Topic: Negative vibes

[Linda]

Yeah, it all sounds horribly familiar. When I first took on my plot, I was the only girl and the only organic gardener. I was shoved up the far end, on a plot that hadn't been touched in about 15 years and subjected to a daily tirade of doom and gloom. Only sheer bloody mindedness and the faith of the secretary (who knew how much I liked hard work) kept me going. They were all surprised when I was still there the following year, and producing stuff to eat (although I then got the 'kale's just for cows' routine). Anyway, 17 years later, they are all dead and I'm running the site. HAH. From a derelict site with just over 20 members, all except me, miserable old gits, we are now a thriving, full site with a waiting list, and of our members about 3 quarters are fully organic and 3 quarters are women. Also lots of children on the site. Only 4 miserable gits (sorry, grumpy old men) left and counting!

Don't give up Dawn, the smile (and maybe a little curse under your breath) does work in the end!!

Love and compost
Linda

[Deleted]

Good day at the plot esterday. mr doom & gloom not there. Was told he just gets jealous of everyone - he turns up with a couple of beers and just sits looking at his plot, and then wonders why everyone else is coming on much better than his.

Everyone very friendly, most enjoyable - and now i've got ground ready for my spuds & onions!

[Mrs Ava]

That is good news Dawn.

[SEDUM]

People say the strangest things: my neighbour took a look at my new raised beds and said 'Well, best laid plans and all...', which I immediately thought was rude, but then some people don't mean ill, they just say the first thing that pops into their heads - I keep telling myself that, anyway.  But just to be on the safe side I have evil thoughts about his petunias...

I have a friend who can't say a single nice thing, all doom and gloom she is, like your allotment pal.  Best ignore them.  Use your resources and energy to crack the challenges in the soil.

All the best,
Art

[Lily]

I too am lucky to have good lottie neighbours. 
Plot 1 - shared with friend.  Fellow plot holder gets her husband periodicaly to cut everyones grass around the edge of the site.

Plot 2 - Just for me.  My neighbour plot holder and site manager has cut down a large private hedge between my site and his.

If someone had said anything negative to me, then I would just love to prove them wrong.  I can only think that people are jealous.  Some people don't like change and if they are one of the die hards and their previous lottie buddies are no longer here then you can imagine how they might feel.  Don't be negative back, only positive, this leaves them with nowhere to go. It's a bit like the 'Supernanny' programme, put them in a naughty corner until the negative feelings have gone and they can only say something positive ;D

Keep going, have a vision of a beautiful plot in your mind and if you have a bad day talk to us, you will always get lots of support.

Good Luck
  Lily

[Anne Robertson]

Apart from one couple, everyone on my site are great, we all share seeds, seedlings, mature produce, advice etc.
Sometimes one of the guys will spend a while rotavating a bit of my lottie so I can get some stuff in.
I've just given some surplus Jerusalem artichokes, raspberry canes and rhubarb to whoever wanted them.  ;D
Share what you reap and reap what you share ;D)(does that make sense ???)

[return of the mac]

Dawn i would have told this guy to get tae...  ;)(but im not the most tactful so i wouldnt advise it). Im lucky in that most of the plotholders at my site are really nice- one gave me some tatties. I wish you the best of luck and ignore anyone who doubts you.

[Granny_Smith]

Don't worry, Doom and Gloom is a crop which grows on most sites. There's also lots of good bountiful harvests to reap as well.

The grumpy old git with the plot opposite ours keeps telling us that ours is full of rubbish and we won't get much produce from it. Wasting our time digging etc etc ---- need I go on? we've all heard it before.
We wandered over to his plot at the weekend to see what he was doing as he said he was going to leave it empty this year and just rotovate it.
Yep - there he was, he was rotovating it alright, and the tines on his rotovator were clogged up with great clumps of couch grass which he was just pulling off and chucking back down. There was rubbish everywhere.

Listen to him?  Never !!!!! He's only been there for 3 years. We had our first plot on the site back in the 70's

As OH and me are taking our time to dig and plant our plot, progression is slow. One couple walked past the other day muttering something about "professional"and then asked if we were going for the Gold medal for the best plot. Our reply ? "Of course aren't you ?"

Our secretary always brings new recruits to our plot to show them how we are coping with a large plot that was not cultivated for 10 years !! Now there's something to be proud about - we are a role model for others.

[Hairy Friar]

 Well I've spent only a couple of hours at my new plot over three periods. They all seem very friendly if a little competative to get there word in! They also seem to like the idea that a couple in their 30s with two small children are coming into the fold.

 As for the inevitable grumpy old gits, I'm not the most tactfull and niether am I the smallest guy on the planet, so I'll be adopting the short sharp shock treatment to anyone that tries it on. That way those I have met and allready shared laughter with will hopefully speak well of us making the grumpy sods feel the ones with a problem. As they bloody well should!

 When the plots done were having a gathering of folk to celebrate and I'll make sure it's at a time any miserable git/gits visits his/her plot!

 Good luck Dawn.

[kitty]

you could say you're doing them a favour-with a bird table you are attracting the birds away from their plots!
gawd! ::)people ay?

[Heldi]

Dawn ...hello!

I think I am about to run the gauntlet of the grumpy old gits and definately the sexist old gets around here.  Unfortunately some of them are only in their 40's and are running the "women can't mend fences" type theme. My partner "His Madge"  noted this attitude on my initial enquiries about an allotment.The "commitee " guy in our street would not talk to me about it. He always refers to His Madge ( who is only coming round to "growing stuff" through me) as thee one. His Madge pointed this reluctance to engage me in conversation etc and said he reckoned his name should go down on the application list,in order for me to get a sniff of a plot. So reluctantly I conceeded and put our names jointly. All corespondence is now in his name. GRRR! I wrote my letter of complaint but I had to write as if from him. GRRR!  I put my own name forward during the letter. Ofcourse! This guy in our street is of one my older brothers ages so I find his attitude very bizarre. I accept it from..no not accept, because people of any age can have their views challenged,but will ok, put up to a certain degree of crap, but to find it in a 40 something is a bit shocking!

So to round it off. Keep on doing what you are doing and do not let the "Melon Twisters" get at you. Believe me they'll be doing it to everyone they come in contact with and everyone will  be thinking the same about them. The trick is to realise what they are and dismiss them because you do not need that kind of input. PAH! Get rid of their negative vibe and give yourself all POSITIVE! Maybe give them some positive too , nothing stops their rubbish quicker!!

[Heldi]

Sometimes I think I'm imagining it and don't want to cry sexist but when His Madge points it out I feel justified in having a winge. Most men I know personally aren't the least bit sexist so it does feel strange when you come across it. I'm not on some feminist jaunt, I want to be taken seriously and not to be dismissed right out of hand thats all. It is really annoying.


To balance the scales. I have met some really nice fellas who do look over the fence and engage me in converation as well as His Madge. I enjoy that lots. Most blokes are great!