Topic: TV Company seeks exciting allotment!

[ina]

Ah Ken, just saw your posting above mine after I hit the send button. It proves my point doesn't it?

[teresa]

Euro countrys teach the children at an earlier age to speak english.
in England the children are 12-13 and like my son expected to learn german and french in lessons weekly. They are at that funny age ( teanagers ) when the oppersite side attracts.
Me in Wales although english was the spoken langage we had to learn Welsh before we could learn german or french.
If you did not learn Welsh good enough you did not get the chance to learn the others.
Oh yes Ina in Germany in the local bakers I spoke german and the woman spoke english we had a great repor. Both learning.
Oh Ken I envy you gardening and learning another language at the same time.

[Orion TV]

Hi to all of our international gardening colleagues.

I didn't know quite what I was getting into when I visited the allotment website, while researching for this proposed tv show - it's been an "emotional rollercoaster" so far.  I thought (being inexperienced) that allotments were a peculiarly British institution - now I hear that our counterparts on the mainland are up to it also.  Fantastic!  I obviously appreciate that gardening is a worldwide passion, but I would be grateful if you guys could tell me how Allotments (or the equivalent) are geared up in your respective Countries.

The more I hear, the more I am convinced this is a great subject area for a TV show!

Kelwyn - Orion TV

[teresa]

Sorry Kelwyn got off thread,

My dad use to see lotties in Germany while traveling by train.
He said they had summer houses with their national flags up flying families would BBQ and drink.
So half plot was for growing vedge and flowers etc and the other was for the summer houses where some would take the family for weekends hols etc.
Perhaps Ina and Ken have seen this?

[kenkew]

On our plots we have concrete 'sheds' which quite a lot of people, especially those who live in high-rise buildings with no gardens, use as a home-from-home place. Some are very well furnished and serve as a retreat from the towns. No over-night staying is allowed but we can stay until an hour after dark which in the summer months could be quite late. I use mine as a shed but when I get time I'll section off a bit to use as a mini kitchen and next year maybe BBQ on the bit I haven't dug over. Some couples almost live at the plot when the weather's OK.

[Orion TV]

Sounds great - I would love such a retreat - although I suspect it would turn into a mini-bar.

Are allotments organised, owned and managed in a similar way to here?

Do any of you multi-linguists know of French/German speaking allotment swebsites?  Fortunately one of my colleagues is fluent.

[teresa]

Ken,
 I know what you mean after living in a flat for 3 years with children we spent most of our time outside. Having a lottie is a good day out to eat drink and relax.
Kelwyn,
Our lottie has a plot with a large shed and its all lawn for them to use as a party ie bbq's drinks lots of beer drank pity they only do it a few times a year.
oh yes they even have a flag pole and the england flag was flying for the football.
Some lotties are council owned some are privite ones like the one I am on.
Ken/Ina who owns them where you are?

[ina]

Hi to all of our international gardening colleagues.

I didn't know quite what I was getting into when I visited the allotment website, while researching for this proposed tv show - it's been an "emotional rollercoaster" so far.  I thought (being inexperienced) that allotments were a peculiarly British institution - now I hear that our counterparts on the mainland are up to it also.  Fantastic!  I obviously appreciate that gardening is a worldwide passion, but I would be grateful if you guys could tell me how Allotments (or the equivalent) are geared up in your respective Countries.

The more I hear, the more I am convinced this is a great subject area for a TV show!

Kelwyn - Orion TV

Did you really think allotments only existed in Great Britain? I would be amazed if there was a country in the world where they didn't exist. They may be called something else, the set-up and the sentiments behind it may differ but allotments nevertheless. In Holland they are called "(common) peoples gardens".

[salad muncher]

"(common) peoples gardens" Let's hope that name does not catch over here In Britain  ;D or is that a bit of snobbery coming out of me :-\

[teresa]

Oh Ina would not think of calling you common hee hee.
Joking aside that was the idea here I think were working class had concrete yards and no where to grow vedge for the family they were allocated small pieces of ground to provide for the family vedge which they perhaps couldnot afford to by.
Hence even now people think all lottie holders are men in cloth caps.
We have ex  company directors, firemen, police inspector,road workers young familys even someone who runs his own gardening bussiness his wife got the lottie and he has to help allsorts love to garden and most just like to talk about it what are you planting next year me I havent ended this year yet ha ha.

