Hi guys, haven't been on much recently but the day after my b'day finally got the news that I'm top of the list :gnthb: I have a choice of 2 plots. 1 that has been worked and has had good crops (the people haven't got enough time anymore and are clearing the plot ready for the next person) or 1 that needs a 'bit of work'. Going to see the plots and pick tomorrow evening - must remember a camera to take piccies of which one I'm getting. It's all exciting :hehe: Katherna
Oh Katherna that is one of the best birthday presents you could have wished for, I'm pleased for you girl!:yho: Choose wisely and remember the allotment bug is a terrible addiction you really do need a fix almost every day!:hehe:Hel.xxx.
Thanks guys I'm all excited now. The allotments are 5 minutes walk away so I'll be able to pop over there easily enough. Are there any good books that will help me or is my fruit and veg expert enough? Finding out I was at the top of the list made up for my sweetcorn being a grand failure after my success with it last year.
Katherna within 5 minutes walking time that's just like us although we do have to take the car when harvesting some of our crops.:thmb: There are always good books out there but your loyal veg & friut expert will be more than adequate to start you off, talking to other plots owners down on your site is also priceless insider information too. I'm pretty sure if you play your cards right you will end up with sweetcorn this year too maybe not your own but from generous new allotment buddies!Hel.xxx.
I've got a shopping trolley (the ones you pull behind you - bright blue and flowery) for helping me to take things up and back again as I don't drive and have to rely on either hubby who works mad hours or my dad to drive me anywhere. I'm a little unsure about what I can grow over winter so I'll be asking advice on here lots and lots (probably everyday). I don't know what happened to the sweetcorn this year started off fine but then decided not to grow, lol. Everything else in the veg bed are doing well so I'll put something quick growing where the sweetcorn should be after I've pulled the nasturtum seedlings out (again!). I'll have sweetcorn next year though!
That little trolley of yours Katherna will get plenty of use!:hehe: Don't worry there's always something to grow on the allotment for winter there's Japanese onions sets that you can plant around September/October and Spring Cabbage too I'll be sowing our spring cabbage soon in the cold frames first and then planting them out later on. Good luck sweetie I'm sure you are going to enjoy your new hobby.:thmb:Hel.xxx.
Went up to the allotments yesterday, took my mum and dad with me as my dads going to be sharing it plus allotment type growing he understands. I went with an open mind and was prepared to look past weeds etc; We looked at both plots, one had 4' docks growing in it the other had a few raspberry canes and grass, weeds etc. My dad had a good look through the weeds etc; walked around them, looked at different things than I did. I was plant spotting, a few currant bushes, gooseberry bushes, herbs,some sort of iris or lily plants. We've decided to go for the one with the docks growing in it mainly because a lot of the ground work has been done and it basically just needs weeding. It's got the raised beds all in with paths, theres a central part thats got some plastic laid over it with weed membrane under the plastic. We've got a water butt and a compost heap thats got compost and a potato plant growing in it, heehee. Theres also a rosemary bush .... I think it's a rosemary tree it's huge must be 6' tall and the same size around my dad said he'd sort that out for me though. We just need a shed for the tools making and we'll be ready. I went on Google earth and found the allotments to show hubby then compared it to my back garden ..... you could fit more than 4 of my garden it. Now I need some idea of over wintering veg to put in as we'll clear the weeds a bed at a time. The only snag is we've got to wait a couple of weeks as thats when the previous people had given their notice for (they want to pick their fruits - theres not much to pick,) so just waiting for either an email or a phone call to say 'all yours now' or the 1st of August which ever comes first. As usual I forgot my camera, so first trip up there to sort it out I'll be armed with it to take before piccies.
Spent the last two days on clearing at the allotment. Forgot to take the camera so couldn't take any before piccies :( Tackling the weeds on what were raised(ish) beds was really really easy - too easy. My dad had his suspicions - these were confirmed - I'm sick of digging up potatoes! 4 beds filled with potatoes, bindweed and docks. That was the easy bit. We also chopped down the rosemary 'tree', some of the branches were 6" thick and it had rooted several branches, under which was growing a bay, it looks a little lonely by itself now. I can still smell rosemary. :flag: Next we started to tackle what was under the plastic - there was carpet, rolled that up, there was more plastic - moved that, found some membrane moved that and found a god almighty huge ants nest. luckily most were winged so were moving on. My dad decided to see how easy it would be to dig - pretty easy in the middle - I'm thinking this isn't as bad as it looked (I shouldn't think things like that though) It's about 1' higher than the straightened 'raised-ish' beds. They've put the turf, (we're assuming thats what it is) from leveling the other side, all laid neatly - no chance. The roots have matted to form something that is pretty impossible to get anything through, or under and theres loads of holes in it (I've found about 4 so far today and I'd only drunk coffee :P ) We've also found a duvet cover, obviously used to stop the weeds - it's got them growing through it, thats how we found it, so got to move that. Having decided to leave that for today we looked properly at the compost heap. We were going to move it to a more sensible place than it was. I know you can compost pretty much anything but this was starting to become silly. Sprouts (I thought you chopped them up) whole, complete with sprouts on them all dried out, aluminum cans, plant labels, lumps of plastic, strimmer string (the plastic type) weed membrane, full leek plants complete with flowers, a ton of rosemary branches, polystyrene plug plant things from B&Q, bricks ..... and more bloody potatoes! At least now we've sorted through it we've got some compostable material - just waiting for hubby to collect some new pallets to make a new frame as the old one was totally rotten. On the plus side - my little lad who's 3 has had a whale of a time. He's chief potato picker, he can spot a potato from 50' away. He found grasshoppers on the paths, slugs, snails, butterflies and the biggest caterpillar I've ever seen (one of those elephant ones I didn't realise just how huge they were, it has been given a home near the water butt as the plants it feeds of are growing around it), he also found some sand (came from a sandbag they'd used to weight all that plastic down with) so he's got a mini sand pit to play in. He's been eating the blackcurrant's off the bushes that we've found under the docks. He is also tending to the 6 strawberries that were hiding under a mountain of docks. We've cleared and dug (have to take those potatoes out) just over 1/2 the plot. Theres the 'turf' war to be had, 1 bed of potatoes still to dig, composter to make and the grass bits that are taller than I am left to do. I think the pace may slow down a little now as we don't know what we'll find under the grass but we're going to start taking bets on it. My job for tomorrow is to make a start on cutting down the 3' grass around the edge of the plot - I'm NOT digging up potatoes :yho:
Update - Almost finished clearing the allotment - finally. :gnthb: Just a small area of the jungle left. Still finding potatoes all over the place. :lollol: We've made a temporary compost bin so we've got one, if it needs moving then it's not too difficult to do that. I've managed to cut some of the grass down at the edges. Although it's been hard work it's been fun and hopefully we'll be able to plan beds and paths pretty soon. Will put some piccies up to show progress as soon as I've worked out how to get them off the camera - new camera so may take a while to do.
great news of your new allotment katherna, been a lot of hard work for you since you took it over, are you having a garden area sitting area with flowers and climbers, look forward to seeing your pics
We're going to have a little seating area by the shed with some climbing plants probably sweet peas or something like that. With a 3 year old in tow he'll need somewhere to sit when he eats his dinner.
Katherna any pictures yet of your plot? come on you can't keep us in the dark all this this.... now that's just being mean.:( Seriously though I would dearly love to 'see' your progress no matter how small that might be.:wink:Hel.xxx.
