Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => Locations and Sites => Topic started by: caseylee on February 16, 2008, 17:01:53
-
I am based in Swindon, and would love to speak to others in swindon and see how they cope with the wonderful weather we have and all their success rate of growing
-
Hoping to have an allotment in next 6 months or sooner (fingers crossed) so not able to swop lottie notes just yet :) Where abouts have you got your allotment? Do you go to the S.A L G A meetings?
Fluffnco
-
I didden't know about any meetings I am in the parks area
-
The meetings are held at the punjabi community centre behind the sikh temple on the 2nd last thursday of every month :)
They had a very interesting speaker on this month talking about edible vegetables from pennards plants. He was very knowlegeable :)
I've got the urge to plant and weed stuff at the minute so have fought it off by sorting out my postage stamp piece of garden. I really envy you :)
-
contact the council they have a few avail I beleive, not sure where they are though but its worth a try
-
Which bit of Swindon are you in Caseylee?
Mother of PG has an allotment in Stratton St Margaret at the end of Ermin Street. She's often down there and loves to chat! I'll persuade her to come on the forum if you like. She's just got the hang of the computer and loves Google. She can't remember life without it now.
-
My friends partner has a llotment somewhere down there, tell her to come online always good to speak to someone in the same town
-
Which bit of Swindon are you in Caseylee?
Mother of PG has an allotment in Stratton St Margaret at the end of Ermin Street. She's often down there and loves to chat! I'll persuade her to come on the forum if you like. She's just got the hang of the computer and loves Google. She can't remember life without it now.
OO are they council or parish run?....they're just up the road from me and would be ideal....
As for spare allotments I rang up the previous allotments number, it's changed so had to re ring and got clair (?) allotment officer who is now an ex allotments officer...apparently there's a new girl taken over ( Emma)and she said she'd pass on my enquiry to emma and I hear from her but so far nothing so I'll give her a ring tomorrow if I get the chance :)....would be great to have a few more from Swindon to chat to too :)
Fluffnco
-
Which bit of Swindon are you in Caseylee?
Mother of PG has an allotment in Stratton St Margaret at the end of Ermin Street. She's often down there and loves to chat! I'll persuade her to come on the forum if you like. She's just got the hang of the computer and loves Google. She can't remember life without it now.
OO are they council or parish run?....they're just up the road from me and would be ideal....
As for spare allotments I rang up the previous allotments number, it's changed so had to re ring and got clair (?) allotment officer who is now an ex allotments officer...apparently there's a new girl taken over ( Emma)and she said she'd pass on my enquiry to emma and I hear from her but so far nothing so I'll give her a ring tomorrow if I get the chance :)....would be great to have a few more from Swindon to chat to too :)
Fluffnco
spoke to allotments women who said there is a plot just off hatton Grove that , if i like it, i can have tomorrow :o ( thinking got to be a catch) Anyone know this area ( I'm not from swindon origionally so not totally up on good areas or bad etc :)).....really excited though...going to go and have a look tomorrow :) If I don't like it then i'm looking at a minimum of 18 months to 5 years for a plot
-
I know hatton grove, its very secluded, but a very nice plot, I know someone that used to a lot there, its worth taking I beleive the soil is very good, but it will take a lot of work to get it up and running
-
oh that's great to know :) Do you think the seclusion is a good thing or could it prove to be a problem do you think?
The allotment officer did say the plot would be overgrown but that's half the fun of getting an allotment isn't it? digging out all those weeds and moulding it into something of your own. I'm really pleased that I won't have to wait months and miss the growing season this year...I might do a few planted through plastic beds this year and cover the rest, then work on small beds once the dung heaps and composting areas are in etc...can you tell I'm excited? :D
-
I actually own two of the lots on their, I just read your previous reply, and I guess I am having a blonde day, I was thinking of buckhurst one sorry about that. My allotment is on hatton close, I love it there, there are lots of houses looking over it, and the people that are there are friendly. The plots are abit overgrown, but it took me no time to get it sorted out, and the soil is beautiful and so easy to dig. Plus there are so many fruit trees there aswell which is suppossed to be lovely over summer.
Good luck tomorrow let me know how it goes
-
oh now that is really cool :)) is the site locked as I am going straight from work. I may have to press my nose up against the fence and drool :D I have to email the allotments officer tomorrow once I have been to look at it..she didn't say anything about picking up a key to view or anything. It's so silly how excited I am lol
-
Its got a gate at the entrance which you need a key to get into, but you can see the site basically if you have a look throught the fence. I know when I got mine I had to pick a key up to view and then phone them to say yes or no. I must warn you that the site that I tink are free are over grown, but mow the lawn and start digging is the best thing I can say. I love it down there, and liek I said the soil is excellant
-
Think I'll give the allotments officer a ring tomorrow morning then and arrange to pick up a key. To be honest have no idea where I would have to go to pick a key up as I've never had to make use of the council offices at all up until now...is it the place next to where the old benefits office was?...sorry to be such a nuisance with all these questions but I thought when i initially rang up the allotments officer I would have the whole procedure explained to me :)
do folks with plots there have sheds etc on them? Just looking on google maps it doesn't show any at all....i do want to have a greenhouse or a poly tunnel type thing for the OH to grow his chillies in lol
-
It is the office oppisite the train station ( well just before the train station) on the right hand side, if you go in there to the front desk and tell them that you have been offered a site at hatton close they will give you a key, its better to have the key then you can have a good look around. There is no one there at the moment with sheds, but I know you are allowed greenhouses but I'm not sure if glass ones are allowed, cause when I asked I was looking at a polycard one. I am looking to put a greenhouse or a shed on mine at the mo, cause I have a greenhouse at home but I want one on site aswell. Don't worry about too many questions I was worse when I got mine, I have dug over one plot already and due to start the other side next week. When you go in you will think oh my godness, cause it looks vacant, but there are 4 of us down there, and Its better to have one that needs work than not have one at all. The grass was up to my knees when I got it, lots of hard work and its finally taking shape. I am going to take the lawnmower down next week and mow the drive in path, and around the site generally, cause no one else has done it, and tidy up the blackberry buushes around it. I think the more people we get down there, the more we can all get it looking really good. I was told by one of the guys that has been there a while that the plots were rotovated and cleared 2 years ago, so they just need to be dug over.
-
ah ok know which place you mean now :D
Sounds like it is going to be a really friendly place :) I've almost made my mind up already lol :D
I can't wait to see it to be honest. Going to pick up a key and then drag the other half to see it too if he's still up ( he's working nights this week) then I can email the allotments officer back asap straight after. Will they let me make a start on the plot straight away or will I have to wait until the 'official' tenancy agreement is signed and returned?
-
as soon as I decided to take it, I went straight back to the office and they made me sign a form, and gave me a greencard with my site number on it, I was digging the same day, you do have to go in and sign that you will have it before you can dig, but I did it all in one day. They then send you your agreement in the post and its 18.50 for the year, but they send you the bill about 3 months later. YOu will love the site I was a bit dissapointed when I first saw it cause it was overgrown, but there were no other allotments avail so I took it, and I never looked back, I even took over the plot next door cause that was also avail at the time and no waiting list for that plot.
-
well that's sorted then ;)...look at plot, back to offices and sign up...if there's more than one available might get one so other half has his own bit for his chillies..will see what he says lol...i'm assuming they are half plots size wise by cost?
-
yeah there are 13 sites and they are all half plots, its 18.50 a year per plot ( half size) but if you have a swindon card you get discount, I thinks its about 14.50 for the year, they don't ask you to pay there and then, they send you out the forms first, but if you like the plot get straight down to the office and say yes and then its all yours. When you walk in look at the potental not how overgorwn it is, at least on a weekend I will have someone to chat to lol over a cuppa coffee.
-
now I knew there'd be a good reason for purchasing that swindon card ;)
Glad you drink coffee ( me too :D) Woohoo!! the excitement is going to keep me awake tonight lol :D
have you planned what you are going to be planting this year then?
