Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: robkb on September 08, 2005, 09:35:23
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Hi everyone,
As a newbie gardener of about 1 year (and a newbie to this site!) I really want to grow lots of veggies. My local council has allotment plots available, but I'm a bit concerned about biting off more than I can chew. What would your advice be to anyone thinking of starting out as an allotment holder?
Cheers,
Rob.
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Just Do it! ;D ;D
You can always cover areas that you cannot get to, and you will have lots of fun and fresh veg.
Also look back on some of the posts here, they give invaluable advise on starting up etc.
Good luck
DP
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Welcome.
Do it! If you like gardening at all then you'll love having an allotment!
How much 'free' time have you got to spend on a plot? Assuming it's the odd evening and weekend (i.e. you aren't retired) then if the plots on offer are all overgrown (and they usually are) see if you can get a half-plot. Failing that you might be able to cover half a full plot with something (weed suppressing fabric etc) and concentrate on clearing/planting the other half for the first year. I produce plenty of veggies from my half plot to feed me and the missus - and still have plenty to give away.
Start gently, don't go at it all at once, or you'll injure yourself. Little and often is best. Clear a bit, then plant something. Having something (anything) growing will help encourage you to keep going! Remember, all those immaculate plots probably belong to people who have been allotmenteering for years.
There are plenty of nice people here who will give you lots of advice and encouragement, should you need it.
Good luck!!
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Definitely do it!
After a long day at the infernal computer, or on the road, what better way is there to unwind?
My green grocery bill must have dropped a tenner a week?
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Wow! 10 minutes and two very encouraging answers! Thanks for that, much appreciated. :D
Sadly I'm not retired (the lottery win hasn't happened yet!), so yes, it would mainly be evenings and weekends. I'd also like to get my kids involved, as they're interested in growing veggies but we don't really have the space at home (although I have got a small container veggie garden). So now I need to get myself in gear and get my patch!
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Thanks Wardy, I'm trying to help my kids understand that the food they eat doesn't just appear on supermarket shelves and also is good fun to grow. Luckily they seem up for it, and like most kids they both love being outdoors, so I think I'll have at least two willing helpers.
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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I'm still working too, only get to go there in the evenings, on average spend an hour a day.
Only started in July, had to 'find' the plot first, then played catch-up with everybody else, and now have a very respectable looking plot but still waiting for many things to develop.
Eating salads, spinach, beans, peas, courgettes, marrows, toms. Chard, carrots, parsnips, fennel, spuds, cabbage, headback, beans, to come.
Sweet corn 3'6" loaded with possible cobs :o
Marvelous fun, is this enough encouragement? ;D!
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Only started in July, had to 'find' the plot first, then played catch-up with everybody else, and now have a very respectable looking plot but still waiting for many things to develop.
Eating salads, spinach, beans, peas, courgettes, marrows, toms. Chard, carrots, parsnips, fennel, spuds, cabbage, headback, beans, to come.
Sweet corn 3'6" loaded with possible cobs :o
Marvelous fun, is this enough encouragement? ;D!
I'm not sure if that's encouraging or intimidating! You've done all that since July? Blimey :o :o
Actually your lottie sounds brilliant, as do loads of others here, and reading back through the posts it seems like there's a very helpful and supportive community both here and it most people's allotment sites. I'm getting quite entusiastic now...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Hi Wardy, and thanks again for the advice. I like the idea of chilling out with a beer and certainly don't plan to knacker myself too much (although working an allotment seems much more appealing than going to the gym - which I never do anyway!).
Anyway, am now about to phone the council and sort out a visit to the site, so will let you know what happens.
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Wardy what a fab lottie
Thats what I want mine to be like, a nice place to go and if there's a few veg about then thats an added bonus.
Robkb - Go for it, the kids will love it and so will your OH I expect when you toddle off with the 2 kids in tow
Good luck
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Hi Rob. Definitely go for it. Your kids will absolutely love it. My son (19 months) would happily move out of the house and into the shed at the allotment!
Wardy, your plot is brill, just what we had in mind for ours too! :)
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Oh yes. Do it. Kept me sane. Lost three stone too.
