Author Topic: Hoping for lottie soon (Read 4256 times)

Hot_Potato · « **on:** October 23, 2003, 06:21:26 »

:-/Hi guys - no idea if I'm doing this right....but here goes.....I'm new but as yet....haven't got a lottie....going later today to have a look at site to see whats available....it's ages since I've gardened (live in a flat now and just itching to get going again)....so will probably need lots of advice.....have'nt got a tool to my name as yet....told all I need at the moment is a spade & fork?......excited but real nervous about it all....will welcome any advice......if I'm doing anything wrong with the posting of this message....please tell me as I'm quite new to computers & groups too......Hot Potato

Ceri · « **Reply #1 on:** October 23, 2003, 10:47:51 »

Hello HP - good decisions (getting a lottie and joining A4U board). Good luck, let us know whereabouts you are - you'll probably find someone here from your area - how are you going about getting a lottie - my advice would be don't rely on going on a council waiting list (obviously depends on your council) - visit as many council and self-managed sites as possible and talk to people - you may find lists are out of date. I got mine only about 3 months ago so there are lots of us here new at it - and a fair few experts to dazzle us too! Good luck :)

teresa · « **Reply #2 on:** October 23, 2003, 11:27:43 »

Hi HP
Just want to wish you good luck on the lottie hunting and yes a fork and spade good start to get digging. ;)Good advice from Cerig and some fantistic lighthearted gardeners here. 8)
Teresa

cdchater · « **Reply #3 on:** October 23, 2003, 12:37:59 »

Welcome to the site HP and good luck with the lottie. I only got my lottie a few months ago and I've only just got my shed built. A good tip for getting hold of some tools - I went to a local auction and managed to pick up all the tools I needed (spade, fork, rake, hoe and loads more) plus a wheelbarrow - all for £10! A good bargain if you can find a good auction room. :)

Claire

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #4 on:** October 23, 2003, 16:41:14 »

:)Was really pleased to get replies from some of you - got to allotments at 8.45 and waited for person to arrive to show me what was available. As I only want half a plot....dont feel I could cope with more at this stage anyway....there were only a couple available. There were others but in a very overgrown state & I know I couldn't cope with them.....(need to build up my strength again not having gardened for a long time)...have chosen one thats not too bad.....more or less covered with carpet, which is good and has a couple of fruit bushes (needing attention plus a small pear tree.....there is no shed at present but if I get on ok I'll see what I can do about that...I wanted to be on this particular site as it's a secure site and not far from where I live.....which is in the Berkshire area (not far from Reading)....big thanks to Cerig, Teresa and Claire.....for helpful advice....what a good idea to go to an auction.....will look in local paper....also have got a friend who goes to boot sales every weekend and she might keep her eyes open for me - she knows what to look for......if not there are some kept in a communal shed that I could borrow for time being....H.P. :D

merv · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2003, 19:20:33 »

Welcome HP. :)

Good luck on your plot. I'm sure you'll find plenty of folk on your site really willing to help you.

Maybe they have some spare tools so that you don't have to rush and buy. Many peeps got standard tools before becoming rich and a "famemouse" and buying Stainless Steel stuff so their standards just loll about looking sorry for themselves at the back of the shed. I'm sure I would want to give them an outing for old time's sake. :-/

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #6 on:** October 24, 2003, 01:48:48 »

Hi Hot_potato! I can't really add anything to what has gone before, other than to say, welcome to a great site with loads and loads of great people who are all fountains of knowledge on so many different things! Ask anything, anything at all, and they (and me if I can) will help - anything about the message board, or your lottie. You have the time now to start thinking about clearing your plot and planning what you wanna grow - I would say, grow what you wanna eat - sounds obvious, but there is an old fella on our plot grows marrows, he hates them, just bungs them on his compost heap! And how many people out there grow sprouts, and actually like them (well I do, but I am the only person I know that loves them!) Now I have rambled on long enough. Just enjoy your new found patch of land!