Right will let you know tomorrow how i've got on once i've had a look around plot ;)
-
Coffee is the way foward lol, I have started planting all my bits in pots inthe kitchen, and my onions are nearly ready to go outside. I am going to be doing carrots, potatoes, lettuce, courgettes, pumpkins,ect its my first year growing so I am trying everyhting now I have the space. I hope you like the allotment, I have had no problems since I have been there, and I love going down with my boys and digging away, it will be gorgeous during cummer time. Ignore the tyres on my site as you walk in they are my brave idea to grow potatoes, but of course swindon and the lovley rain have stopped me sorting them out, plus my poor compost bin is being held up by them at the moment due to the winds the other night lol.
Let me def know how it goes, i'm sure you will love it.
-
WOOHOO!! Howdy neighbour ;) Meet the proud occupant of plots 5 & 6 :D I can't stop grinning.
OH came down with me and we had a look around ( i picked up key on way home from work) then we dashed back to the offices and I signed up for the two half plots. There were only 3 available and the first one with all the brambles wasn't one of them which was a relief as I thought it might have been the one that the allotment officer had in mind for me. We took a good look at it and there's no fence between it and the next door neightbours garden so once cleared it would have opened up whole site..OH was saying oooo don't want this one......and I was saying if it's only one available I'm taking it lol.
OH has spent a small fortune on treating me to a small spade and fork I can manage and lots of other goodies I wasn't expecting. Took me to the garden centre at butterfly world straight from signing on the dotted lines :)
The soil is fab too just like you said :)...now I need to sort out compost bins and a water butt of some kind :)
WOOHOO! :D
-
Thats brilliant, I am plot number 3 and 4 so we are right next to each other. See I told you you would love it. The first plot is not very nice and in a right mess so I don't blame you for not looking at that one. I got my compost bin from freecycle but the council do a excellant deal on them, you get the large bin, plus a small caddy box for 9.00 and that includes delivery, and wilko is the best for the water butts. I am hopefully going down tot he lottie tomorrow to start clearing the weeds and getting my potatoe beds ready. It nice to know that our allotment site is filling up, cause at least there is somene to have a chat to when you are hard at work. My husband did the same thing we I got my 2 plots, he spoiled me with new tools and all the seeds under the sun, so I was happy with that.
My name is Linda by the way.
-
Hi guys, I'm not in swindon but Highworth, not far away, but not as close as you two LOL
I've just taken over a plot, but there is a long waiting list here, I'd been on this list for 3 or 4 years.
It is a half plot and costs £11 a year which I think is great. i've just put my name down for another plot now although it will probably be another 4 years LOL
-
Yay!...I'm planning on a visit to try to mark out the two plots...for some reason they aren't marked out. You would have thought that the council would have done that...can't be too hard ::) Got to test out the new garden spade too, weather permitting, and begin a compost heap. I'll have to order a few composting bins but I think OH is going to try to get me some pallets to make composting bins out of too. I noticed that there is now a shed sited on pallets at far right of the allotments too :)
I am just so thrilled to have got them ( still grinning like the cheshire cat here) and the soil is lovely. Can't see it being too hard to dig the weeds out.
Good news that you are right next to me...how cool is that ;D I'll bring a flask of coffee ;) probably need snorkel and flippers too judging by weather outside lol
BTW name is Del ( Adele on a sunday :P)
Welcome Gardening Gal...nice to have another to add to the chatter :)
-
I think in swindon is the same now, I put my name down ages ago, and was told there was a long waiting list, but I think everyone at hatton grove left hence why they have been snapped up quickly,. Everyone told me the soil was pure clay, but I dug up one of my sites and it beautiful soil, and very rich and dark, and same with my other site. Allotments are very popular over here in swindon now
-
I know they haven't marked out the site at all, I had to use plot one and two and count the footsteps and then mark mine out, I am going to mark mine aswell tomorrow, if the heavens don't open first. the boys have been begging to go down there for days but its been so muddy, but Iwill have to go tomorrow and sort out my compost bin
-
I was told by swindon allotment officer that if i didn't like the hatton site I'd be waiting 5 years for a plot :o...when they said there were 3 half plots available I jumped at taking two. At least you have a plot to be going on with though gardening gal :)
-
I know they haven't marked out the site at all, I had to use plot one and two and count the footsteps and then mark mine out, I am going to mark mine aswell tomorrow, if the heavens don't open first. the boys have been begging to go down there for days but its been so muddy, but Iwill have to go tomorrow and sort out my compost bin
got any idea what time you'll be going down? or does it depend on kiddlettes n weather? :)
-
Probley around 10ish if the weather permits, I can send you a message in the morning if you like and go from there, then we can get the plots measured out, and sort the site a bit
-
Well we grow veggies in our garden aswell so we should have enough to be getting on with at the moment.
When the next plot comes up we will focus more on fruit.
-
its suppossed to be sunshine tomorrow so will def be there if it is
-
I used to grow bits and bobs in my garden too before I had the allotment, so now I am looking foward to trying fruits aswell, I got my black currant, and red currant and rasberry bushed the other day so will see how they work out
-
Probley around 10ish if the weather permits, I can send you a message in the morning if you like and go from there, then we can get the plots measured out, and sort the site a bit
kk sounds like a plan to me...will hunt out me naff secateurs too :)
-
I just want to go mad n grow everything lol...been told we can grow fruit trees if they are dwarf varieties...yay! :D OMG...you have no idea how excited I am...My OH is now convinced I need certified and locked up lol
-
Join the club, I am dying to start planting out, but casue of the beautiful weather we have had I have not been able to go down there for over a week, so let hope the sun does come out, mud and all I will be there lol. When you went there today was my compost bin still standing.
-
yep with it's tyre necklace intact ;) Looked kinda funky actually :P
-
We are very lucky there cause we have a beautiful plum tree on my plot that when I got the lottie last year was just finished fruiting, and there was tons, and I think on your plots there is a large apple tree that was full last year. There ar tons of blackberries at summer time,and I have a established blackcurrant that I am going toplant plus rhubard and redcurrant and rasberrie so there will be plenty.
-
lol it was the only way I could think to keep it up, I really need to get the tyres sorted tomorrow, I need to phone the council to see if we can have fires on this site cause there are so many old blackberry branches that need to be burt and cleared away, and I wan to make a leaf pile aswell. My plot is full of old carrots that they last person forgot to pull up, so my boys are going hunting for them tomorrow cause I said they can have a penny for everyone they find lol, plus I have tons of weeds that need pulling, I am going to be covered in mud tomorrow, bet I will get strange looks on the way home
-
oo...so when did you get your plots?? If there's an apple tree I'll be well chuffed :) always wanted to be able to pick me own apples. Just shows how excited i was today...I never noticed an apple tree
-
I am so pleased I am not the only one getting so excited about sheds and water butts and I was pleased to see rhubarb in my plot aswell. I've tried growing that at home with no luck.
I have two apple trees in my garden at home a bramley and a Scrumptious. My plot is not that big so I won't plant any trees on it unless I can figure out how to do cordons.
Have a great time tomorrow, will be thinking of you, I'lkl be up on my plot digging weeds tomorrow. I think its supposed to be dry but windy, I'm happy with that ;D
-
I am so pleased I am not the only one getting so excited about sheds and water butts and I was pleased to see rhubarb in my plot aswell. I've tried growing that at home with no luck.
I have two apple trees in my garden at home a bramley and a Scrumptious. My plot is not that big so I won't plant any trees on it unless I can figure out how to do cordons.