If its weedy, do a little area at a time though, mark a small area out with string and do that bit properly, then move on gradually. I've seen newcomers on our site go potty at it for a couple of weeks, trying to get it all done at once, and then we never see them again.
Allotments are great for de-stressing, daydreaming, sitting quietly in the dusk and watching the foxes, eating raspberries on the hoof, poking about in bonfires...
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I've dropped a dress size since starting the lottie.
May and June are tough times keeping up with the weeds - but I haven't had to buy ANY green veg, onions or potatoes since the start of June.
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Hi Rob
Just go for it.
Yes it's hard work, and there will be alot of times where you'll be wondering why your doing it, but I can assure you 100% that it is worth it :D :D :D
I work full time and have 2 young kids. I try and go 2-3 times a week, and find it really relaxing. Plus at the end of the day you get the veggies you've been waiting for.
I can honestly say it's been the best decision I've made for a long while ;D ;D ;D
Enjoy
Ruth
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Mornin' all,
Thanks for all the words of encouragement and advice - it's very helpful and makes me realise you don't have to try to build Rome in a day. My back garden just isn't big enough for veggies and flowers, and an allotment seems the best solution (short of selling up and buying a smallholding somewhere - no chance of that!). Both the kids seem quite enthusiastic. And I could definitely do with the exercise!! :o Now all I need to do is convince my other half, who suddenly seems very negative about it :( - she's worried about the time commitment, and reckons I'll spend all my time at the allotment to the detriment of our garden, and also thinks it will make it difficult for us to have holidays or days out... any one else had this problem? Oh well, will have to weigh up the pros and cons and convince her that the pros list is bigger!
Cheers,
Rob. ;)
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Hi Wardy,
Yep, we share the gardening and I do try to help out around the house, especially as my wife often has to work one day of the weekend. We both work, so believe it or not (I'm a bloke so I know it's probably quite hard to believe) I'm actually quite aware of the amount I need to do to keep the work/life balance resonably fair.
She enjoys gardening as much as me and I reckon once the allotment was up and running she'd secretly be as enthusiastic as me, she's just worried about us biting off more than we can chew. I can see her point, but I'm trying to convince her that having an allotment doesn't mean we can't do other things as well!
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Plus do you have the stamina never mind your OH ;D
I've had no complaints!!!! ;D :o ;D Oh sorry, you're still talking about the allotment aren't you... :-[
With replies like that you can see why perhaps my charm hasn't completely won OH over yet!
Cheers,
Rob :)
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Rob, why keep flowers and veg apart? I grow lilies and dahlias at the lottie as well just to use as cut flowers. My OH is quite happy for me to spend time down there when I get home with a bunch of fresh cut flowers and dinner as well. It means all those flowers that you have growing in the garden at home can stay there looking great but you still have a house full of beautiful fresh flowers as well.
I'm an early riser (6AM) so spend my time at the lottie early Saturday and Sunday mornings. With the taxi service for 3 teenage kids I don't have many nights that I can call my own any more so just grab what I can. With a bit of planning ahead you would be surprised how much you can get done in a short time. Go for it!! Cheers. Lance
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Hi Lance,
I'm not deliberately keeping the flowers and veg apart, but except for a small container veg garden a la Gardener's World, I don't have room for both at home! I do quite like the idea of a small cutting garden though, and I love dahlias... more food for thought!
And I'm an early riser too, can't be doing with laying in bed for hours, so early mornings wouldn't be a problem. Thanks again for the advice.
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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I have far more space on the allotment than I need for veg, so I'm planting more and more flowers. It's currently awash with Cyclamen hederifolium.
PS. I took this with a fairly new camera, and got the exposure wrong. I think I've now worked out how to do it!
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Rob.
My local council has allotment plots available
I'm gobsmacked!
Which part of London is that, then?
I'm in Camden where there's a ten year waiting list!
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Hi Amazin, sorry about the slow reply, haven't really been online this weekend.