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #7 on:** October 24, 2003, 02:01:26 »

I think that was good advice about growing what you like to eat. We have a little old lottie man near us, who just seems to like growing all sorts of vegetables. He either seems to give them away or they go on the compost heap. Its the growing of them he seems to like. He is a lovely man who lives alone and I think the allotment is his family, and he just like being there. He grew courgettes and corn this year to see if he could but he didn't like the taste of either, so I think most of them got dumped. busy_lizzie

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2003, 02:06:47 »

Sorry forgot to add: enjoy your allotment! I am sure you will love having one. It is one of the best things, we ever did, getting a plot, and this is a lovely site full of people happy to give support and advice. Best Wishes! busy_lizzie :D

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #9 on:** October 24, 2003, 02:46:54 »

:)What a lovely welcome you've all given me and some laughs ;D.....altho I only got my lottie today...I joined this site about 10 days or so ago and have really enjoyed reading all the different things that get covered by this fantastic lottie group....especially the recipe/food threads....hi to you Merv, Emma Jane & Busy Lizzie....good advice in your messages....I'm on my own so will probably be providing my two married sons & their families with different things once I get going next year....I like practically everything...like you E.J. love sprouts too.....can't understand anybody growing things they don't like but it takes allsorts!!...the lottie I picked has got very well looked after plots either side of me and I was told by lady who took me round this morning...that they are nice people and would be keen to help....I just hope I don't let them down....I'm really excited about it and wish I'd had it months ago now....altho as someone else said...a good time to be "feeling my way round and pottering and planning"..hope this posting wasn't too long ;)

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #10 on:** October 25, 2003, 19:33:54 »

:)Spent really enjoyable hour and a half up at lottie....man with plot next to me was working away so introduced myself and he was sooo helpful....gave me some twine and cut me sticks to make a garden line...(not that I'm ready for that yet) but as they say....be prepared......he also offered me the use of his shed to store my tools in (when I get some).....and some very helpful advice....I had a walk all around the site to enjoy looking at all the others....met some real nice people....will never remember their names.....saw plots in various states...some very sad....very overgrown but others....I just couldnt' believe how good they were!....can't wait to get going.....HP ;D

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #11 on:** October 26, 2003, 19:28:35 »

:)Have spent 2 really worthwile hours up at lottie doing my first real work there.....I feel real chuffed. :D....cleared a lot of dead wood from rotten trees - not sure what but understand one was big mallow......too big for me to drag away to big bonfire site but someone has offered to do it for me during the week....tidied up edges to some of the pathway so I could start some digging....nice lady suddenly appeared from nowhere - actually she & hubbie have plot 2 or 3 away from me but she was hidden from me by shed & old beans....lent me big fork so....I've at least dug a little bit....approx. 4' x 3' at a guess......full of couch grass....very very crumbly.....fell thru prongs of fork as I lifted & turned it.....got a few twinges -not fit as I said - so have wallowed in soothing bath hoping to "nip things in the bud"....it was wonderful - cant wait to go back.....(should change the name of this thread now I've got my lottie but don't know how to!)....HP

Palustris · « **Reply #12 on:** October 26, 2003, 19:45:32 »

There is nothing in the world like the feeling of well-earned 'twinges'. Just take things steady and enjoy youself. I also think that most gardeners are just the people to restore ones faith in humanity

legless · « **Reply #13 on:** October 26, 2003, 20:28:29 »

its the best feeling isn't it? you sound like you've done loads today. in a couple of weeks the twinges will get less i'm sure, well they have for me!

clare · « **Reply #14 on:** October 27, 2003, 12:30:36 »

congrats on getting your lottie! it's a great feeling isn't it?! :)

we got our first lottie a few weeks ago and have spent every weekend down there, gradually digging beds and removing weeds. At first, it was hard work and I had aches in muscles I didn't even know I had!!! But it is definitely getting easier and the aches are getting less frequent. The lottie is looking a lot more like a veggie patch now instead of a bit of wasteland ;)

there's nothing like the feeling of sowing your first veggies :)

cdchater · « **Reply #15 on:** October 27, 2003, 13:01:25 »

My muscles are certainly aching this morning after spending the weekend down the lottie! Must buy something nice for a bath soak this evening...could even grow some nice herbs to make my own bath soak!