Have a great time tomorrow, will be thinking of you, I'lkl be up on my plot digging weeds tomorrow. I think its supposed to be dry but windy, I'm happy with that ;D
if it's dry but windy that will be ok with me too...got two half plots full of weeds if you wanna come make it a three some ;)
-
Im sure the apple tree is on your plot. I got my plots in september last year but only starting digging recently cause of the weather, I really need to sort it out cause spring is upon us. Hello Gardening gal sorry I mean to say that tons of message back. I am so excited about growing my own, but I hate this weather with all the mud, I think once my raised beds are in on the second plot then I will be happy. I love going down there, but I have to walk there and back with two boys and I feel like a nutter walking home full of mud lol but tomorrow I won't care cause I am so bored at home andI wan to get stuck in
-
feel free to come and weed mine aswell, mind you at least I have someone to talk to tomorrow, there is another lady further down the lottie but I don't want to just walk up to her and talk, I will have the nice flask of coffe tomorrow and my weed material and starting planning my beds, and me and fluffnco will be sorting out the plots cause the wonderful council have not labeled them correctly so counting in steps it will be
-
are you living around the parks area too Caseylee? can always give you a lift if it's cold and your too much of a 'muddy mess' to let loose in swindon with two young boys :P Can't have their street cred dented now can we? :D No probs if you'd rather walk though :)
-
cheers for the offer but my two brats make me take them on there bikes, ( little nutters they are) and I really need the exercise lol, its not to bad its about 20 minutes cycle home. Do you live in the parks area
-
covingham ( st pauls drive area) for me...garden like a postage stamp lol
-
Im by goddard park school by welcome avenue side, I have a large garden but my kids have claimed it with the swimming pool summer time so I can't dig it up
-
Im by goddard park school by welcome avenue side, I have a large garden but my kids have claimed it with the swimming pool summer time so I can't dig it up
had to google but know roughly where abouts you mean now :) Not origionally from Swindon...moved here 7 years ago from ant n dec land to be with my partner lol
-
Im orginally from south africa myself moved here about 10 years ago. How old are you if you don't mind me asking, I'm 29 almost the dreaded 30yrs
-
I'll IM you that info :P lol
-
no probs, looking foward to meeting you tomorrow at least hatton close it getting busy now, when I first joined it was just me, then a gentleman and his young son came to plot 2, and a lady at the far end came afterwards. I love it there, its open and relaxing, and when summer comes and hopefully I have a shed by then I can put a table and chairs out and spend the day there
-
yep...that's what we are looking forward to although the OH is trying to wiggle out of all but the tending to the chillies at the minute ::) will have to sort him out asap ;)....will build a makeshift BBQ and have sweetcorn fresh from the plant along with other things after a hard days work ;)) or just sit n have a natter with fellow plot owners ;) watch the weeds grow or something like that :D
I think summer will be fab down there :)
-
Hi guys have you got your wellies on yet? have you made flask of tea? ;D
We are going to the garden centre first to get some small forks and trowels for the kids. Last night we picked up a big barrel to use as a water butt so we need to get the fixings for that aswell. Don't you just love Freecycle
Have a great day don't work too hard.
-
Morning Gardening Gal, waen't the wind terrible here last night I though my house was going to blow away lol. Well I have just finished all teh housework ( kids had me up at 6) adn am busy cutting my weed fabric to make my no dig beds, then its get the kids dressed, get there tools packed, make coffee, juice and a snack for the boys, its like being in the army. We are going to pop down to the lottie at about 10 and then my othe half is going to pop down with a few more things for me. I can't wait its been so horrible latley so Ihaven't been down there so I dread to think whats waiting for me
-
morning ladies :D Late rise for me this morning after rescueing my mini greenhouse from the pond at stupid o'clock this morning!! What a wind :(
At least it's brightenend up and stop raining now though :)
Just having cuppa and got a few bits n bobs to get and I'll be on my way to the lottie :D woohoo!!
-
The wind took half the recycling boxes down the road last night. I usually like listening to the wind when I'm in bed but it was a bit too gusty last night. Thankfully everything is intact in the garden I just hope the Lottie hasn't blown away ;D
-
my compost bin is prop on fluffnco site by now lol, well bags are all ready boys getting dressed and off we go for a heard day of labour
-
probably right at other end of site :D.....right I'm going to go make my flask up, find a shop to buy some garden canes and twine and I'll be right there just after ;) cya soon
-
It was great to meet you and your gorgeous boys Casey lee :) Hope my accent didn't frighten you off ;)
I spent a bit of time after you left marking out plot and paths but not sure that that tree is actually meant to be in mine :o never mind it is now ;)
Cut back some of the honeysuckle rambling over the fence of both plots and foudn something that looks like a small fruit bush although i could be wrong growing on plot 6....thinking I might rotavate the plots if i can get a decent hire rate to cut time and then just pick couch grass roots etc out afterwards....OH's mum thinks I have bit off more than I can chew :(( I'll just have to show her won't I? :D
I would have stayed longer than I did but I really needed the loo and we don't have anything that I know of so I tootled off home at around 3.45 :)...LOVED IT!! :D
-
i'm glad you liked it there. I was there for about 2 hours today my where we have dug the soil it was so muddy and the boys were tired bless them. I am trying to get my in laws rotovator at the moment to get the second plot done cause i can't wait till summer lol. It does look a bit daunting when you see the naked plot, mine still does now even after digging one side, but once its done then its just upkeep. I am going to contact the council on monday about the fencing cause it does need to be done.
I am going back down tomorrow to see if it dries up a bit more and see if I can get any more beds marked out on the second plot, might get the other half to bring down the lawn mower and see if I can get rid some of that gras thats knee high on my plot. I came home today and planted my parsnips and leeks, don't know if anyone has told you about newspaper pots, they are brilliant cause you don't disturb the root when replanting. I swear by them now, and use them for everything. I spend most evenings in front of the telly folding them, it keeps me occupied, plus I don't need to space things out of thin things when planting cause they are in the pots
-
OH said earlier he hoped he hadn't frightened you away when he arrived with his mum. I said you'd probably been there a lot longer than me :D
I've been looking online for a shed or green house as I really think we need some where warm to sit when it's windy and have a cuppa plus I could do with some where to store the tools.....might just spend some of my hard earned wages and buy one although OH might not be too keen on that idea....I've not found anything to put on freecycle yet so can't really ask for a shed or greenhouse lol
I'll probably pop down tomorrow to complete that honeysuckle pruning....looked like it was going to rain at the time i decided to leave then it became sunny again once I got home lol...typical ::) Would have stayed much longer if i'd had a shed :D
-
Thats what I am after at the moment, I had a greenhouse for the site but the frame was so weka I didden't trust it with my kids round so I threw it way. I have a shed in my garden at the moment, and I have nealry convinced my other half to let me have it for the lottie, cause he never uses it, except to store the lawnmower. I told him I will buy him a little 6'4 one for that, and hes nearly at the point of agreeing. I am hoping that its not windy tomorrow cause I ahve tons to do there but I just hate thes wind cause the kids moan, when its sunny and even cold they don't mind its just the wind. Have a look in trade it aswell for a greenhouse thats where I got my first one from that in my garden at home. I spend every day in it, it was 20c in there today so I closed the door and did my planting.
No he didden't frighten me at all, wait till you see my husband, my little stringbean as I call him lol. His mum seemed very very nice. I also want to get a table and chairs down there aswell the kids one broke my back today.
-
Hiya, glad you both had a good day. I'm pooped and the kids are too. We got to the lottie at about 12.30 after picking up some bits.
Have to admit considering we were there till 17.30 it didn't look like we got alot done LOL
Got all the edges round the fence tidied up, pulled out all the old broad beans that had been left, took down the runner bean canes. Put up some guttering onto the shed and re-situated the water butt and added another one, and managed to dig over about 2x1meters god I hate couch grass. Its gonna be slow, but we will get there. The kids loved it althoguh it did start to get cold at about 16.00.
Gonna have a chinese now :)
-
HI gardening gal
My boys were so wingy today so we were only down there for just under 2 hrs, I would lof loved to have stayed longer, but my plot looked just like mud mud mud and more mud. I managed to put my sheets down for 4 no dig beds and my boys went weed hunting and found 35 carrots that the previous owner had left onsite, they were all wrinkled but they loved looking for them. Imet my new n/b and her o/h very lovley people and it will be lovely during summer to sit down and have achat when our plots are up and running.
You soundlike you got a lot done today, I felt like I did nothing, well at least its school on monday and my oh day off so I will be down the lottie with my lawnmover sorting out the grass, that is the size of my son lol.
