Topic: New Allotment Project

[Tin Shed]

Welcome to A4A - we have a local mental health group who have just taken on a plot on our site, as well as one of the local special schools and the local probation service have a plot.

[manicscousers]

thanks for that, mb &s..we're arranging a meeting with them so will bring up the health and safety issues, as well as our concerns..funny you said about the plastic balls, we already use them, and tennis balls, to stop ME poking my eye out and my husband has mental health problems so we know how therapeutic gardening is  :)

[MindBodyandSoil]

Yep, it's defeinitely therapeutic for me and my partner, I think I would be lost without my lottie! Good luck with your meeting. You'll have to let me know how you plan to move forward with the learning difficulties group. Would love to know how you get on.

[Old bird]

Wow - what a fabulous idea.

My mother is bi polar - the only thing she has had an interest in throughout her life (she is now 82) is her gardening!

I have been to various mental health hospitals which all used to be situated in fabulous gardens and some of the long term residents enjoyed "being useful"! working in the gardens and pottering about.

What a terrible change in the last 15 years or so!  Town centre institutions where there is no "quiet" to be found!

Hopefully they will flourish in your allotment and find something they enjoy doing!

There was a book written about two guys and a dog - starting working on an allotment - and how much it helped them - even if they didn't achieve huge success in their first year! Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the book.

Good luck with all your sheds etc.  Unfortunately I am too far away to help but I am there in spirit!

Old Bird

[Barnowl]

It is called ' Allotted Time: Two Blokes, One Shed, No Idea '.   - it also features a wall eyed greyhound.

A very enjoyable read

[Old bird]

Thanks Barn Owl - Exactly right!

 ;D

[MindBodyandSoil]

Ok Guys - here goes with a basic most wanted list:

Vegetable and fruit seeds of any and all varieties!!! (especially beans and squashes/gourds, as I want our service users to experiment a little and try new things, but we will take anything anybody can spare!)
Flower seeds again, of any variety.
Cuttings from any fruit bushes would be much appreciated.
Hmmm, most of the other obvious stuff we need is too big and heavy to post.
Although, saying that, we can offer to pay postage for anything you wonderful people are able to donate.

We are most definitely not fussy, and will gladly take any help offered.
Also if you have any contacts you think may be able to help us with promotion, or sponsorship, publicity etc, please contact us.

[Lauren S]

Hi,
Can I suggest FREECYCLE in your area for any bigger items (shed, tools, wheelbarrows, greenhouse, wood for raised beds etc).
Call your local radio station and ask if you can make a plea for items.
And there is always your local free paper, tell them about your project and I'm sure they will print an article and the help will flood in.

Good luck  :)

Lauren

[Barnowl]

As well as the straightforward seeds you mention, I have quite a few spare chilli seeds but - not wanting to be patronising - I know very little about the issues you are dealing with and worry that chillis might be a bit dangerous?

[manicscousers]

one of our local schools got in touch with bulldog tools, asked for a donation, 250.00 worth of brand new tools..could also try b&q etc..good public relations  :)

[norfolklass]

Hmmm, most of the other obvious stuff we need is too big and heavy to post.

I'm in Norwich and would be more than happy to drive over with some stuff. I've currently got a surplus of seed potatoes and a spare border fork (cheap and cheerful from Roys but it works :))

I'm sure I could manage to fill the boot with some spare pots and seed trays. what other heavy stuff is on your list?

[star]

I think B&Q will help worthy causes with up to £500 worth of goods, you have to be a registered charity. And you are, so good luck ;)

[MindBodyandSoil]

- I know very little about the issues you are dealing with and worry that chillis might be a bit dangerous?

Thanks Barnowl. Not patronising at all. I'd much rather people ask questions!!

Chilli seeds are fine, as is pretty much anything else. A large part of our project is about trust and respect. We trust our service users, and give them respect, so that they feel safe, respected and valued, also in the hopes that they can respect us, and trust and confide in us. Also, if, for example, one of our team is a self harmer, even if we take away all the sharp implements etc, they will still find a way to hurt themselves if they are determined. The trust we offer enables them to talk about their problems, or if they feel the impulse to cut, they can talk it through, and we teach coping strategies.

