Topic: Last evening at the allotment

[Borlotti]

Because it was cooler last night and I had been away I decided to cut some of the long grass under the apple tree with my shears.  When I woke up this morning I couldn't open my eye as my face had swollen up.  Looked in the mirror and thought help.  As I was going to the doctor today to pick up a prescription, thought I could ask the pharmacist about my eye.  He was busy, but it had gone down by then, then I found that I had been bitten on my neck, face and the eyelids.  It is better now, but on a hot night, I am not going to cut the long grass down again.

[pumkinlover]

Sounds nasty, hope feeling better now.

[saddad]

Sorry to hear that, I often get bitten doing that but only on the legs. I saw my first shrews on the allotments cutting some long grass last week... 

[Squash64]

Sorry to hear that, I often get bitten doing that but only on the legs. I saw my first shrews on the allotments cutting some long grass last week... 

Wish they'd come and cut mine. 

[Golach]

I got bitten quite badly on my scalp and forehead last week while also cutting long grass.

Dug out my old biker's Buff (a thin, tube of material that can be twisted into useful headgear - here they are:  http://www.fowlersonlineshop.co.uk/Default.aspx?LoadContent=Catbuffere&CatID=898&DeptID=895)

I then put a few drops of lavendar essential oil on it.  Haven't been bitten since 

[Digeroo]

Eating garlic or garlic tablets is supposed to deter the little blitters.   

[Big Gee]

I think it's that time of the year when bugs get grumpy!!

One of my allotment friends got stung about 20 times by wasps a few days ago. Poor so & so decided to tap mud off his boots on the edge of a compost bin on the corner of a lazy plotter's virtually abandoned allotment. For his trouble he upset a nest of wasps that had built a home in the old dry compost.

He managed to get away with one boot in his hand whilst waving the other free hand above his head with a swarm of wasps in hot pursuit - he still had three or four down his shirt after he got into his car. He arrived at our house all grey and thoroughly shaken up. After a dousing of vinegar & a cup of tea he seemed to be pretty much recovered.

He's not a happy bunny though - if I was the tenant of plot No. 6 I'd keep well out of his way for a while!

[Golach]

He's not a happy bunny though - if I was the tenant of plot No. 6 I'd keep well out of his way for a while!

Ouch.  I've only ever been stung once and that was when a wasp flew up the leg of my jeans 30 years ago.  Boy, did it hurt and itch for about a week.

Talking of tenants not keeping their plots, the tenant of the plot next to mine asked me last night if I'd like to take his over as he's been given notice to quit by the Council for allowing the plot to become very neglected.  I did think there was something going on as he'd removed the (small) rhubarb plants and kicked over the two tomato plants so the tomatoes just rotted or got slugged (what a waste and a shame).

Not sure how that would work with the Council so was non-committal.  Had a good look round it and decided against it.  What he's been doing is basically every now and then digging up some weeds, earth and all, putting it into piles and setting fire to it after it's dried out.  Result is the whole plot looks like a giant mole got under it.  Probably harder work than my one is.  I didn't tell him I've already got a noted interest in the plot that runs on from the end of mine.  Lot of work needed there too but there are a lot of nice raspberry canes, a fruit tree of some description -  don't know what fruit it gives and the remains of a strawberry patch with some well-established plants on it.  The rest is 5ft high grass and weeds.

I really can't understand why people take on plots, pay rent for them then let them go to rack and ruin.

Mine is coming along nicely and definitely beginning to look "loved".  Must admit, it's hard work but what I've found since I took on the plot is that no matter how stressful a day I've had I always feel relaxed and happy after I've worked on the plot.

Unfortunately, I've lost my chief digger-upper (my son) from the digging.  He managed to break his little toe at the weekend and has a lot of walking to do in his job so is trying to rest it at home.  So far we've got just over half the plot dug up, the long grass now reduced to about 4 inches, we've edged one side of the plot which has really tidied it up and I've started digging over the part son has dug and hand weeding, pulling out as much weed and couch grass roots as I can find.  It's a slow job but I think will be worth the effort in the end.

[lady_bug]

Ouch!! That sounds painful. Hope it doesn't take too long for you to fully recover.

I've not been down to the plot for a couple of days.. this thing called work (christmas card deliveries/rolls of christmas paper) has been interfering with my plot time. Did see a friend the other day, who told me that she and her hub have been kicked off their plot due to the weeds and apparently they weren't growing anything. She said they'd had a letter from the Association about it and asked if I'd had one. I said no, but it did make me wonder if I was going to get one due to the amount of weeds we do currently have. After talking to my partner and my mum, I came to the conclusion that if they were going to kick us off for the weeds (we do have spuds and fruit bushes at the moment and the toms and cucumbers in the poly tunnel) then they would have to get rid of whoever has the plot in front of ours as he has as many as we do despite being a plot holder for longer than us and they'd also have to evict whoever has a plot further up from ours as it is ALL dead, brown weeds with the exception of one set of peas by the shed.

One thing has made things seem a bit more like it is becoming our plot and not a huge big rubbish dump, the Association deposited a skip in the corner of the car park which meant that we could finally start clearing the previous tennants rubbish/crap/broken kids toys.. It has taken me about 10/12 trips up to the skip, its still not all gone, but the skip was over filled and I didn't fancy trying to get the rubbish higher and higher as knowing my luck, it would have fallen off and probably landed on me..

[Big Gee]

Ouch!! That sounds painful. Hope it doesn't take too long for you to fully recover. . . .

It wasn't me but my allotment mate Stephen who got stung. I'm pretty fortunate, in my 59 years, I've only been stung once & that was by a bumble bee when I was about 8. It was entirely my own fault. At the time I was fascinated by the creatures & would spend hours with an empty jam jar, putting it over bees & things when they were on flowers & then examining them at close quarters. When you try & encourage little insects to display their sting to satisfy your child's curiosity then the inevitable will happen!

There's a huge difference between a neglected plot & one that is used but a bit untidy due to work pressures. The plot holder where the wasp's nest is hasn't tended to her plot for three years - through disinterest & laziness. The problem isn't addressed because her clique of Yacht Club cronies are on the allotment association's committee. Therein lies another can of worms! 

[Golach]

The rents for our allotments are due on the 1st of October.  I doubt if the tenant with the plot I've got my eye on will renew the lease.  I wonder how long the council gives people to pay their allotment rent or quit?  Any idea?

[Robert_Brenchley]

I was once asked to sort out a wasps' nest in someone's shed; I regard doing this as a sort of 'rent' in return for keeping hives on the site. I opened the door to investigate, ripped a nest on the back of the door in half, and ran. I got away with only a couple of stings, and came back with my beekeeping kit on. They still got me again on the hand.

[Jeannine]

So do you know what bit you Borlotti, it sounds very unpleasant. XX Jeannine