-
Hiya gardening gal...glad you had a productive day too :) If we'd had an onsite loo I'd have been at the lottie until the sun set lol...was good fun though :))
-
Morning Ladies....what a fab day it is outside....sun is out and the birds are singing....good day for allotmenteering me thinks ;D Going to look at getting some wood together n some compost to make a raised bed today...think even other half is interested now there are things he can do with a hammer lol
-
I am thinking of going down to the lottie today but my boys are in a mood so will see how they go, have so much to do
-
Well I'll defo be down there once I've done a little bit of running around. Want to go to the allotments shop and take a look around plus we have to call over Oh's mums to give he mother's day pressie and pick up wood for the raised bed (if she has any that is suitable)
-
oooh allotment shop where abouts is that
-
oooh allotment shop where abouts is that
aww sorry only just seen this :( the lottie shop is at pickard fields allotments I think but it's for swindon allotment and leisure garden association members and you have to give your membership number I think when you purchase....as it was we didn't get there today as we bought wood n nails for my new raised bed and also hit aldi where I went nuts and bought a pear tree, a pack containing a gooseberry, raspberry and blackcurrent bush, a handheld 3 prong one side/small hoe type affair on oppsite side, radish seeds, weed control fabric for the raised beds once filled and planted :)....We then went along to the lottie and i now have a rather posh raised bed :D Left when it threatened to rain and OH got whiny ;)
I've also planted peas in toilet roll middles, lettuce and parsley today and OH has planted numerous chilli seeds :)
-
I didden't make it down there today, my boys have been a nightmare. I have got all my wood at home to make the raised beds, but oh is on so much overtime he has not started them yet. I am going to attempt them next week if he doesn't. How do I become a member there. I planted parsnips, carrots, more leeks, chillies, cucumbers, flowers today. I was lucky cause I manged to get tons of strawberries on freecycle and a established blackcurrant bush, I also bough my redcurrant and rasberry bushes at aldi I really need to get them down to the lottie and started. I might go down tomorrow when the youngest is at school and do some work lol
-
you can either go to one of their monthly meetings and join there ( that's what I did) or ring the guy I am gonna pm you name and telephone number of. He'll tell you what he needs you to do...cost is £4 for the year :)
Probably be wednesday before i can get down again and even then it will only be for an hour or so as I have work mid afternoon :( I wanna give up my job (whahhhhhh! ;))
Wed 5th march 6.30pm is the Wyvale open night for members only of s.a.l.g.a. 10% off most items.....pity I'm at work until blinking 8pm or I'd go . next meeting at the punjabi community centre is thursday 20th march at 7.30pm with the A.G.M and a talk by a Mr G Cottis from Devizes about Hardy cylamen and snowdrops
-
I will ring him tomorrow, that sounds brillaint, I have just quit my last job and am now waiting to start my new part time, so I have some extra time to be at the lottie. I have never worked part time so it feels strange having this time to do things, hence why I have planted so much already need to keep myself occupied. I will be down there on wednesday with my oh its his days off and we are going all out to get it dug and ready as my onions need to go in soon
-
Well here i am in work doing a google search for 'allotment pallets compost heap' and up pops this thread!
I've been given the ok to take some pallets from work so with a bit of luck and a few hundred nails we might have a compost bin this weekend, only problem is i can only fit 3 in the car at a time, i'm gonna need a hand getting them out when i get home from work hun!
Oh btw i'm fluff's OH ::)
and i didnt get whiny :P
-
lol listen I saw your raised bed you made today tell flufff to watch out cause I might nick you on my site, the only thing my husband can hit with a hammer is his hand lol. My pallets have been in my garden for 4 weeks now and still waiting. I might have to attempt it myself god help us all
-
It was pretty funny making it, bang one end with a hammer and the other end comes apart but it didnt turn out too bad in the end. I think the more i make the better i'll get.
-
Well here i am in work doing a google search for 'allotment pallets compost heap' and up pops this thread!
I've been given the ok to take some pallets from work so with a bit of luck and a few hundred nails we might have a compost bin this weekend, only problem is i can only fit 3 in the car at a time, i'm gonna need a hand getting them out when i get home from work hun!
Oh btw i'm fluff's OH ::)
and i didnt get whiny :P
Ok OK you didn't get whiny ;)) you just didn't wanna get wet n said so a few times :P lol and WOOHOO! re the pallets :)))
-
well had planned on a morning down the lottie but work has changed my plans :( got to work extra hours today to cover for the manager going on a training course so working 10 til 8pm :( I'm not a happy bunny........on a more pleasant note with 3 pallets now awaiting transportation to the lottie I can feel a new compost bin coming on. I've got such a fab man :) :-*
Think I've resigned myself to buying a new shed. won't be huge or anything...just something to put the equipment in :)
-
Had a really good day today, My husbands friend who made my raised beds for the greenhouse was in a good mood and manged to make me 4 more, the perfect size for my lettuce, radish, carrots and things so I am very chuffed, just have to fill them now lol. I will hopefully get them down to the lottie tomorrow fill them up and get a few things on the go there. My greenhous eis so full at the moment so I need to get things in the ground like my onions. It made my day
-
Good stuff, i could do with having a look at them to see how they should be done!
Fluff, work are throwing away a stack of pallets, i've got 3 in the car but do you fancy coming back with me and picking up another load?
-
I would not have a clue how he makes them, but they look good very similar to your one but its a bit smaller cause I am shortie and cannot reach both sides otherwise lol. I am going to hopefully have them painted with wood preserve tonight and down the lottie tomorrow so please feel free to have a look. Bless my husbands friend he knew that my hubby is useless with anything woodwork and did most of them without me having to ask. He made two from a large wooden chest he had, and then two more from pallets, they have turned out really well. Little does he know that now he is going to have to make the rest for me so that they match lol. I just have to try and get some more pallets now cause I have run out, off to cheney manor tomorrow to scrounch lol
-
Fluff are you going down to the lottie tomorrow at all. Hopefully I am going to get down there and make it look semi respectable, I have been ever so lazy
-
No probs will travel back with you once you've dropped off those three :))
I'm at work 10 til 8pm again tomorrow so no lottie for me until possibly Friday providing the weather stays ok....Saturday it is supposed to pour down :((
-
Did you see that shed on the wicks web site? The plastic one we saw has been reduced, still seems like alot but at least it could be packed up and sold or somthing if you ever give up the allotment. I'm thinking once a wooden one has been nailed together it would be hard to take down.
http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/154395
-
I think its the argos website has the sheds the same size but in wood they are on special too and homebase
-
Did you see that shed on the wicks web site? The plastic one we saw has been reduced, still seems like alot but at least it could be packed up and sold or somthing if you ever give up the allotment. I'm thinking once a wooden one has been nailed together it would be hard to take down.
http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/154395
Can we go take another look at these on Saturday? I think the wooden shed I was thinking of was £125 at wickes...not seen it cheaper any where else but you're right about the plastic one being easier to take back up...only problem I could foresee is if there was a really bad wind.....might blow it over
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Track/Overlap-Apex-Shed/invt/543343
-
hi fluff n co
did u manage to get a plot at Hatton Grove.
I have a plot there, the one that has been dyg ove and has the big shed at the end of it.
i got the shed from freecycle all i had to do was dismantle it and put it back together. it cost me petrol money only.
-
hI superted
I am also at hatton grove, I am the two sites with the giant green compost bin and tyres on it at the moment, hopefully soon the raised beds as well, if o/h gets them painted soon
-
hi caseylee
i havent been up there for 2 week, i share my plot with my father in law as he is a pensioner he gets it even cheaper, we finished our first rough dig a feww weeks back and dug a trench and half filled it with compost for the runner beans to go into.
i called the council yesterday about getting a delivery of chipped bark to the site and i am currently waiting for them to get back to me. as i know in reading and basingstoke the local councils give it to you free.
i might pop up there over the weekend as i only live in Ashley Close ( 1 minutes walk)
;)
SP
-
caseylee/fluffnco - have you looked on ebay for a shed? There is one on there at the moment - has to be collected from Newbury - may be too far but.............? Its an 8 x 6 wooden shed. Current bid is £56 - 4.5 hrs left.
Twinkletoes
-
Thanks twinkletoes, but i just managed to get a pallet in my car lol i wish I could fit a shed in it. My hubby has promised me a new shed on our wedding anniversary so I can wait a bit longer.