As for which council I'm under, this is and will remain a closely guarded secret until I've actually signed for the lottie!! :)
Good news is, my OH has now agreed it's a good idea to try and get one (think my image of sitting there on summer evenings with a bottle of wine chilling in the freezer bag won her over!) and when I mentioned it to the kids they immediately dragged me off to the garden centre to choose their seeds for next year! :o So they seem quite keen too...
Cheers,
Rob. ;)
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No problem with the wine - I'll enjoy it too (as well as the odd beer! :D). As for the tea and coffee, when I get myself organised I'm thinking of getting a small camping stove to brew up on - saves taking a thermos every time.
Both my daughters want to grow pumpkins and courgettes next year, so I'll be heeding your advice not to plant more than 4 courgette plants (I love 'em, but not for every meal...). Mind you, when it comes to broad and runner beans I could easily eat industrial quantities!
Cheers,
Rob :)
ps. like the milk bottle plants labels idea - must try that one.
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I like your stove Wardy. I've got enough spare bricks at home to build one of those - in fact, I've probably got enough spare bricks to build another house!
And yes, if and when I get my plot the water butt is top of the list.
Cheers,
Rob. ;)
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Didn't set out to be a brick collector, they just turned up (literally!) when I dug all the borders over in the garden - hundreds of the bl**dy things, obviously dumped there by builders in the past. And then I thought "hmm, they might come in handy one day" and they're still there, in a big pile in the corner of the garden.
As for the 'doing nothing in particular' thing, I can do that! In fact I've been practising for years...
Cheers,
Rob. :)
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And then I thought "hmm, they might come in handy one day" and they're still there, in a big pile in the corner of the garden.
Same here, Rob - I started working on my garden over twenty years ago and have turned up a serious quantity of "house-seeds" ever since. Turns out my block of flats was built on a site that was bombed in WW2. Anyway, I piled mine up in a corner, threw some earth over them, and hey presto! - a herb rockery!
I once had a very weird dream that I finally dug the last brick out - and the whole block sank without trace!
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I have a horrible feeling that if I ever manage to dig the final brick out, my whole garden will sink without a trace! Mind you, I'd rather dig up bricks than the remains of someone's old family pet like last year! :o :o
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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I dug up the remains of a previous home-owner's cat! Strange thing was, the cat was just bones but cardigan it was wrapped in hadn't decomposed a bit! :o
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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I have just taken an allotment after a lot of umming and ahrring, And yes I have bitten off more than I can chew, blood sweat and tears have all been shed, the majority of it was 2 foot of grass which has been killed off with weed killer by the council, the rest of it has been used has a land fill site for house hold rubbish including asbestos :'( >:(
I decided the best way for me was to dig what I had to, mainly removing rubbish and cover the rest with thick black plastic (bought from my local farm supplies 8m x 50m £45 ;D) and let nature do the hard work, I plan to spend the winter just getting things ready for next year, erecting a shed, laying paths etc, I'm in no rush to get me veg in just yet, just doing it a bit at a time, at my own pace. But the best thing of all is that its my little haven away from the house ;D. So go on do it ;D
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Hi Chuff,
I'm going to do it, but not at a back-breaking pace. I'll do what I can when I can to clear it, and realistically I'm not expecting to plant anything until next spring. I reckon I'll spend most of the winter sorting out what I want to grow next year! :-\ Ah, the joys of seed catalogues...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Don't want to run before I can walk! Although if anyone's got any good recommendations for winter/spring stuff...
Cheers,
Rob. ;)
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welcome robkb
most things have been said, but just to chip into the mix:
i have a half plot and grow enough for two people and a little to give away. i havent bought any veg for months now - apart from onions (as i dont grow any). it's been great
it got me thinking about a whole host of things, actually, growing your own veg: reconnecting with the seasons and eating what is ripe now, not what has been flown in from the other side of the world! so apart from eating more healthily and cheaply, i also save the planet one bit at a time :D
i dug up the remains of a cat in the spring, which the previous plot holder had buried on the allotment! i mean, people bury their pets in their gardens, but on the lottie? :o but the tomatoes appreciated the fertiliser, it seems - all my veg has been doing very well this year.
as to time, i spend about half to an hour on the plot each evening (it IS only round the corner from my house), and then maybe two hours or so on saturday or sunday. nothing too taxing, you see. OH doesnt do much gardening, but has helped with digging, weeding and harvesting. and enjoys that too
so yes, go for it.
another londoner, i wonder how central you are? i know brent council have lots of spare plots, maybe that is where you are then? i am in southwark :)
have fun
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Hi Svea, and thanks for the encouragement.
