A place for newbies to introduce themselves.

[macmac]

I think that's the new on yes ?
If all the plots are taken just hang on 'cos new folk often don't carry on and plots then become available  :)

[macmac]

[potatoehead]

Its not on the welcome page of this site, so i assume its new.

[Jeannine]

Hello potatoehead and welcome, you will enjoy the forum. I too garden in a amuch smaller way now,good luck on the lottie XX Jeannine

[Dungbeetle]

Hi everyone. Have just become the proud tennant of an allotment (well currently more a jungle!!) in Kent. Saw this site recommended in a book I have just read so thought I would sign up.

David

[biggerbarb]

Hello people

I heard about this site from Toadspawn who spoke to me on the BBC Gardeners site - I wanted to talk to Toadspawn on here about everlasting sweetpea seeds... but being a bit dim, am not too sure how it works.
I have a lovely garden but it is next to the coast in the Scottish Borders so hugely windy and not very warm most of the time. There is a greenhouse though, and my sungold tomatoes are struggling along ok. 2 years ago our little runner bean plot gave a super yield, last year less so.. this year is looking poor.. I wonder why?

[Jeannine]

Well hello and welcome Dungbeetle,, interesting name, do they play in you manure patch  with little balls on poo..

Good  luck on your lottie, it is a good time to get it and lots of folks to help with advice. May I ask what book it was?



Hi to you biggerbarb, another interesting name..is their a little Barb in the family too or perhaps you go fishing, I try to work out names, I am ususally wrong however.

Go the top of the page, you will see forum, click on that. Scroll right down to almost the bottom and there is a link called members or ,list of members, click on that it will bring you up a full listof members.

Someone will come along who can chat about the UK weather.

I hope you both enjoy the forum, they are a super bunch of friendly folks, so dive right in

XX Jeannine

[Ellen K]

Hi - I've been lurking here a while, I live in Loughborough and have a plot on a council site.  Got it in Sept 08 and here is a picture of it in all its glory I as received it:



Whey hey!! What else can you say when you finally get offered a plot?

[SamLouise]

to all of the new members :)  Happy posting :)

[Digeroo]

Wow DenbyVisitor looks like you had something of a job to do, but that was two years ago.  Have you got an after piccie so we can cheer you on.

[Nodwah]

Hi all, we took on a plot in Glasgow at the end of May.
Joined the waiting list about 3 -4 years ago after moving from a house with a big south facing garden to one with a small dark dank garden with horrendous clay soil!
So our new plot has lovely sandy loam that's a pleasure to work but at the moment we're best a growing buttercups, ground elder, bindweed oh and himalayan balsam :o
our neighbour says it takes 7 years to get on top of it!  :o :o :'(

[Digeroo]

Welcome Nodwah.  Lovely you have got your allotment sounds like you have something of a challenge.  I have bindweed in the garden and it sends me nutty.    We have a lot in the vicinity, so pretty but such a pain everything else starts to disappear.  I have not seen any posts here about the balsam. 

[1066]

Hello all, and good luck with the new (and not so new) plots  ;D

[Ellen K]

The plot as it was early June 2010, just about fully dug and planted.

I have to say, the 1st thing I did with my plot was buy a big pack of glyphosate and give everything a good spraying.  The back quarter of the plot was entirely brambles which just laughed at that so I have done a lot of digging out but they are still coming up.  Along with the bindweed and nettles, it is useless to sow most seeds.  But most crops have done well, my neighbours say it must be a fallow effect - nothing to do with all my hard work and good money spent on compost, chicken poo and miracle gro presumably!

[Dungbeetle]

Hi Jeannine

Thanks for the welcome, looking forward to picking other peoples brains!!

The book was called One man and his dig : adventures of an allotment novice by Valentine Low. A very good read, quite amusing. And the name stemmed from a nick name many years ago in the days when I worked on farms.

David x

[caroline7758]

Wow, what a transformation, Denby! Well done you!

[1066]

Denby that is a beautiful plot, well done!!

[Ellen K]

Bizarrely, I was lucky to get my plot - because the people above me on the waiting list turned it down.  OK, they might get lucky next time but none of us are getting any younger and who is to say that you won't just be offered a plot in a similar state in 5 years time?

The first few months, I felt I looked a fool having take on the plot and trying to clear it, etc. and I would wake up in the night because both my arms had gone completely numb which was a bit scary.  But there are lots of blogs about where people have taken on plots in a bad way and made them work and that made me see that it was possible.  So now I have forgotten the pain and love my garden.

[1066]

So now I have forgotten the pain and love my garden.

Well that is good to hear - the bit about forgetting!! When I took my plot on, I remember feeling a bit lost and helpless, I'd gardened for years, but never really grown fruit and veg, except for a few toms, courgettes, herbs and beans in the garden - so the allotment was a bit of a reality check! I guess I just stuck to it, and kept nibling away at it, and now feel heaps more confident about it - and yes a bit proud of my achievements as well  :)

[pattypan]

Hello! Another new bod to add to the site  :D

I have started to grow my own veggies in my back garden (100 sq ft) with a little help from my local church. I picked up some donated Mazuna Plum tom plants, a Tromboncino climbing courgette plant and a pattypan plant too. Add to that my own planted runners, bush bean, Bright Lights chard, carrots and broccoli.

It has been a wonderful learning curve, not every seed was viable but hey, I had a go (old seeds). Slugs and White Cabbage butterfly caterpillars have been munching away and cats have been a digging, but I love it all the same  ;D

On the left hand side of the garden I have planned for 4 ex battery hens to come and live with us. They should be with me in the next week, so very excited  ;D

I need to get out there are do some weeding, serious weed control is required, but there isn't enough hours in the day. My 5 Guinea Pigs, hamster and 9 year old daughter see to that  ;)

I look forward to chatting and asking lots of veggie growing related questions!

[SamLouise]

Hi Nodwah & Patty, welcome to A4A :)