Topic: oh dear - my first ever letter!

[emmy1978]

It sounds as if you definately need one Pigeonseed!  :-\ How long have you had the plot? You said in your op that it's fairly new. It takes a while to get things up to scratch-for my first season I was clearing a space, planting stuff in it and moving on. The plant first, plan later approach!
It meant trying to find a space to build the beds was a problem as something was always in the way, but this can be dealt with over time. They want results and it looks like the pressure is on you to provide them.  :( Bloody councils.  >:(
Only a few weeks now and you can start planting-just cover it all and give yourself a small area at a time to sow and plant in. These will all add up and soon it will look bloody marvellous. All the best x

[pigeonseed]

I got it at the end of April. I know some people would have it all cleared and with raised beds, and greenhouses and fruit trees by now! But as you say, many people, me included, need to take it more slowly. I'm supposed to have 75% in cultivation within 12 months, and that should be okay - as long as the weather improves!

I've read that the city council is under a lot of pressure to build more housing, and have allowed some allotment sites to remain empty - maybe to sell for development (there are two small sites near me on maps, completely overgrown, due for development)

There is a small group of people pressuring them to open unused sites, due to allotment waiting lists, and the council's response is that in order to reduce the waiting list, they will introduce stricter rules about non-cultivation, and enforce them more rigorously.

So Chriscross1966 - I think you could be right, when you said they need to reduce the waiting list urgently!

[1066]

well looking at the snow we've had in the last 24 hours I doubt he will be able to do his inspection on Monday!

I didn't know about the closed / abandoned sites!!

good luck anyway
1066

[Mortality]

http://www.hastings.gov.uk/allotments/default.aspx#cost

The allotment federation might be able to help you.
The 10 helpful hints made me laugh, considering your situation, rather ironic.

[saddad]

I hope he does inspect tomorrow... deep snow is a great leveller...  make sure you have some pics of your lottie around now to back up why you haven't been able to make more progress... these people can have very poor memories once it has thawed out...

[pigeonseed]

make sure you have some pics

Yes I went today - I have really missed being able to garden this week, it's made me quite grumpy! I went in, only the fox's footprints on the whole site apart from mine. And I took some photos of my plot.

The allotment federation might be able to help you.
The 10 helpful hints made me laugh, considering your situation, rather ironic

I hadn't noticed about the allotment federation. I will check that out.

And yes the helpful hints are a bit annoying, aren't they! Don't do too much clearing at once, nice and slowly...! I expect that's from the old days when they used to be more patient.

I feel quite anxious about this week. Not knowing when he's going to be checking up and what he'll think. I don't want to sit round waiting for the registered post - I'll definitely be phoning him!

[coznbob]

75 % in 12 months!

Just trying to fine the new contract that I got last year.

Am sure on mine it was 25% first yr, 50% 2nd and 75% in the 3rd year...

Going to have to dig it out to check, but need to find my car keys first ::)

That seems a little different from mine and am only down the road from you. Same council, different rules? ???

[brownowl23]

we got ours in march and with twin toddlers access to the site is a ngihtmare. We got a cultivation letter which I appealed against and we got extra time to clear ground. I just wish this d**n snow would go away and then I might have a chance to clear some more.

[Unwashed]

Brownowl, yours is not the same situation.  Pigeonseed has taken over a derilict plot on heavy clay and she's quite reasonably finding it difficult to get 75% cultivated within the year, and the idiot at the council is threatening her with eviction in the worst winter we've had for a generation.

If I understand you right, your family committments are preventing you from spending sufficient time on the plot.  It's fundamental really:  Use it or lose it.

[brownowl23]

Brownowl, yours is not the same situation.  Pigeonseed has taken over a derilict plot on heavy clay and she's quite reasonably finding it difficult to get 75% cultivated within the year, and the idiot at the council is threatening her with eviction in the worst winter we've had for a generation.

If I understand you right, your family committments are preventing you from spending sufficient time on the plot.  It's fundamental really:  Use it or lose it.