I agree completely about reconnecting with the seasons (is anyone who gardens not aware of this) and eating what's fresh now. A while ago I sort of converted to organic veggies and then very soon realised any eco-benefits were being completely obliterated by the distance they travelled to get to the supermarket, just so I could eat celery and fennel etc. all year round. Add to that a very good essay by Huge Fearnley-Whittingstall in his River Cottage cookbook about seasonality and veg growing and you get the idea why I started growing stuff at home, which led naturally to the allotment idea...
As for being a Londoner, I work in Southwark but I live (ok, the secret's out) in Greenwich.
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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hugh fearlessly-eatsitall is a favourite read of ours, too
i agree 'local' food is more important than 'organic'
farmers markets are great for that
at least it's all grown round about the M25 so not too far.
re: the seasons - another by product of this is i now rejoice when it rains in the middle of summer - not recking my summer day, but saving me from having to water :D
and i noticed in the middle of august that autumn started with falling leaves and that. it's marvelous :)
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you mean the cloud, wardy?
http://www.lusas.com/case/civil/images/mqc2_800.jpg
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Greenwich. Ooh good - you have sommat at the Greenwich thingy building which belongs to us (or a model of it at least). Apparently up here in Derbs we're supposed to be getting a massive sculpture - bigger than the angel of the north apparently. They're erecting this edifice by junction 29a when it's built that is. BUT no-one round here has a clue what it looks like as the thing is at Greenwhich which is miles away. Praps you'd be good enough to go and have a look and tell me what it's like ;D so we know in advance then we can object if is pants ;D
Soz, don't know which building in Greenwich so could you try them all. Thank you kindly ;D
Bigger than the Angel of the North? Blimey, that's going to be enormous! And if it is pants, it'll be the biggest pair in history!
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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A solar pyramid at the observatory? Must go and have a butchers and see if I can get a photo... That Cloud thingy is probably okay on a small scale, but on a huge scale it'd look like a collapsed pylon struck by lightning!
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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any update on the plot, rob? (stop flirting with wardy already ;))
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Am currently exchanging emails with Greenwich Council as the site I originally wanted now has no vacancies (since Monday!). But there's another 4 or 5 sites within a couple of miles which - allegedly - have vacancies so fingers crossed...
Flirting? Moi? Too busy reading back through this site, emailing the council and thinking of the lunchtime visit to Borough Market for that. Who knows, I might even do some work soon... :o :o
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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hmm borough market. a little pricey for veg but such fun to visit :)
have a monmouth coffee company coffee for me :)
and dont forget to buy some nice (real) bread at neil's yard dairy
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and dont forget to buy some nice (real) bread at neil's yard dairy
Is that the one near the fresh ostrich stall? If so, it's fab! Bought a huge roundy-type loaf there the other week, about the size of a bus wheel - kept us going for days, toasted brilliantly, and didn't go manky - unlike supermarket bread that's full of so-called preservatives! I like drooling over the fresh game stalls (although the stallholders don't) and wishing the rest of my family liked rabbit as much as me...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Quick update - the ball's rolling. Council gave me number of site manager at another place with vacancies, have phoned and will be visiting tomorrow afternoon to choose plot (assuming I have a choice...).
