc.:D Hel.xxx.

 

sorry to invade your thread Hellen

us guys can cook :p
i make my own tom sause

tin of toms (cant wait to grow my own) reduce them over a slow heat
fine dice an onion and add. put in plenty of pepper and i mean pleanty . reduce down more, then add leon perrings . and more pepper . keep on reducing till you get a thick sauce .

i dont use salt as i cant stand any salt . leons gives it a salty taste .; you can add a fine chopped chiily to give it a bit more kick (seeds if needing a bigger kick)

ps: Hellen, my wifes mum tought her to cook . but ive tought the wife to cook propperly
some of the best food in the world comes from martious and that were my wife comes from :thumb:

 

Colin if you want to hijack my thread you go ahead sweetie I'll not mind in the least!:thumb:

I wonder if your lovely wife Jo will agree with you saying that 'you have taught her to cook properly! In our house that's fighting talk!:D

That recipe sounds nice I just might have a go at that as I love to cook most things from scratch, I think that it is a great shame that most people today are too busy to cook home made food but then again most of them have not got the know how where cooking if concern and I think that's where the real problem lies.Hel.xxx.

 

Wow, those first few pics are v inspirational Hel, my plot is a lot smaller than that so I'm sure if I get cracking it'll be in top shape in no time!

 

An admirable effort in clearing that site Hel! Very well done!

What are your planting plans for the plot? Can you plant up at any time of year or are you getting late into the season by now?

I know nowt about veg growing so I am looking forward to seeing what you decide to do and how it comes on.

Well done!

Kath

 

Thanx Kerry & Cookie.

Kerry we have now cleared yet another bed it's hard work without a doubt but it does you heart good imagining how it might look next year the guys down at the allotment couldn't believe how well we have done and are always stopping us to have a chat .....maybe it's to see what drugs we are on?:D

We did have a little scare the other day as we went down early in the morning and just up from our plot a guy keeps bee hives and his bees were swarming aroung the brambles in the vacant plot next door to ours.... there were thousands of them!:eek:

Cookie anyone can have a go at growing veg it's not rocket science even if you don't have ground space for soil for veg to go in you can still grow them in buckets just like we have earlier as we planted some swede seedlings into some buckets and now they are lovely and so very strong! If you plant it...it will grow! There's some kind of film pun in there!:D

There is still a few things we can plant out now at the allotments at the moment repeat sowings of lettuce, carrots etc. are ok and we have some leek seedlings that we grew at home so these can go in too also our lovely neighbour Ray has given us a few cabbage seedlings to plant up.

Come September there will be Japanese onion sets that can go in which we are going to try as I have already tasted quite a few of these from yet another sweet gentleman called Joe down on the plots and I can honestly say the onions are amazing and quite mild too and so much better than anything you buy from the supermarkets!

So Kerry if you want to try growing your own onions go for the Japanese ones because as Bernard Matthews used to say They're Bootiful! :thumb:Hel.xxx.

 

Helen nice to hear that you are getting on well with the plot.You are quiet right about things you will be able to grow later on in the year.

If you are going to grow things like Raspberries and Gooseberries not to mention fruit trees then Autumn will be the ideal time to get those planted before the cold weather cools the ground.

A good book we started with was the Dr D G Hessayon Vegetable expert book which I still often refere to even now.Not sure if you have heard of them but he has done a whole series of them.The fruit Expert book is very good as well, and also the pest and idease one.You can even buy mini pocket guides of some of his books as well which are easier to carry around.:thumb:

Kath you should have a go at growing some veg and maybe some fruit if you can find room.I find it very theraputic and it is good to get out in the fresh air at times to relieve the days stress.

 

more pickys HELLEN

common i wonna see if you are betting me

strainge thing is i put my sweed intoday aswell :eek:
my wife loves me. or so she says

 

DEARY ME HELEN AND BOB THATS A JOB YOU HAVE TAKEN ON
BUT IF ANYONE CAN DO IT YOU WILL,GOOD LUCK ,AND HAPPY DIGGING :thumb: :thumb: