Author Topic: Total novice (not even got a plot yet!) (Read 7172 times)

ina · « **Reply #20 on:** March 08, 2005, 16:30:17 »

Well Mark, convinced yet?

MaidstoneMark · « **Reply #21 on:** March 08, 2005, 16:47:09 »

Wow! What can I say guys? Thanks for all the encouragement! I just logged on during a quiet 2 minutes at work and can't believe how many posts of encouragement there are!

Well, I'm certainly feeling all bouyed up now and am certainly going to give it a try - I've got nothing to loose and so much to gain it seems; not just lovely fruit and veg but a suntan and fitness as well! 8)

Am gonna ring my council office tomorrow when it is open and speak to the allotment lady there (she only works mornings - nice work if you can get it!) and see what happens!

Will keep you all posted, and who knows, I could be getting my hands dirty sooner rather than later and actually digging over the soil instead of dreaming about it.....

Thanks again everyone, and thanks for the tips too! Looking forward to posting lots of first timer questions (like, when is mud not mud? ???haha) and keeping you all up to date.

Cheers!

(A more confident feeling) MaidstoneMark ;D ;D ;D

wivvles · « **Reply #22 on:** March 08, 2005, 16:57:58 »

Yeah! Go Mark, go Mark! <<<does funny gyrating hips and hands dance - girls in office look on in amazement>>> ;D

kenkew · « **Reply #23 on:** March 08, 2005, 17:11:30 »

Well done Mark, you won't regret it. I've just caught this topic and I can only retr...rehitara....retriat.... agree with what's been said.
You stated something that ALL new lottie thinkers say, 'I'm afraid I may already be too late...' Never. You can never be too late at starting out. Infact, when you get your lottie you'll be a bit too early! (That's Yorkshire logic!) Everyone on here has there own logic, EJ possibly has the worst logic ever...and that Wardy is something else... Quote 'I said I KNEW a bloke with a tractor....' Unquote. Shish!
It reminds me of that bloke from Lancashire that came to live next door to me a few years back. He put new wallpaper up in his front room. It got me thinking I should do my front room too. After he'd finished I asked him how many rolls he'd bought. He told me 13 rolls. I thought right, I'll get the same and do my front room. I did, I had 3 rolls left over. I asked him how big his room was, it turned out to be the same as mine. I said I had 3 rolls left over. He said, 'Yeah! I did too'.
(****** the war of the roses was revived.

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #24 on:** March 08, 2005, 18:49:10 »

EJ shakey fisty at kenny!

wardy · « **Reply #25 on:** March 08, 2005, 21:14:54 »

Kenkew Still tittering ;D ;D ;D Now don't get me onto wallpaper. Wallpaper is something I CAN do .................. oops, sorry

undercarriage plan · « **Reply #26 on:** March 08, 2005, 21:46:09 »

couldn't be bothered to get a lottie, just ploughed up daddy's estate rah rah! ;D ;)

MaidstoneMark · « **Reply #27 on:** March 09, 2005, 13:53:07 »

Just been on to the Maidstone allotment association - apparently there are plenty of plots free on the lottie just down the road from me which is great news. Will be ringing the bloke who runs that site soon (apparently he is 'down the pub' today haha!!) Will keep you all posted

ina · « **Reply #28 on:** March 09, 2005, 15:10:05 »

Hurrah!!!!! Looks like it's going to happen.
Do you have a digital camera Mark?

tim · « **Reply #29 on:** March 09, 2005, 18:00:57 »

Yes - let's see your face!!

Crash · « **Reply #30 on:** March 09, 2005, 18:56:25 »

I've got as far as the waiting list for my "Lottie" in Ipswich, but we're moving in a few weeks so no rush for me. As I've said before I've not grown anything since High school and I'm the big 40 this year, but I'm sure my Grandads green fingers must of rubbed off on me. Go for it and enjoy!

MaidstoneMark · « **Reply #31 on:** March 10, 2005, 15:09:14 »

No digital camera I'm afraid; but my mother assures me Im devilishly handsome ;) haha

So i rang the chap who runs the site, and I will be popping down on Sunday to choose a plot - how easy was that?!! Then comes all the digging and the hard part!!!

Am so excited that its all going to happen! What shall i grow first??? EEK! All the decisions and planning to be made!!

Will keep you all posted ;D

Svea · « **Reply #32 on:** March 10, 2005, 15:22:32 »

go and buy some tools between now and sunday. and, a good veg growing book. then spend the next two weeks obsessing about how you are gonna lay it out, and what to plant. (this is evening activity, obviously. when it's light and you have time, you will of course be digging ;))

svea

Moggle · « **Reply #33 on:** March 10, 2005, 15:59:35 »

Hurrah!! :) :)
I suggest ordering several seed catalogues to help decide what you are going to grow. I have Kings, Dobies, and The Organic Catalogue.
Buy some Radox - you're going to need it ;D Nearly spud planting time, so get yourself some of those too :)

aquilegia · « **Reply #34 on:** March 10, 2005, 16:11:50 »

How exciting Mark!