[mitzzy]

Hi

I think the feeling that allotment holders are older men ,so far on the site  , i seem to be the only young woman on the site .I am currently clearing my plot and I am constantly asked if i have had any help ( i have done most of it myself )

There are other women on the site but they are a bit older than me .


Mags

[Jesse]

Did you really think allotments only existed in Great Britain? I would be amazed if there was a country in the world where they didn't exist. They may be called something else, the set-up and the sentiments behind it may differ but allotments nevertheless. In Holland they are called "(common) peoples gardens".

I don't remember there being allotments in South Africa where I spent my childhood, but I could be wrong.

I remember seeing allotments from the train when I worked in London for a short while. I used to see them whizz by as the train charged on to the "big smoke" and wish I could be out there away from the rat race and in the fresh air and smell that earthy smell of freshly dug soil. Now that is a reality for me and it's great. I have to thank my children for that though, if I hadn't given up work to take care of them I don't think I'd have ever found the time to sign up for my allotment. We were there today again (they helped me to plant the strawberries) and I had a hard time draging the kids away, they wanted to stay and I've had to promise them that we will go back tomorrow come rain or shine (and usually my son doesn't like to be out in the rain!). It's a great educational tool, teaching my children how to take care of the land (using manure, no pesticides etc), knowing which insects are beneficial and what they look like (and I'm still learning too so we have had to come home and look on the internet to identify it), how and what plants need to grow, and how to use the produce at the end making jams, chutney, cooking etc. I think it's a hands on learning opportunity that many children miss out on today.

[ina]

Hahahaha, what I meant was "common" as in available to all people, not "common folks", that's why I put it in parenthesis. I first translated it to just peoples gardens and I figured it looked funny, of course it's for people, not for animals! Here again is the cultural aspect of a foreign language that gets in the way, no matter how good you know that language. My pc dictionary says: Common.....public, shared by several, widely known. So, there you go.  

I bet a lot of chuckles went around hehehe. To take away all misunderstandings; in Holland allotments are called "volkstuinen".

[Mrs Ava]

Plenty of lotties in sunny Calais.  When you are next that way and travelling far to fast back to the port because you are late for your ferry, take a look out of the window and you will see hundreds of wonderfully organised allotments.  

Hang on, don't look out of the window if you are the driver of course, well, only the windscreen, keep your mind on the driving, keep your hands on the wheel, and keep your snoopy eyes on the road ahead.... I meant passengers take a good look and then say.... ' Ooo look, allotments!'  :D

[teresa]

Oh Ina good job you have a great sence of humor as well as being a great gardener. ;)
"volkstuinen" where else but on AL4A can you learn another language. :D
I was brought up on a common or common land as its refered to. Mum and dad had small holding.
Where people from town would drive there animals either a cow goats or sheep and grase through the day and drive them back at night. When I say drive I mean walk. A couple of hundred years ago.
So a common has always been for the less well off.

[ina]

Right Teresa but now I'd like to hear you pronounce "volkstuinen". I guess it would sound something like "folkstooinin" when you say it.

[teresa]

Most likely  :-[ now tell me how to pronounce it?

North? of Amsterdam there is a place with a longggggg name Shaverlingshlises?
You must have heard of that one could never say that either haha but had a darn good go

[Orion TV]

Hi folks - it's TV novice here again - with one more silly question:  How long is the main vegetable growing season - and when does it start (I appreciate there are geographical and species variations) - oh, and what (if anything) can be grown throughout winter?  Rough guidelines, for say, the South of Britain (I presume this area has the longest season) would be appreciated.

And while I'm in Q&A mode, is there much debate over organic/non-organic methods?

Kelwyn

[salad muncher]

Hi Kelwyn, Simple answer to your question is growing is all year round but as you ask main veg growing season I would say March to the end of October but I am still putting in Onions, broad beans, Peas, Onions, Garlic.and so  they grow over Winter.
As for Organic and Non Organic have alook at Bindweed in the basics section thats gone on about chemicals some how and weather or not to use them there is always a conflict of interest personally im 98% Organic.

[teresa]

Kelwyn,
Try this site it is run by one of the gardeners here.
Lovely place to check through.
http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/
hope link worked.
Organic?
Thats a good question I class my self as semi orgainc perfer to use manure to pellets but will spray cabbages against dreaded cabbage white.