Hi superted, I know what you mean I popped up there last Saturday but the ground was just do muddy I couldn't get anything done, and my brats were tired and winding me up so I only stayed a few hours. If you get any joy from he council please let me know cause woodbark is what I am after aswell, so if they say yes I will give them a ring aswell. I have been trying to get hold of emma the lady that deals with our site but she is off till the 10/03. I want to find out about fencing cause I have cleared some blackberry bushes away, but the house that looks on to my lottie has no fence there just a little chicken wire so its not safe. I have been told they are responsible for the security of the site and the surrounding fence so I am going to push for that. I think you and me and fluff should find out how to form a committee so that we can apply for the grants to redo our site. Its a lovely site but has been left to go bad. I was told that one of the plots there is the section that as you drive in the gates on side that is terrible overgrown is actually plot 13, good luck to anyone that gets that. Let me know how it goes with the council, also I have been told that the council can arrange delivery or let us know how to get horse manure to the site, so might get some more info on that.
-
Hi Superted, pleased to meet you.
I doubt i'll be down the allotment for more than an hour or so this weekend, i finish work at 22:00 Friday night and start again 22:00 sunday night so not much of a weekend for me :(
Me and fluff are going to have a look around swindon's shed shops though, i've got enough pallets to put it on and some more to make a compost heap so when i do get down there they'll be plenty of things to hit with a hammer, has to be better than digging!
-
spent ages typing out a answer on here earlier on today and then must have hit wrong button and lost it :((......anyways...hiya Superted...posh allotment you have compared to mine n the OH's :D we'll get there though ( given time) and yep I got plot's 5 &6. Figured that as they reckoned it was 'hard to let' these fab plots i'd take two and at least try to keep the weeds down :) No figured that two ( one full plot) would at least allow me to grow most of what i'd like to grow as well as have a shed and possibly green house or polytunnel so the OH can grow his chillies :D If it get's too much or I have 'bitten off more than I can chew' then I can always give up a half plot...harder to actually get one in the future i'd say ( especially if we band together and get some good fencing etc around there...water on tap etc ;) I reckon that site could be something pretty special if we all give them gip at the council offices :D
-
I agree when I started last year there was no one on the site, now its starting to fill up, byt summer we will all be slaving away and it will look lovely, and there will then be a waiting list for our plot lol. Have left a message for emma to call me regarding the fencing so fingers crossed will keep you updated.
-
I think Emma said something about being away all of last week when I spoke to her about the Hatton Grove plots being available so she should be back this week I think. It would be cool if we could get good fencing and deliveries of manure and bark/compost etc to the site on a regular basis.
I think once we have a few veggies poking their heads out of the soil and the sun on our side that site is going to look awesome :D I'm attacking it slowly....been informed that growing swede/turnip actually kills off couch grass roots as they don't get along in the same soil area so guess what i'll be growing ;)
slowly but surely is my motto. I'm not going to break my neck or back trying to get it all sorted out this year.
-
I am also taking it slow at the moment, I would love it to look like a massive veg patch straight away, but I am going to try and do it properly, My raised beds are being painted today so hopefully I can get them down there soon and get soemthings in, I just wish it would dry out a bit more
-
seen a no dig way of growing straight away and reclaiming land too......need cardboard ( same size as plot you want to clear and also black plastic to cover and plant through....place cardboard on the plot where you want to grow veg, stack with rotted manure/compost, dig a trench around the edge of the area and place soil on top of the compost then cover with the black plastic and weight edges down with either soil or bricks/old wood whatever...plant direct through small slits made in plastic. As the plants grow they break up the soil below and the black plastic and cardboard kill off the weeds below by end of year you have a cleared plot ready to dig over for the winter :)
presently waiting for a water butt to be delivered or i'd be down at the lottie now :)
-
and said waterbutt has just been delivered....just got to work out how to get it into the car and we're flying lol
-
if you have a look by my lottie there is a watersource there, but it needs to be cleared and cleaned, i need to take my waterbutt down to the lottie and fill it up, don't forget to put charcoal in the bottom keeps the water clear and fresh
-
going to have to purchase a tap to put into side of it and rig up a block for it to stand on so watering can can be filled but this should do a good job once it it hooked upto guttering from the shed :)
I also have two composters ordered but goodness knows when they will be delivered.
I'm really looking forward to having a shed to keep stuff in though as my poor car is absolutely loaded up now :) mobile shed on wheels it is :P
-
hi
it sounds like you 2 have been bitten by the bug, i have to motivate my father in law to get himself down there with me to do the second dig and weeding, then its planting time ( yippee ), do you know what you are growing yet?.
SP
-
I have tons of things started in my greenhouse already and in my poor kitchen, I have got red baron onion sets, sturon onion sets, carrots, beetroot, radish, I have ordered 10 sweetcorn plants due for delivery in May, leeks, lettuce, tomoatoes, melons, rhubard and tons more I start them in doors things like aubergines, peppers and tomatoes, and carrots parsnips beetroot and things like that have been started in newspaper pots so that when my raised beds are in I can just pop them straight in with no root disturbance. Same with the onions.
-
got quite a few bits n bobs in mini greenhouse outside here at home and just bought seed potatoes so really need to either start them off chitting or try planting them straight into ground ( not decided which yet) but yep I have the bug badddddd.......lol ;D
-
i am leaving all that stuff to the father in law he has the greenhouse and the greenfingers, he has had an allotment for over 20 years in Reading before they moved last year to Swindon. i have set aside a little part of our plot for my kids to grow some stuff.
do you know if anyone has taken plot13 the one down the side with the big blackberry's. i thought the council would have put up concrete sheds there as it get too much shade.
SP ::)
-
would make good parking place actually so road isn't churned up or blocked or even some big bays built to house manure, compost, woodchippings etc
-
We should ask them about that cause I would not want that one its horrible, but I like the idea with the sheds there, we can use it to have a table and chairs there so that we can have coffee lol. I also like the storage idea for the manure and things. I got a brilliant book from WH Smiths by caoline klein its marked down to £5.00 but has everything in it really good read. Plus poundland has the small polytunnels and fleece covers aswell. I also got a lovely blueberry bush there as well. They have soem good gardening bits
-
Just been down the lottie for 2 hours, think I did alot. My o/h redug the first lottie, whilst I mowed the grass on the second patch. We then started to mulch the second part with groundsheets to get this ready to dig soon. Aonother day has past and I have not painted my raised beds, so tomorrow while o/h is at work I will do this myself, may not be the best job but at least it will be done, then monday down the lottie they go ready for filling and planting. I am going to try and get to the lottie tomorrow to put the weed control fabric down to create paths along my raised beds on the second plot, so might see you all down there.
-
We did a good two hours down our lottie today aswell, managed to get a good third of it dug over, I'm feeling we really acheived something today ;D
Need to get a compost corner sorted some time. I was looking at the shed today and thinking mmmmmm could put a pergola against that, DH wasn't too impressed until I told him we could plant melons or grapes on it. The grapes got him excited at the thought of making his own wine LOL
-
I know what you mean gardening gal, It felt like me hadeen't done much today, but when we looked at it it does warm the heart
-
I forgot to mention yo you guys in swindon if you are looking for any potatoes to grow poundland have the maries piper ones there and there are tons in a bag, and 99p shop also has a excellant varity
-
Well we've been and looked at sheds and then realised that we couldn't fit even the smallest shed in the car flat packed so asked about delivery direct to the allotment.....*rolls eyes here*.......deliveries for sheds from wickes is via a contractor so no phonecall to let me know when shed will arrive so i'd have to sit ALL day on the allotment waiting for it.....no loo :o so we came away empty handed and will have to look into hiring costs of a van I think :(....I'm a bit dissapointed but hey ho...even more dissapointing was the fact it's so darn wet n windy n cold today :(....we did drop off four pallets at the site so if it's drier tomorrow I may get an hour or so down at the lottie and plant my pear tree and bushes
-
Managed to get another 2 hours digging done this afternoon, although it was just a tad breezy LOL
DH is going to measure up the plot so I can do some planning as I want to make up some raised beds.
I think we have nearly dug over half the plot so we want to get some planting done soon.
I really can't believe how good it feels.
-
Its been horrible here today, i managed to get the lottie for a hour or so just to check my mulching sheets haven't blown away. Still to wet to paint my raised beds so not happy I just need one clear day please ( weather forcast says constant rain till wed) no surprise there. I think my lottie is starting to take a little bit of shape now. I have my blackcurrant, redcurrant, blueberries all ready to plant but can't with this weather. I also want to do a strawberry raised bed but again need to wait till painted. My hubby's friend has made two more raised beds so thats great news, more to paint lol. Got my small polytunnels made and ready to go on the plot, but have to wait for the wind to stop. I do agree with you gardeing gal it does feel so good when you look back at what you have done its a real satisfaction.