Anybody got any suggestions about what I should be looking out for? Obviously huge infestations of Japanese knotweed are to be avoided, but apart from that...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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The one with the best neighbours Rob ;D
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Good morning everyone, and it certainly is! Went to visit the site Saturday afternoon - got met by a very helpful chap who showed us round, told us about the plots and some of the other plot-holders, and also showed us the plots that have been set aside as a small wildlife area. And he wouldn't let us leave until he'd filled a couple of bags of veggies off his plot for us to take away (including huge beetroot and the freshest radishes I've ever tasted)! ;D ;D
So, phoned council this morning and put my name down for a plot (not too overgrown, nothing a bit of hard work won't sort out), and the paperwork/key will be in the post in the next couple of days. As you can probably tell, I'm quite excited! ;D
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Ta Wardy,
The OH was really enthusiastic when she saw what other people were doing - think she was kind of worried about taking on too much work and also being perceived as a bit of an old f*rt (like me!), but now has lots of plans for prize dahlias, sweetcorn etc. The chap who showed us round told us there's a lot of seed-swapping on the site, so that sounds good. And on top of everything, there's a lock-up for tools if you don't have a shed and a big, well-stocked hut run by the local horticultural society. And a loo - blimey! :o ;D
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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You're so lucky.........I am up against a brick wall still. The woman at the council is on holiday til the 3rd and so is the treasurer. Ive got to wait til the 2nd when I can attend the meeting and pay my fees. I really want to get started but cant and the weather has been lovely as well. We had a wander round on Saturday but couldn't do anything :(
Never ming, carry on reading the books/seed catalogues and drawing little pictures of how I want it to look. I have a friend who's father has sadly passed on and I get to go through his shed on Sunday and pick whatever I want from his vast collection of gardening implements....any suggestions?
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Hi Petra, sorry to hear about your delays. I must admit I'm slightly surprised at how quickly mine seems to be moving! And I don't want to rub it in but it seems I even get 6 months rent free :o, as the council don't bill until April next year and have told me they don't backdate the rent as they know most new plot holders take that long to clear the plots and get things moving. Still, at least yours will be properly planned out by the time you get it...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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You're right, gives me time to get bits organised in advance I suppose.
Interesting about the fees being waived, there's plenty to do on my plot so Im wondering about that.......... :-\
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Definitely worth a try. The chap who showed us round said we should say this to the council, but to my amazement the council woman got in first! She also offered me a different plot free for a whole year, but as this had 5 foot tall brambles and a huge great tree growing out of the middle I politely declined!
Cheers,
Rob. ;)
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Yes I have chosen one, there were 8 available and I picked the only south facing one. The others were all shaded by trees and as that is a major issue in my garden I feel that Ive made the best choice.
Im going to start looking at plants now and might try and get into the site again. My name is against the plot list pinned up on the meeting shed and Ive been assured that no-one else can now have it but as you say this bureaucracy is a nightmare. Why is there only one person in the local council employ who deals with allotments and no-one else capable of making a decision in her absence?I have to make sure everyone knows whats going on when I go on leave.......I'll leave it there before I get even more frustrated. >:( Better get some more work done as well tee hee!
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Work? Oh yes, that's what I did before I joined A4A... :-[
As for council bureaucracy, I'm beginning to realise I've been lucky! Worst I had was the council woman saying the site secretary would know which plots were available, and the site secretary telling me he wasn't actually a secretary in any official capacity (just a long-term plot holder who knows everything about the site) and he couldn't put my name against an empty plot in case the council had already leased it and not told him yet! When I told the council woman this she admitted he was right and immediately told me which plots were definitely free - at which point I took the best one available and thanked her for her help!
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Latest update for anyone who's interested/cares...
Tenancy agreement is in the post! Hurrah!! ;D ;D
I asked the council person what happens next (ie. meaning collecting keys etc) - her reply was "You go down there and dig like crazy!" :o ;D
So could be a busy weekend...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Excellent news Rob, congratulations, now go get digging! ;D
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Hmm... did go mad this weekend, but for different reasons to what you mean Wardy. Got the tenancy agreement on Friday, went back to the plot on Saturday to have another look round, think about what needs doing - was overjoyed to see the plot looking in very good shape, a few weeds but nothing a quick going-over with a hoe wouldn't sort out. Was then mightily pi**ed off to be told that someone is still cultivating the plot! >:( >:( Amongst the baby weeds is a fine crop of spinach, and the shed is apparently a fairly new addition to the plot - why would someone who's given up a plot put a shed on it? So now I have to go back to the council to find out what the hell is going on - has the other person given up their plot and not told any of the other plot-holders, or have the council sent me an agreement for a plot that isn't actually vacant? As much as I want to have a lotty, I don't want to walk straight into some kind of 'turf war' on my first day!