[MindBodyandSoil]

As I said in my pm Norfolklass, I am astounded by the generosity of the people here. Am planning to show my service users some of these threads, as it may offer them a greater sense of hope. I'm also hoping a few of them will want to get involved with the forum. King's Lynn is quite a closed-minded place. Although it's quite big, and full of a large number of "chavs", the mentality is quite archaic. It's a bit like something out of the 1920's, anybody slighly "different, in any way, should be immedialtely shunned and persecuted, second class citizens. It is really very sad, and shocking for our time.

Norfolklass, as for the bigger items on my list, timber of any description is somehing we are desperately short of, as is garden canes, tools of any description, seed potatoes, wheel barrows, god, the list is endless, compost, organis fertiliser (eventually we will make our own from comfrey etc), weed suppressant fabric, bubblewrap, pond liner, it goes on and on.

[MindBodyandSoil]

Thanks for the advice guys. I am keeping a close eye on he freecycle site, and have tried b&q, as we have a new store opening in our area next week. They wouldn't help us to tie in with launch, but we have applied to their grant schemes, so fingers crossed!!!

[MindBodyandSoil]

Today, I got a fantastic parcel from "John and Jean", containing seed packs and a donation. Unfortunately, I do not know your user name here, so can't pm you, but many many thanks! It was brilliant!

Also, just to update eveyone, Thompson and Morgan sent us a pack of basic seeds, with carrot, beetroot, onions etc, with a letter wishing uswell, which was great to have.

[MindBodyandSoil]

Just a quick update on the project:

Hired a brush cutter and turf cutter this week to try and get through the thick mat of grass roots - was incredibly difficult to even get my fork through the matted roots. Turf cutter was ok, but obviously not meant for uneven surfaces! But it did allow us to clear half of one plot, and start to turn it over - we need to hurry up so we can get some seed potatoes in!

Brush cutter was a godsend - allowed me to strim my way through two and a half of the plots (would've been more if not for terrible weather!!! GRRR!) Unfortunately, I soon discovered that our second plot used to be used as a builders dumping yard, and is full of house rubble, giant pieces of concrete etc, and the council won't have it cleared! I'm assuming that is the reason they so generously gave my organisation those particular plots.

So, there is even more work in store for us than there would normally be on an allotment.

But I'm not complaining too much, as I'd much rather be outside than stuck in an office!

We have also been holding more planting sessions in our day centre, which our service users love. As well as growing fruit and veg, they wanted to grow some bedding plants and bulbs for us to raise and sell to make a bit more cash for our project.

Will try to post some photos in the coming weeks - if I can figure out how, of course.

Thanks for the interest, and I wish you all good mental health!!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I cleared all sorts of rubbish off my plot when i first got it, including steel partitions and lumps of concrete. I had a pile twenty feet across and six feet high, and that was only the stuff I couldn't burn. Just keep at it, and you will get there in the end.

[MindBodyandSoil]

Update: After hiring some heavy duty machinery for a week and a half, it was starting to take shape (apart from the asbestos mountain, the giant rubble heap, and the mountainous third and fourth plots) but you could see we had got some where. It has been decided that we should move! we had done a back breaking week of work, then told to move! So, we have to start all over again - although on the plus side, we were able to chose the new plots our selves, which was excellent.

Our new plots were, until last year, the compost heap and the manure heap, which have now been flattened ( I believe last August), so they have had very little time to grow too many nasties!

Also, the soil is dark and rich, and is springy beneath your feet.

Am I assuming correctly that I may not be able to grow carrots and parsnips there? Was thinking of using some big drums, or perhaps raised beds instead

[springbok]

hiya,

Have you tried contacting Baytree near Spalding.  Dont think its too far from where you are, but they might help you out with equipment and plants etc.

They are a huge nursery!!  They might have a charity budget or something... worth a try :) 

This is the link to their site:

http://www.baytreeweston.plus.com/