Actually mine was a weed and bramble  filled plot when I first took it over last March and its on heavy clay, what london soil isnt and yes it was hard work, and no we arent quite all clear yet, but almost.

Any new tenant taking over a plot that hasnt been tended in quite a which has problems, and if it hasnt been tended in a while and all the weeds have dropped seeds it take more than one clearing before your even remotely weed free.

Having a small family does make it hard to have an allotment but im proud to have been able to provide my family with loads of fresh fruit and vegetables from the hard work we have managed to put in.

I doubt anyone has been able to get to their plot to dig in the last few weeks. Ive only been there to harvest. And yes I do feel that any council inthis weather is being unfair threatening to evict.

This is however the second or third time I have been shouted down on this site so clearly its not a place I am welcome. . I shant be posting here again!

[pigeonseed]

Brownowl, you are welcome! Please stay. Whenever we talk about the subject of non-cultivation, we seem to veer between sympathy and irritation for people who neglect their plots (for whatever reason).

Unwashed - bit grumpy?  :-\

Thanks for sticking up for me, Unwashed, it's nice. But I can see that people who do clear an overgrown plot in a season feel a bit frustrated when people like me, Brownowl and a million others don't manage it. So having support gives courage, in conjunction with some no nonsense advice to get on with it.

There are these amazing slide shows we see on here, within a year they clear the whole plot, build deep beds, sheds, and by summer their plot is a paradise of flowers and veg in abundance. They even start espaliering fruit trees just to make me feel really inadequate!  ;D

I think there is room for people who are busy/unwell/etc as long as they are moving in the right direction, and we should be patient (of course I would say that because that's me!) Once the plot is all in cultivation, I find it gets easier each year. (I was at my last plot for 7 years)

Am sure on mine it was 25% first yr, 50% 2nd and 75% in the 3rd year... Same council, different rules?

It's their new extra-strict contracts, in an attempt to reduce the waiting list.

Anyway - you know I'm on tenterhooks, wondering when he's going to inspect! Shall I call him?

[1066]

Yes Brownowl stick around - often a mixed bag on here but most people are positive and offer constructive advice / criticism 
And Pigeonseed - nicely expressed!

As to call him or not....... what would you have to lose except the cost of the call? A grumpy, wet and cold allotment officer !!
Fingers still crossed
1066

[brownowl23]

Pidgeon seed thanks for the welcome. I agree those who can spent hours down the lottie do get annoyed with those of us who for whatever reason cant.   :-\ taking over untended plots take time to clear and we put in what time we can.

Im quite chuffed with my progress on my lottie. Ive got most of it cleared although ive got a couple of troublesome plots  that have had chickweed and other very seedy weeds that have returned no sooner as ive dug, which is a tad disheartening, but they wont beat me  >:( .

I hopefully will also have an extra couple of hours 2 days a week from next week when my boys go to preschool. So im  looking forward to more lottie time  :)

as far as food production is concerned ive had loads of strawberries, raspeberries, gooseberries, plums and white currants and have made bucket loads of jam and everyone got a hamper at Xmas this year of home made produce.   ;D
Ive also had  spuds, courgettes by the glut (too many plants)  :o tomatoes, onions, leeks, cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbages  and I harvested fresh brussels sprouts on Xmas Day.  ;D

Oh and I had some rather unsucessful celeriac, need to investigate what I did wrong there.

Allotments are for everyone, not just those who can spend 24/7 there, and this needs to be rememberd when we give each other support.

I hope your inspection goes well today, if it happens as its hard to inspect under snow.

[pigeonseed]

The plot sounds great, Brownowl - so much fruit! Whereabouts in London are you? I used to be on one in Wimbledon - very sandy and fine so digging was easy, but watering a nightmare!

[brownowl23]

Im in Sidcup.

We were lucky to have inherited alot of fruit, but we werent expecting 40lb of strawberries alone from the fruit burried under the weeds. At one stage I was picking fruit for 2 hours every other night. I love soft fruit though but feared I may turn into a strawberry or raspberry. I do love the golden raspberries though I didnt realise they existed.