Cheers,
Rob >:(
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ooh, nightmare rob >:(
I've visited my lottysite, met the rep, agreed to take on vacant plot AND he's offered to divide my plot into beds and rotavate them for me :D all i need now is my letter & key from council (although i think lotty rep going ahead with rotavator anyway) It's been 10 days since i filled in my application form & sent it back... maybe there'll be something in the post today.
Hope you sort out your situation soon Rob - i'm sure you'll keep us all posted,
Chloe
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Hi Chloe, thanks for the sympathy! Your site sounds very well organised, wish mine was the same! >:(
Just phoned the council, apparently the previous tenant was served an eviction notice in June but is refusing to budge - this is an argument I really don't want to get involved in. However, I might still come out of this okay... There's another vacant plot which is very overgrown and a bit of a rubbish tip, but by way of apology for the thingy-up the council have agreed to clear it this week :) So looks like I might still have a lotty, just not the one I was expecting...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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I hope your 'new' plot works out for you Rob,
Post's just been - no key but did get my cyclamen seeds from T & M (free packet worth £4.99 - only spent £3 on other seeds so v pleased with self ;D)
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Hi Wardy,
Not sure of she's squatting or not - I get the impression she paid her rent but was so late in paying the council evicted her in the meantime! Oh well, let them sort it out... :-X
As for the clearing, the council don't normally do it but there are 3 completely overgrown plots. 2 have already been let but only on the understanding that the council do their bit first, and they're doing it for me because a) they're doing the others anyway and b) they've been made to look very silly by the failure of their own procedures :-[
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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For anyone still following this sorry saga... I've got a lottie! ;D ;D Well, I've got 300 square yards of grass :'( and a very nice shed! :D Oh, and a decrepit fruit cage with several currant and gooseberry bushes in it that my OH spent the weekend clearing. Have started the long job of digging it all over and getting all the bloody couch grass out, and even managed to clear enough ground to get some onions in! :D Hurrah, summat to watch grow while I'm digging the rest of it...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Watching onions grow is like watching paint dry ;)
Well, I can do both when I paint the shed! ;D
I can think of better things than digging, but if I'm trying to be organic it seems a shame to fall at the first hurdle and nuke everything with Roundup. Anyway, with all the interruptions from people coming over to say hello and offer afvice I'm just glad to have got anything done at all...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Congrats Rob ;D
Wow - shed, fruit cage, onions.... sounds brill!
Jealous? Moi? You betcha! ;) (Still no word from my council... I've emailed, phoned.. maybe one day I'll get my key ???)
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Congrats Rob ;D
Wow - shed, fruit cage, onions.... sounds brill!
Jealous? Moi? You betcha! ;) (Still no word from my council... I've emailed, phoned.. maybe one day I'll get my key ???)
Turn up at their office - seemed to work for me!
Cheers,
Rob ;)
ps. you wouldn't be jealous if you saw the grass - the word 'savannah' springs to mind... :(
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Carry my wife over the threshold? :o :o Isn't my back going to suffer enough wth all the digging?
As for the fish n chips, can't help thinking that if I sit still for too long a certain plot-holder will come over and tell me I'm eating them the wrong way and should really be eating them the same way he does... ::)
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Oh no, not one of those! They ARE the worst kind. Don't be governed by lotty neighbours though. Eat chips, drink beer, have party - on bonfire night (compulsory) :)
He's mostly harmless, but doesn't half remind me of that Harry Enfield character from years ago! "Only meeee, you don't want to do it like that, you want to do it like this...!" Still, as OH says, if it's good advice we'll use it and if it's not we'll ignore it!
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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What's it supposed to do? And did it work? ???
Not going anywhere near mine with a rotovator, I don't want lots of chopped-up couch grass roots flying everywhere...
And why shouldn't you grow onions from sets? ???
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Joji, you must have worked really hard!
