Topic: How DO you all do it??

[tim]

Working all day - or, in some cases, all night - husbands, wives, children, walk/pedal/motor miles to the lottie - and only when it is feasible. And some of you, not chickens?

I'm astounded by the sheer guts of folk who want to enjoy 'the good life'. I live on the premises but constantly fail to achieve a half decent result. Sowing, pricking out, planting out, watering, ventilating, pinching out, de-bugging, supporting, fertilising, harvesting, drying, storing.........??

I really think you're an amazing lot!  But there's nothing like the smell of soil on your fingers, is there? = Tim

[Lavender]

Tim you're right - people are achieving minor miracles every day  :D

My allotment came at just the right time for me - I'd just given up a very stressful job.  The hours I spend up there!  Don't care what the weather's like (been known to dust the snow off the runner beans), so long as I can be there.  Another allotmenteer told me he doesn't go to church - this is his church.  Well, we won't go into that, but I know what he means.  Aren't we lucky  ;D

[Doris_Pinks]

Well Tim, my house looks like a tip! The laundry pile is growing >:(,  have huge gaps in my planting, and keep meaning to sow more.
Large weeds that need pulling, things that need feeding, BUT the family are eating home grown,and loving it;D
I love my plot, It is worth every second I spend there  and the housework will still be there in the winter :o

[Mrs Ava]

We have only had our plot since last September, but the wildlife we have experienced, the exercise we have suffered, and the home grown fruit and veggies we have enjoyed makes every visit amazing!  I have Ava to thank, he secured the allotment for me, he built the shed and compost heaps for me, he finds all the 'treasures' to use about the plot, and he looks after the children for a couple of hours here and there over weekends so I can escape and get to my Eden.

[Ceri]

I do it precisely because I work all day, have children, stressful life etc...   I am convinced that it is better for your children, and your work for you to have a commitment that is important to you elsewhere - everything then gets a slightly better sense of perspective from their point of view as well as yours.  Much as I adore my 4 yr old son I think it is vital that he understands that mummy has hobbies/commitments or whatever or else how will he learn to have some himself when he's older? (while my 19 yr old girl has lots of hobbies - sleeping, drinking - actually no, not lots, just those two!)

[Beer_Belly]

It's my escape as well - after a stressful day at work there's nothing like a couple of hours weeding to clear the mind.

-B_B-

[derbex]

I'm afraid I got suckered in :) After a long period without proper job I took on an allotment -hey presto a few weeks later the job turns up.

I have to admit to finding it a bit of a strain as my wife works too and so I can't palm all the cooking cleaning &c. off onto her, and there's the garden at home to keep half decent, but at the moment we seem to be about managing.

It's just as well my back's not too hot or I'd have cleared the lot and be trying to maintain it all now.

There is something very satisfying about growing your own food, as well as the peace and quiet down there sometimes.

Jeremy

[Tenuse]

My partner and I both work full time, we have lots of DIY in the house to do, no children but pretty busy lives. The allotment is like meditation for me, the same way that doing our very small (6m x 8m) garden is, to be honest I don't even mind if nothing grows - it's the doing that I love.

Downside - no housework gets done, (not that it ever did really anyway), and when friends ask us to come and visit for the weekend, we now both um and ah until we have worked out what the weather will be like allotmentwise!!

I reckon there are plenty of people with hobbies that take up time - if you watch telly for a couple of hours a day, well, that's allotment time for me (except I have to watch Big Brother, sad though that is, I was really disappointed that they didn't have a veggie patch this year!!!!!!!)

Ten x

[legless]

i get up at 5am to start work so i can have a couple of hours in the afternoon/ evening down the lottie and i don't mind one bit.

[Derekthefox]

My background was probably similar to yours Jeremy (Derbex), in that I was redundant, and took on an allotment to retain my sanity.
Since then, it has become my private temple, and I am openly proud (is that a sin?) about the glorious food I create - I know nature creates it really, but its nice to brag! They all drool at work late summer when I prepare my breakfast of fresh sweetcorn, tomatoes and red onion, all picked within two hours. :D

[growmore]

Hi Tim,
          Where else would we get the peace the fresh air?.
The battles with the bugs the slugs, the white rot the club root and the fungal diseases that we wouldn`t know existed ..And all the little weeds. :o We do it because we Love it it is a big challenge ..But despite all the army of stuff to deter us there is some thing really satisfying in growing yer own ...Anyhow ain't it nice to be different ..Jim
P.S. sorry about your fennel seedlings Tim..

[Wicker]

Ditto, ditto ditto everything said above!  We got our lottie years ago when my husband had to stop work and I was still working fulltime - things got a bit fractious at times.  If it's happened to you you will know what it can be like before adjustment - walking on eggs!  Anyway the lottie came along so the other half was doing something he loved, meeting people, socialising and bringing home goodies.  I didn't fancy it and stayed away but eventually got drawn in and hooked big time!

Apart from the air, exercise, produce and learning to accept "failure" at  times one of the biggest bonuses is meeting different types of great people with a common interest (but there are  Hot Potato's and Ina's experiences to remember too).

One regret tho - that we didn't have it when our sons were young - our grandkids have all benefited from joining us there as they are growing up.

Sorry for the ramble I do when I get enthusiastic about something!! ;D

[adamhill100]

I have taken some serious stick from my mates about getting an allotment and now my Pyrotechnic friends have found out I am going to get it double whammy.. But I started a new job in January which was shift based and gives me lots of free time!  Have always liked the idea of being a Hugh Fernley type and getting out of the rat race but alas any mention to my misses about moving to the country does not go down too well.. So this is the next best thing as far as I am concerned.. All I need now is a shed with 240 mains so I can keep the beers chilled and I would be up there all day watching stuff grow... Not allowed a bonfire up at the allotment which is a shame!  Now that would be great..!!.  

P.s Is 34 too young to start smoking a Pipe?

[derbex]

Just in case I sounded too miserable -I had a bit of a moment as I finished the watering last night. It was just that time in the evening (I believe it might happen in the morning too -but I wouldn't know, 5 O'CLOCK Legless :o) when the colours get really intense as the light fades, the sky gets really blue, clouds are just starting to turn pink and the rose bush just seemed to glow.

Absolutely wonderfull, I nipped inside for a glass of wine and then sat and enjoyed the show while it lasted, 5 or 10 mins at the most.

Jeremy

[aquilegia]

I did much less in the garden last summer when I wasn't working! I work part time - four days a week - I specifically found a job where I could do that so I'd have the extra day for gardening and riding. OK - so it means less money, but who needs money when you have no time to enjoy things.

I often leave work early after working through lunch so I can spend a few hours in the garden. Most of my weekend is spent out there.

Fortunately Mr Aqui is getting more and more into gardening. He's starting to learn names of plants, but doesn't know much about how to look after individual ones. He is very good for digging, lifting, etc - all the things that I have trouble with! That helps a lot.

I'm not sure what housework is or a social life, for that matter. I don't have children - my plants are my babies!