new allotment!

I used to enjoy my allotment, you couldn`t beat it in the summer talking with your fellow gardeners and drinking home made wine. David.

 

Well, I'm today the proud owner of my very own allotment.........and it's HUGE!! I'll never fill it.Went to the loca1 allotment shop, and my word what a friendly lot!! Like GC members, but live!! So free and enthusiastic with their help' My husband who never understood my joy of gardnening has today gone out and bought some wellies, and my six year old son has asked if he can grow pes in pods for his mum ( I adore them!) and carrots for his tea. The before shots. Heaven knows when I will post the after But I have a shed. Doorless. But that can be fixed. Water. And a plot 12 ft by over 150 ft!! How scarey is that for a novice

 

Sounds a fantastic space, I keep wondering about getting an allotment but with an 18 month old not sure when I'd get time except at the weekends for a few hours.

 

I know. I haven't much time. We both work full time. But speaking to my friend, who has the allotment but one, you don't have to be there constantly. Some allotments even have sandpits and trampolines! Its quite a social thing! I've also had a little look at a couple of allotment websites,who have full forums of 'allotments with kids' and it appears they both go together suprisingly well! As I see it, it's mum, dad and son having some quality time together!! Who wants to stay in on a saturday to do housework, or be dragged round a shop!!

 

Johny,
The council have an allotment in cottingham, i think not much a year, i think there is one in south cave that i want to join, but cant so far seem to find out who runs it, im gonna have to wander down there i think.
I guess with a young one it can be difficult, but it wont be too long before he/she is big enough to help you sow seeds etc (of a fashion)

 

hi sheppy
that plot sounds great, mines only half a plot with no shed or green house very bare indeed.

Johny

you could always try half a plot like mine or share aplot with someone.

I'm a full time carer for my mum who has alzhemiers and cant be left alone, so I only get to go once a week for a couple of hours. One of the reasons I got the plot was to try and involve mum when the weather is warmer. Can just see her sitting in a chair directing me what to plant where and that I have missed this weed etc. tee heee

 

Another one of us with a parent with Alzheimer's :rolleyes:

Mine wouldn't be stopped from coming out to weed when I was there, and as she had a weak heart, it meant I couldn't get on with much, as I had to keep stopping to get her from doing too much......

I'm sure your Mum will love watching you, PercyT - it's always nice to watch other people working! :D

 

Thanks denny,

when we're in the garden weeding, she pulls up all my bulbs. you got to laugh.

Well I am sure your mum is enjoying all the veg you grow even if she cant dig.

 

I started off with half a plot 224 square yards and on my second year I ran out of space so took the next half plot on too.

There are several plots on the site that are multi-tenanted, the one next to me has three people sharing
Once you have sorted out the plot it can be maintained easily with just a few hours each week, you just have to commit to that or it can easily get out of hand.
Spring (planting) and Autumn (Clearing and digging) are the busiest times

Have fun.

 

hi Tipsy, we have three plots together my brother, my neighbour and myself and we are first time on the allotment. I am looking forward to it. the good thing about this allotment is it borders my garden so I have had a gate put on. I know some share their plots because it is too big.there are 12 of us new on the site and all ready to roll.

 

My allottment is approximately 35ft x 100ft ish. It costs around 35 pounds a year (my keyboard doesn't have pound sign). I have only dug over half so far and put in 10 raised beds, a garden area with perennial plants (mainly dahlias and penstemon) and two potato patches (for rotation). I am just starting to dig over second half which will mainly be fruit, and one more potato patch.

I only wanted half a plot, but now there is a long waiting list, I am glad that I got a full plot when I did!

 

Sally your allotment is huge!

I went down to mine at the weekend, my garlic has come up. It was really exciting to see the first thing I planted sprouting.

I think I might have gone a bit overboard on onions and garlic. Oh well, I'm sure they'll get eaten.

 

Sparkle, just wait till you grow courgettes!

My recommendation is just have two plants or you will be so sick of them that you will never want to see one again.LOL

I forgot to plant garlic, so I will have to wait for the spring. I planted two dozen japanese onions. But its still a big experiment to see what I like and don't like and more importantly what can I grow?

Its such a big plot to dig over which is why I put in raised beds (once dug, never to be dug again). I plan on having a large fruit area, which will be grassed eventually.... in my ten year pplan.lol

Have fun

 

Congratulations Sheppy I bet you'll love it, I could hardly sleep for months when I first got mine.

My triangular plots a double and is 110ft x 90ft x 75ft, so its a rather huge area. It was an unbelievable mess of every weed, metal, junk etc etc. I just plodded away over one year and now its even better than the bottom picture you see in the link below as I've made even more beds and developed the grassy bottom half on the right too.

I'd like to add that it was all done by hand, not one rotovator or strimmer was harmed in the making of this plot. Just a spade a fork and a scythe.

my plot

Just keep at it slowly and remember to make a big cold frame (cheap) and plant loads of winter veg. Beans are great for the edges as you get a massive crop and they take up very little space.

There are still loads of plots available here in Springburn Gardens so if anyone in Glasgow is reading this......

[ 28. January 2007, 09:13 AM: Message edited by: sawfish ]

 

Great pics sawfish.

You are absolutely right, a bit at a time.

I am also digging by hand, as this help get rid of weeds. A rotavator would just spread them around.