The veg I am eating now ( cabbage broccoli leeks etc)  is part of the plot that we dug when we got our cultivation letter. We did as much as we could even though we appealed on it. the site had a rubbish pile at the entrance so I couldnt get the double buggy on site myself (im only tiny) I had to wait till the weekend so hubby could lift the bugggy and do one wheelies over the rubbish pile to get on site. the paths between the plots arent even wide enough for a wheel barrow so he has to one wheel the buggy all the way. So that restricted our diggin time.

This year I hope the boys can join in with us. Hopefully they wont go for trying to replant the tatties when im diggin them up!

They do like to help water but thier feet end up as wet as the plants as they seem to manage to water inside their wellies. Its great for families to grow thier own veg though even at this age, at least they will grow up knowing where it comes from and what it looks like, unlike some kids these days.

[coznbob]

Extra strict contracts! blimey I'd better get my backside in gear. :o

Hope the inspection goes well.

Barnowl, sounds like you have done well... don't be put off by some of the posters on here, some people have more time than others and forget that life isn't the same for everyone.

Have seen a lot of people come and go on our site, some clear the whole plot, but get disheartened when the weeds start coming through with avengence. That was a harsh lesson for me, just because you manage to clear an area, doesn't nessecarily mean that you can start on the next bit, you still have to maintain the bits that you have done.

Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey is one of my mottos  ;D

[saddad]

Oh and I had some rather unsucessful celeriac, need to investigate what I did wrong there.

Don't worry about it Brownowl, it's a marsh plant so needs to be kept almost constantly damp...

you'd be welcome on our site with the amount you appear to have done so don't let the grumpy ones annoy you... I can do grumpy too some days..  ;D

[pigeonseed]

I can do grumpy too some days.. 

Me too - I was grumpy at the weekend. I think being snowed off the allotment is bad for me (and those who live with me!)

Extra strict contracts! blimey I'd better get my backside in gear.

If you've signed the old contract, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about.

Brownowl - we have problems with paths on our site as well. I think eventually I'll try and get some improvements organised. There's no room for a wheel barrow, people all have electric fences around their plots, and they tend to 'extend' unofficially out into any pathways, making them a bit hard to get through.

Getting to my plot is like that game you get at fetes, where you have to run the hoop round the metal thing without it buzzing. That's not a good analogy as I can;t remember what it's called!  ::)

[cornykev]

I'm glad your staying Brownowl, sounds like your doing a great job, don't worry about the grumpy's, one mention of kids and buggy's on a plot and some people go into grump mode.
 I'm sure if he's man enough he'll apologise.  ;)     ;D ;D ;D

[Mortality]

Im in Sidcup.

We were lucky to have inherited alot of fruit, but we werent expecting 40lb of strawberries alone from the fruit burried under the weeds. At one stage I was picking fruit for 2 hours every other night. I love soft fruit though but feared I may turn into a strawberry or raspberry. I do love the golden raspberries though I didnt realise they existed.

The veg I am eating now ( cabbage broccoli leeks etc)  is part of the plot that we dug when we got our cultivation letter. We did as much as we could even though we appealed on it. the site had a rubbish pile at the entrance so I couldnt get the double buggy on site myself (im only tiny) I had to wait till the weekend so hubby could lift the bugggy and do one wheelies over the rubbish pile to get on site. the paths between the plots arent even wide enough for a wheel barrow so he has to one wheel the buggy all the way. So that restricted our diggin time.

This year I hope the boys can join in with us. Hopefully they wont go for trying to replant the tatties when im diggin them up!

They do like to help water but thier feet end up as wet as the plants as they seem to manage to water inside their wellies. Its great for families to grow thier own veg though even at this age, at least they will grow up knowing where it comes from and what it looks like, unlike some kids these days.

Excellent I think youve done really well considering how difficult it can be sometimes to get things done with children in tow.