Managed to put together my wooden tool shed (£10 bargain from Wickes) but it did take me ages to hammer in the nails...think I'll leave that job to the hubby in future. After sheer determination (and a lot of cursing at the wind) I managed to fix it together and think I might use it as a cold frame...just need to get hold of some glass or clear plastic!

Claire

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #16 on:** October 28, 2003, 01:14:56 »

Hi CD.....was really intrigued by sound of your tool shed....at £10. it certainly sounds like a bargain.....roughly how big is it then.....presume it's not big enough to stand up in....can't be for that money surely......does it have a base to it?....I've not got shed but will definitely need somewhere to store things (once I get some tools ???)...sounds as if you had a banging time ;)......hope you found something nice to have a good soak in.....love the idea of growing your own herbs for that purpose.....I'm real sore tonight after another clearing session today.....couldn't dig very well....borrowed fork from communal shed but it was only a tiny border fork and it just wasn't really big enough.....however....planted a dozen bulbs- dafs & narcissus in a bit of worked ground....my neighbouring plotholder had some wallflower plants he'd grown from seed in there and today he'd dug them up to transplant in his garden at home so I decided to use the patch.....be very welcoming when I go up there in the Spring....& I can cut one or two to bring home.....HP.

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #17 on:** October 28, 2003, 01:17:57 »

Clare.....just popped back to say sorry....have just noticed your name at bottom......so I've probably used the wrong one.....didn't mean not to use your proper name....H.P.

cdchater · « **Reply #18 on:** October 28, 2003, 11:35:45 »

Hello HP

No probs about the name...my friends call me cd anyway (although I've got married since I joined this forum, so I'm now cb - sorry, very confusing! Just Claire is fine!)

Anyway, the tool shed is more of a chest really, so you can't stand up in it. It's probably the size of a large chest freezer but quite a bit deeper and it does have a base (hope that makes sense). The lid is angled so I thought it would be ideal as a cold frame. It was originally £55 from Wickes but because the lid is slightly broken they were selling it for a tenner. Bargain for me - as I will replace the lid with glass!

I found Wickes have the cheapest sheds but keep your eye out in the local paper. People sometimes sell sheds for free, if you're willing to collect it.

Sounds like you're getting on with clearing your new lottie - and the plot should look lovely next spring when all those daffs show their heads!

Happy digging!
Claire

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2003, 16:32:01 »

Hi Clare - thanks for info on your shed/store....sounds good....when I meant a base...I was wondering if you had to dig one out & lay concrete to put the shed on...I can visualise it now though...another question, I'm only 5' tall...dont laugh....good things come in little packages you know!... ;)so I'm told anyway!...I can remember having a big chest freezer years ago now....and I couldn't reach the bottom!....by the sound of it though because it slopes....you can get to things at the bottom fairly easily?....however I will keep my eyes open....I'm no longer in the first flush of youth......not long had my bus pass to be honest!....so not as physically strong as I used to be.....(I have Fibromyalgia)....also there's only me so trying to put up a shed from scratch is......daunting ??? but who knows....where there's a will....want to make one thing clear....the ground where I put my bulbs yesterday is on my lottie....just re-reading message & it looks as if I've used my beighbours.....he's using some of mine at the moment.....which is just fine....hope he goes on doing so.....less for me to worry about for time being....giving things a rest today as rather sore....also hoping for rain soon....bye for now....H.P.

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Author Topic: Hoping for lottie soon (Read 4256 times)