Fluff argos have got some sheds, delivery with them is quite good might be worth phoning their headoffice and explain its for a lottie, they helped me when I had a elivery and gave me a 2 hr slot
-
Caseylee are you painting your raised beds lovely colours LOL or are you just wood preserving them?
We need to give the shed a lick of preserver.
-
no just wood preserve, I was going to do funcky colours byt tis not good for the veg, and I have to be totally organic cause my animals are going to be eating the veg. I still need to get a shed, next things on my list or a greenhouse haven't decided yet
-
Another three hours up there today with DH and my DD, I think we are just over half way with the digging now. I've got my spuds chitting, I really need to start thinking about sowing some seed trays. I am always late every year doing that.
I might have a go at making some of those paper pots they seem like a great idea.
I just hope the shed is still there the next time we go down there, hope the storms don't do too much damage.
-
I spent about an hour at my lottie today early on. Ground was so waterlogged the clay was sticking to everything so gave up on idea of turning over some soil ready for the spuds :(...they're chitting in the shed here at home but had sprouts on them when I opened up the bag. I did take some dead wood off the plum tree then found out on another forum that it should only be done in summer so now waiting to see if it succumbs to 'silver leaf' you live and learn I suppose :)
I did spread out the four pallets we took upto the lottie on friday on top of my plastic mulching sheets so that if said impending storm is bad they shouldn't blow away ( I hope)
-
I didden't manage to get down to the lottie today, and it was such a gorgeous day. I did manage to get 2 of my raised beds painted ( did them myself finally) and will hopefully have the others done tomorrow. I will take them down to the lottie tomorrow to fill, hoping to get some well rotted manure to add to them aswell.
-
Where have you got your well rotted manure from Caseylee?
-
oo where you going to get the manure from?
-
There is a farm on the way to wanborough that as I have been told has fresh manure free to anyone, my husband and I are going to go and have a look tomorrow. I have been told its well rotted so will have a look and let you know
-
oh cool! and thanks...that will be a great help if it is free as well as help yourself :D
-
ooh that would be great, hope theres lots, and don't tell everyone ;D
-
oh cool! and thanks...that will be a great help if it is free as well as help yourself :D
Bagsie not using my car for that one!
-
How was the manure Caseylee, was it worth the look?
-
didden't get up cause my company had to have my paperwork sorted today, and then 100 things went wrong at once like usual, I am going to try and get up there this week and look dependant on the wether
-
Why does work always get in the way of a good manure hunt LOL
Never mind, I did wonder whether you would bother actually with the weather the way it is.
Is everything okay with you?
-
Yeah, but I am getting tired of not being able to do anything at the lottie cause of the rain. I managed to paint tow of my raised beds but I still have another 4 to paint, but I have to wait for the rain sto stop. HOws your lottie going at the mo
-
Really good, I'm aching a bit from all the digging and weeding but its looking good all dug over and a blank canvas. Have been asking for scaffold planks on freecycle to make some raised beds and have been asking people where I can get hold of pallets to make some compost bins. I asked in our co-op the other day, the manager looked at me as if I was a looney LOL.
Like you its just a case of waiting for the weather to get a bit better. I need to start sowing some seeds soon.
-
I was quite lucky with my pallets, I got them off freecycle, and my husbands friend is a master with wood so we made me some raised beds, he has made 6 all together and still going. THey are not the large ones, but they are the perfect size for a shortie like me lol. My oh dug over the plot half way last week and he is still aching, I have mowed my second plot, and started mulching it so that I can put my raised beds down once they are painted. You do so much work and it still feels like you are getting no where. I have tons of seeds on the go at the moment, but my poor greenhouse is full of onions and my whole kitchen looks like a forest, lets hope we have a summer this year
-
How big is your allotment? although the amount of work I am doing at the moment is tiring I really wish I had a full plot, (mainly because I am having to clear it of weeds) My plot is 8mx10m I'm not sure what that is in rods or whatever the term is.
I want to grow some spuds but I want to grow lots of other things aswell and I just don't think I am going to have enough room. I expect it will be at least another 4 years before I get another plot. :-\
-
i'm not sure of the exact size of my plot, but I have a full plot, I did have a half plot to begin with, and then the guy next to me just packed up and left and there was no waiting list so I got that one aswell. Its really good cause I am starting to work for the council doing bank shifts so I get discount on them aswell as I get a swindon card with my job. Where me and Fluff are, there is still about 4 plots left I believe, I was told on taking it that the soil was rubbish hence no waiting list, but my soil is lovley it cumbles in you hand. When I got my first plot in October there was only two people out of thirteen plots avail, now fluff has two and another member of a4a has one, and there is a guy next to me aswell so its starting to fill up nicley. Someone gave me a tip on potatoes, get some tyres and plant your spuds about 2 in each as it grows add another tyre on top and carry on building it up, and when everything dies back push the tyres over and there are your potatoes. Its saves space and you can put it right at the top of the lottie, I am going to try it this year my tyres are down there waiting to go. I was lucky and got about 8 tyres free from freecycle, I gave them a good wash and they are waiting for planting.
-
Caseylee when I signed up for my two half plots there was only plot 7 available according to the records the girl had......might be worth giving them a ring or would you prefer a plot next to the one you have Gardening-gal?
-
I believe plot 1, 7, 13 and one other one is avail when I got my second one, but fluff you have seen plot one and 13 who would really want them they were horrible wern't they, we all though it was just a path with blackberries on it, and plot one is just as bad, plot 7 is the same as ours so its a nice one
-
Hello caseylee
im not far from swindon,im from calne. :)
-
To be honest I'd prefer to stay on the same allotment, just for the fact that its convenient, it wouldn't worry me whether I had a plot right next to the one I have. Otherwise I would be wasting time traveling. When the weather is better I will be walking up to the lottie after work for an hour and then pick my daughter up from school.
Thanks for thinking of me though :)
Hi wiltshire lass have you had your allotment long?
-
i dont have a allotment i am lucky anough that i have room in my garden to grow what i need.we moved here last year its only my second year of gardening ;)so still very much learning
-
Morning Wiltshire Lass
How is everyone today, well today my poor allotment is again going to be neglected as my boys are off school with a ear infection. But I might sort out the greenhouse and get some more room in there. What are you growing this year wiltshire lass, cause all my seedlings seem to be dying off being inside.
-
in the green house at the moment i have from seed marigolds,rubarb,cuiliflowers,leek,onion,cabbage,brussel sprouts,garlic,sage,basil,chive ,tomatoes.auberine,runner beans
in the house i have at present about 70 chilies plants ,about 8 different variatys.also have some spuds chitting.
still to grow this year are pumpkin,radish,lettuce,and what ever else i can ;D
-
I need to get my butt in gear I haven't got anything sown yet.
Hope the kids feel better soon Caseylee, its not fun having an ear infection, both of mine have always suffered badly with ear infections, this horrible wind doesn't help.
-
Thank you, my eldest seems better he back to being cheeky, the little one is on his way to annoying me. Don't worry about not planting anything yet, I planted tons of stuff but its all died, the only thing still living is my onions and a few other bits and bobs. My rhubard that I planted last year my dog has run all over so it might be another year before I can pick from it. I have planted a few rhubard seeds inside, can I put them in my cold greenhouse Wilthsire lass, I though they had to stay inside. I have a cold greenhouse would that be ok.
I really need to get my butt into gear cause my allotmetn is no where near ready to plant in, my raised beds aren't even up yet, and I really need to get my onions in the ground. At the mo they are in large newspaper pots in the cold greenhouse doing nicely.
-
my rubarb is in the green house which isnt heated.
its my first time of growing it and i only planted it about 3 weeks ago so i really do not know if kepping it in the gree n house is the right thing to do or not.
i wont have room in the house because of all the chillies
-
I'm not going to panic about planting stuff on the lottie just yet. The soil is so wet the roots would rot on anything planted so I'm happy to wait for the soil to drain and dry out a bit...take my time ;) got all summer to replant n sow seed :D
-
in the house i have at present about 70 chilies plants ,about 8 different variatys.