Your plot looks pretty steep! Our garden has a similar gradient I reckon! Keeps you fit :)
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I just got an email back from the council's allotment and footpath officer saying she's received my application and will deal with it and the others she's got (how many of us are there i wonder) once she's met an urgent deadline about something or other. Excuses excuses >:(
Not very impressed, especially knowing that there's at least one bed that's been cleared for me and is just waiting for the onion sets and garlic i've got sitting in my shed.... ho hum ::)
Maybe I'll just get myself up there and plough on regardless - the lotty rep regards it as my plot and hasn't had any other enquiries about the site for months. Now, where did I put my wellies ??? ;D
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Yeah, go an start working on the plot and then if (God forbid) anything does go wrong you can claim squatter's rights! Now why does that sound familiar?
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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That sounds like a good idea Wardy - would stop plots getting hopelessly overgrown while the council is waiting to evict the current tenants. According to my tenancy agreement, the council have to give me 12 months notice to quit, even if I sit on my bum and do nothing but watch the weeds grow! Daft innit?
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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It certainly is stupid. There's a plot on my site that's completely overgrown with brambles and even has a tree growing out of the middle of it, it's not being cultivated and the guy hasn't been seen for ages, but because he keeps paying his rent every year it's easier for the council to pretend they haven't seen it! >:(
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Thanks Rob & Wardy - will go & investigate tomorrow afternoon - hopefully there'll be someone else there who has a key :)
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So Kentishchloe, how did it go? Have you got a lottie yet?
I'm aching in places I didn't even know I had! Have managed to clear one bed about 4 X 25 ft and now have sown onions, broad beans and some winter lettuce that came free with a magazine. Still slowly clearing the next bed, and covering the rest with black plastic. My eldest daughter made me a scarecrow, which I thought was lovely ;D And to cap it all, the weather last weekend was absolutely gorgeous ;D This lottying thing could become seriously addictive...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Well - I've had a letter from council who asked me to sign regs & send back then they'd send me key & tenancy agreement etc....
I got bored waiting for post so yesterday in glorious sunshine i packed up car with tools, plants & sets - and son - and went to lotty. What a fantastic afternoon, i raked over the first of my three freshly rotavated beds and planted onions, garlic & p/s brocolli. Hurray!! will (hopefully) have something to eat next year!
Was really chuffed to find excellent soil, sandy & rich with evidence of organic matter having been added in past. No nasty weeds to be seen ;D and what a warm welcome from the lotty rep who's clearing & rotavting beds for me.
Happy dance ;D ;D ;D
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Excellent news Chloe, you sound well organised.
How peculiar! All Wardy's posts from this thread have disappeared ??? Do they have a Mission Impossible stylee self-destruct thing built in? Either way, this thread now reads like one half of a phone conversation where you can't hear the other half ???
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Oh yeah - how weird ??? I noticed the same thing on another thread earlier, people were replying to her but she wasn't there - the A4A triangle?
Wardy - where are you - come back ;D
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I'm still here, coo ee ;D
Your lotty sounds like one I had a dream about. No weeds, kindly man doing all your rotovating, no nasty weeds to be seen :o You'll wake up soon ;D
Wait til Heidi reads this. I thought my plot was dire til I saw hers :o
Great news anyway and you'll have plenty of food next year for sure, even more than most, if you have no weeds and a clear lotty to go at. make sure you cover unused beds up though or weeds will come back. you can use black plastic or green manure. You can be setting up your daleks too :)
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rob,
admit that you destroyed those messages!
you were also afraid that i would chide you again for flirting with wardy ;D
(or maybe wardy did it....hmmmm)
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Black placcy at the ready Wardy :D
Am feeling very smug that i judged the weather so well & got my planting done in glorious sunshine - has been raining non-stop since! Oh and i got my key etc yesterday hurray ;D
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rob,
admit that you destroyed those messages!
you were also afraid that i would chide you again for flirting with wardy ;D
(or maybe wardy did it....hmmmm)
Or maybe my OH did it to hide the evidence - just before she tested positive in Heldi's psychopath test :o :o :o
Oh and i got my key etc yesterday hurray ;D
Hurrah! Now you're a bona fide allotmenteer! :D
Cheers,
Rob ;)