Definitely order all the catalogues you can. And also check out our seed swapping section.

If you've never grown anything before, I'd stick to growing just what you like to eat a lot. And only get one variety of each veg, rather than lots of different varieties. You can always experiment with different flavours, etc next year and the year after and the year after.

Don't just stick to the commericially well known seed companies. Kings, Tuckers, the Organic catalogue, etc have far more variety and are much much cheaper than the more famous ones.

There's still plenty that you can sow in the up coming months. And loads of things you can start off indoors for planting out later (I don't have a greenhouse or even a cold frame, I use my living room and kitchen window sill to start off seeds!)

ina · « **Reply #35 on:** March 10, 2005, 16:30:13 »

Ohhhhhhhh, I can't wait for your report sunday.
Just imagine there is a 'clean' lottie waiting for you, well......one can dream.

Victoria · « **Reply #36 on:** March 13, 2005, 16:14:52 »

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie too! Mark, I've just sorted myself out with my first allotment ever this afternoon and it's so exciting! I went down to meet the man who runs the allotments and he's been working on them for thirty years, and he's so nice, he's even going to prepare my plot for me and rotavate it!! From what I've just been reading, this sounds like I'm very lucky.
It was so funny, I suggested to him I might just want a half a plot cos I'm a complete novice gardener and he insisted I should have the whole whopping 80ft x 30ft plot and have a nice grassy seating area at the end to admire all my efforts! ;D Blimey, I shall certainly need to keep asking you all for advice on what the heck I do next. He even told me that he remembered there was a rhubarb patch in a bit of wasteland nearby and we went over to look, and sure enough there it was and he's going to dig it up and I can put it in my plot!! Yiippee! Am very happy to be sharing my excitement with lots of people who will understand.
Also Mark, I'm 27 and several of my mates have got allotments now. The nice man on my allotment seemed really pleased to have another young couple about and just to have another plot being used. :)

Wicker · « **Reply #37 on:** March 13, 2005, 16:30:55 »

Just want to add my "welcome" to both Victoria and Mark - It's Sunday now so Mark may have been down to the site and already be the proud owner of his own allotment!! Good luck to you both anyway.

Yes, it is great when younger people sign up for plots - gives the place a 'lift' .......

kenkew · « **Reply #38 on:** March 13, 2005, 16:51:52 »

Well done Victoria. You'll find just about all the advice you'll need on here. If not, just shout. (Time to start chitting your spuds...now!)

MaidstoneMark · « **Reply #39 on:** March 13, 2005, 20:59:07 »

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Well guys, I went down to the allotment today!!!!! Was so excited I didnt sleep a wink last night - was trying to work out what to put where & what to start with...! (sad I know!)

So, I got shown my site & am dead chuffed with it - it's a half plot that's been a bit neglected but generally it's not too wild which is a god send. There's six parralel beds and one huge bed in front of a big bean pole structure which looks like something from the dark ages haha. :D Next to the parralel beds is a compost bin, two manure bins and an old broken cold frame. Next to the that is a really wild spot with a disused green house on it. The green house has been requisitioned for another plot holder, so I'll have lovely big spot to go over in the future.

Anyway, I looked in the compost bin, which is nearly new and has been left by the previous owner, and lo & behold what was it full of???? No, not lovely compost, but a colony of frogs and the old tenant's tools!!!! Couldn't believe it; I'd only gone and bought my own the day before! Sods law. Was really chuffed to see the frogs though; I hear they are our best friend in the fight against slugs, so I think at some point I'll be building a little pond to try and convince them to stick around.

Today, I dug (double-dug) three beds, including the huge bed around the bean cane rack - the soil is still a bit sticky, but hopefully the cold weather we are still having will help to break it down. I'm gonna have to buy in bags & bags of compost 'cos the soil is really very clay-ey (is that a real word???!) Needless to say Im pretty knackered right now, and having a radox bath when I got home was soooooo nescesary!

I spoke to quite a few of my new neighbours; it was like stepping into a time warp; everyone (without exception) was so friendly and welcoming. Got lots of tips and hints and offers of seed & cuttings when the time is right.

Finished off the day by planting one little London Rose, just so that I could say I'd planted something and have something to watch whilst Im digging over all of the other beds!

All in all, a fab day; a great allotment (stunning views!) and am now very contented; am certain I will sleep like a baby tonight....

All I need to do now is decide what Im gonna grow first!!

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Author Topic: Total novice (not even got a plot yet!) (Read 7172 times)

undercarriage plan