I've planted a load of chilies but nothing seems to have happened yet, its been about 10 days now.
Habanero 'Chocolate'
Scotch Bonnet Red
Jalapeno
Black Hungarian
Thai Bangkok Upright
Long Red Marconi
Super Chili
I'm sure there are a couple more but cant remember off hand, what are you growing?
-
I have planted a few chillies and its about the same time now and one has just peered through, somewhere on the site it says it can take quite a few days.
I have planted
red baron onions
Sturon onions
rainbow carrots
red, purple, yellow, round carrots
lettuce (6 different types)
Leeks
Elephant garlic
asparagus
rhubard
Cucumbers
chillies
loopha ( the thing you wash your self with)
and tons of radishes, beetroots
-
I always thought Loophahs were living sponges so I've learnt something tonight :D
-
no they grow like cucumber then you dry them out, someone on here sent them to me so hopefully they grow
-
;D Cool!! will have to keep an eye on yours this summer then ;)
-
Hopefully they will grow never tried them before, they are just coming through then in the greenhouse they go
-
in the house i have at present about 70 chilies plants ,about 8 different variatys.
I've planted a load of chilies but nothing seems to have happened yet, its been about 10 days now.
Habanero 'Chocolate'
Scotch Bonnet Red
Jalapeno
Black Hungarian
Thai Bangkok Upright
Long Red Marconi
Super Chili
I'm sure there are a couple more but cant remember off hand, what are you growing?
some of mine has taken ages to come up about 4-6 weeks.
the ones i know i am growing for sure are.
peach habanero
starburst
cayenne
marble
scotch bonnet
(i will have to look in my seed box to confirm the others )
and some i havnt a clue what there called. ;D
i was given some last year which i dryed and planted but can not remember the names .so just wrote oon the tags what they should look like ;D
this site i found very usful as its my first time growing chillies
http://asiarecipe.com/chilliegrow.html
-
Not a bad day today, my oh friend has made me a total of 11 small raised beds so very very happy. 4 of them are now painted and will try get at least three done tomorrow. No planting today but really need to get all the lettuce started now
-
I tried to locate the farm for the manure but no luck, however have been given details of someone that gives well rotted manure away free so am going to find out more tomorrow
-
this link is to some pictures of my garden and what im growing so far.
i havnt worked out how to resize the pics for on here yet ;D
you will see some of my chillies in the pic though.
http://calnetalk.myfreeforum.org/My_garden_photos_for_2008_about1304.html
-
I tried to locate the farm for the manure but no luck, however have been given details of someone that gives well rotted manure away free so am going to find out more tomorrow
there is a farm in luckinton what gives away manure as well.
if you need the email address to the owner pm me .
-
Today has been a good day, I have managed to get 3 more raised flower beds done so they should be ready by Tuesday to take to the lottie when the other half is off. I pick up my new greenhouse on Monday from a lovely lady on freecycle, and it comes with staging and a parrifin heater so I am over the moon, my little greenhouse I have at home is not big enough, but this one will be going to the lottie so I am so happy
-
oo two greenhouse family now :P VERY posh :D
My broad bean seeds are beginning to germinate as are my little gem lettuces so at least I am guaranteed beans n lettuce this year lol. Potatoes are chitting away nicely too in our shed at home by the window :)
Really need weather to pick up so that the soil dries out enough to begin digging some beds. I want to plant my fruit bushes and pear tree this weekend. Was going to do it today but I had an awful sleepless shift overnight at work so came home and fell asleep on bed :( Always tomorrow, weather permitting.
I had a card through the door this morning too so think our poly tunnel type greenhouse has arrived. Just got to arrange to get it redelivered. could have done with it here to put up tomorrow but hey ho! :)
-
posh far from it lol, I wish then I would have a butler digging for me ( in my dreams) My lettuce and onions are the only things that are surviving, my house is always so hot so I think it is killing my tomatoes, might try putting them in the greenhouse tomorrow with a fleece instead. I also wish this soil would hurry up and dry out, I am dying to get started but it still so wet and horrible, but I am going to put it in the raised beds hopefully on tuesday after work, and mix it with some bought compost and get a few things in. I feel I am so behind but even if my lettuce grows this year I will be happy, I have given up on my chillies as they have all died
-
Good news fellow swindon lottie holders, I have manged to find us well rotted manure, approx 60 bags delivered for 10.00, pm me if you would like the ladies number, she is lovely and happy for us to contact her
-
oo cool cucumbers!! :D
-
have sent you the details shes really lovely
-
Thanks CaseyLee I've got her details :D Exactly what my plots are needing to open up the soil and help it drain a little better i think ;) woohoo!
-
casey lee i have yet to pot my chilies in 3inch pots but i am going to have well over 100 plants with plenty to spare if you would like some.
-
I might just take you up on that offer I don't think chillies like me very much, I have planted a few more I will see how they go first if thats ok. THank you for the offer you are a star
-
We went around to check The OH's chillie seeds and see if he had any coming up today after shopping....He was thrilled to bits to see quite a few seedlings beginning to break the compost in the trays....fingers crossed they continue to grow on :D
-
Sorry slight change of subject but do any of you guys have produce shows near you? and would you enter anything if you have?
We have a craft and produce show here and last year I entered some needlework and photos, this year if all goes well I might have a go at entering some veggies. :)
-
not that I know of, I don't think I am even close to that standard at the mo lol, I will be happy to grow one carrot at the moment lol
-
I might just take you up on that offer I don't think chillies like me very much, I have planted a few more I will see how they go first if thats ok. THank you for the offer you are a star
no worrys ,if you need some just let me know.
-
Our produce show, some of the categories where immaculate but then, some of the entries were not so spectacular and still did well. I have an apple tree and one of the classes was apples, as I walked round I thought I should have brought mine in LOL
Don't put yourself down, when you see shows on the telly, you can tell people take it extremely seriously, I think our show is more for fun although there may be a few that disagree :)
-
We went around to check The OH's chillie seeds and see if he had any coming up today after shopping....He was thrilled to bits to see quite a few seedlings beginning to break the compost in the trays....fingers crossed they continue to grow on :D
i have 7 trays of chilies .what all started off in my green house,then i took three trays over my dads green house(his was heated)
waited ages for them to come up so brought them inside the house and place on a upside down cardbored box in frount of the radiator ,i water them every other day and they love it they have grown so much since
i also picked up the ones from my dads green house as they hadnt come up and just after two days nearly ll is shooting..
three trays are ready to be replanted into 3 inch pots
-
YAY! my polytunnel greenhouses arrived this morning :D Also the OH missed a delivery late last week which must have been my compost bins so I need to arrange for them to be redelivered.....all I need now is a shed and I'm sorted :)
-
Fluffnco, if you don't mind me asking, how much did your polytunnel cost and where did you get it from?
-
I'll Im you a link to the people I bought them off.....2 for 1 and they look pretty sturdy too for the money :)
-
Thank you :D
-
Being cheeky here, but could you let me in on it too, please Fluff? I need more "glass" to grow things under.
What do I mean more? I currently have a roofless lottie greenhouse, and a more or less glassless garden one. :'(
-
have im'ed you link denbee....sorry to hear about your greenhouses :( wind has decimated a lot of peoples greenhouses and/or sheds
-
Thank you, Fluff. :)
The glass did make a pretty tinkling noise as it broke, though. I could hear it while sitting here in the study at the pc. ::)
-
probably fortunate I haven't been able to put anything on mine then :( How many panes of glass did you lose?
-
About half of them. It was only a 4' x 6' greenhouse, but the loss of the first panes meant that it lost any rigidity, and then the wind blew it against the shelves which were inside, which broke some more glass.
OH dismantled it because a couple of bits of aluminium got twisted, so it's tucked away in a corner of the garden for the minute. I've not sown anything yet, but I'm preparing the conservatory for use - so far I've got a 4-tier mini greenhouse (minus cover) set up in there. And luckily I cleared the windowsills the other week, because they're going to come in very handy. :)
-
I also have a four teir mini greenhouse set up infront of my patio windows indoors at the minute as I brought it in just before that bad storm hit. Looking forward to getting these two green houses up as it means I can actually get a few more seeds sown and take a few of the already germinated plants over to the allotment to grow on in these new greenhouses/poly tunnels. Probably won't get them up until the weekend ( weather permitting ) but will try to get some pictures of it so you can see what it is like up :)
-
brought my spuds in out of shed this evening just incase they go mushy with frost damage.
I also got a bargain at wickes...bought last heated propagator for £9.99 cheapest I've seen them is £29.95 for seed tray size so I'm well chuffed :D
-
good for you fluff, I wanted to get some heated ones, but ther eis no where I can fit them inside. Could I aks you for the link for the polytunnel please fluff, would love to have a look. I manged to go and fetch the second greenhouse, I am so chuffed, it has hardly been used, plus she gave me all the staging and the parrafin heater too. The only downfall is that me and my husband have tons of overtime this month and are trying to find the time to put it up. Did you mange to get hold of the lady witht he manure
-
when we moved in to the house we have now in the shed was left a brand new parrifin heater still boxed up.
i must admit im not that keen on it.what are they like and do they use a lot of parrafin.
-
when I was little our kitchen used to be heated up by a parrafin heater ;)
What I really really want is a shed though......might get to hire a van and buy one when we're both off week after easter weekend :)
Have pm'ed you the link caseylee :)
-
the polytunnels look brilliant, excellant for your oh chillies. Well my husband has started putting the second greenhouse up at the mo. The base is up at least. Poor oh he has so much overtime this month plus my chores he barely has time to breath lol. I started my new job working with mental health patients and I love it, the staff at both places are lovely and the people I look after are so loveable and really make the job worthwhile. I also got some good news today, the oh has managed to get me a shed for the lottie, its a 6'8 and all it needs is the window replaced, otherwise in excellant nick so I am over the moon. No more carrying tools down there, and more place to put seedlings. We are taking it down to the lottie next wednesday, just have to lay the concrete base for it first and then up it goes. We ahve been told its in excellant condition. I now have my greenhouses, raised beds, shed and horse manure sorted. Next on the list is a rotavator, well it is my wedding anv on the 08/3 so I might hint like crazy lol
-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/deluxe-garden-workshop-10ft-x-8ft_W0QQitemZ260220727004QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260220727004
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/8-x-6-Wooden-garden-shed_W0QQitemZ110233961378QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110233961378
I found these two on ebay fluff don't know if they are any good to you at all, they woudl be easy to collect if you hire a van 35.00 full day, and are larger than the expensive ones you buy in the shop
-
only problem with buying off ebay is not knowing until last minute if you have won the item or not and then knowing where you are going for the driving etc. I'm not a very confident motorway driver ( hate it infact) :)
-
WOOHOO!! my two compost bins arrived this morning....well, I say arrived......they were unceremoniously 'plonked' in front of our front door and a leaflet entitled Congratulations your new compost bin has arrived! was posted through it. He must have had LOOONG arms as the bins are huge and it took two of us to squeeze them enough to get them inside so that I can get out to go to work in about 15 mins ;D Should start to look like a proper allotment over the next week I hope :D
-
brilliant did you get them from the council, I got mine from there and it was massive, I have put tons in it and it still looks empty. Mine was left by the front door aswell, I get up about 6.30 / 7am every day so they must of delivered it early.
-
yes they were from a site online that hooks you up with the local company that delivers on behalf of swindon council. Two huge black bins ( 330cl) plus two free caddies. first bin was £9 and second was £10....absolute bargain. They're massive too!!
This weekend is supposed to be horrid with sleet and snow and lots of rain ::) so hopeing that the rest of next week is warm enough to get onto the allotment. I popped over there today breifly with one of our residents to check what it was like. Even road way up centre is squishy under foot :(
-
fluff did you see if my sheets were still down prob not lol
-
yours were all ok and where you left them...mine on other hand ::)
-
bless you, I wish it was summer time I am sitting at home so bored but it just to muddy to dig at the moment roll on heatwave
-
well what a day we had in swindon today, snow, sleet, hailstones rain and sunshine all in a few hours, got nothing done again today, really starting to get annoyed now as dying to get my lottie up today, at the moment its just like a swamp lol
-
FLuff had manure delivered today, Its only a week old, but looks very good quality, more than welcome to have a look, in the black bags on my site or in my compost bin. It has got straw in it, but I am going to put it on the allotment spread all over the place and leave it there for the worms to pull it down, I have also added tons to all my compost bins aswell for it to break down and amd going to start a heap in the corner for it to to make older manure
-
Hatton close ladies we have anewbie on our site. Her name is Sarah and I used to work with her many years ago. She is in the plot next to the one with the shed, they started digging today. At least we have more people at our plot now and summer time will be fun as lots to talk to
-
Hatton close ladies we have anewbie on our site. Her name is Sarah and I used to work with her many years ago. She is in the plot next to the one with the shed, they started digging today. At least we have more people at our plot now and summer time will be fun as lots to talk to
If Sarah is able to read this WELCOME :D Nice to have another resident ;))
Whoopee....new shed arriving tomorrow ( unless wickes delivery guys think plot 5 the allotment is a wind up lol
-
Spent all day down on the lottie today and what a good day it was. Thought it was going to rain a couple of times as i waited for the shed to arrive and whilst me n my fab OH worked on putting one of the little polytunnels up.
Shed was delivered without problems at around 11.20am and that is now up, thanks to my OH and also his mum who came down to help us today :D
My two compost bins are on site now so things are starting to look up.
One down side though and you Hatton grove girls need to know this. OH's mum was talking to one of the neighbours over his fence for a little while and it turns out reason site was not being used was because local youths have came through the l;otties and trashed them frequently. I'm trying to keep a positive view on the whole thing and have pointed out to OH that since I got keys no one has been through and that the kids who did it me be interested in girls by now anyway :) Just a heads up incase. I'm seriously thinking about ringing up the council to see what emma has to say about securing the whole perimeter of the site just to put OH's mind at rest
-
I agree fluff, I have left about three messages for emma at the council to ask about having a new fence put in surrounding the lottie, but she has not got back to me. I will try again today cause on plot 5 there is only a broken panel there for not much protection at all. let me know how you get on if you get hold of her.
-
What an absolutely amazing day, we got to the allotment at 11.00 and got home at about 16.30.
It was such a joy being up there today glorious sunshine , not windy and we got our onions and potatoes in.
Spoke to one of the other allotment holders and she had mentioned that her neighbour had been doing some building work and had loads of pallets to get rid of so hey ho we now have 6 pallets to make our compost bins with. ;D
I can safely say I am knackered how has everyone else got on today?
-
Well not very happy at the moment, they have changed all my husbands shifts at work so he is on perm nights for the next three weeks, so I can't get my raised beds down till his next days off which is next week. I don't have a driving licence so can't even get down there with my tools, plus we have just had easter which means my boys have had tons of chocolate ( they are not allowed it due to reaction (hypo) ) so I can't take them down with me till its out of their system. So I spent the day in my garden at home, I finished my strawberry bed ( used one of the raised beds meant for the lottie) which my youngest loves and he has about 12 plants in there. I then used to other of my raised beds and put compost and newspaper in them to plant my home salad garden. I couldd'nt plant the lettuce in there today as compost is in oh car which he has at work ( one day shift in 3 weeks yeah miricles) so that will be done tomorrow. My oh did manage bless hime to get mt second greenhouse up in my garden. We got it off freecycle, and though it was a basic 4 by 6. When we got it there to take it down it was a 6 by 6 with all the metal shelving, bags and bags of pots, soil sorters, parrifin heater, growbag water things, and it was a posh one with louve windows and a windo on the roof which opens when it gets to hot. It reached 30 degrees in there today and it opended nicely so I was very chuffed. I also manged to plant up a few veg cause I know have space, and clean my first greenhouse out and sort through things that have not grown. So I guess I got alot done, just needed a good old moan as the oh is not here to take the brunt of it lol.
-
It sounds like you got a lot of jobs done that needed doing, and I don't mind you having a moan, you moan all you like :)
-
spent this afternoon down at the lottie to paint the shed with a creosote substitute solution. found out that my polytunnel had been blown over a neighbours garden and was standing on plot 6 when I'd left it on plot 5.....compost bin was on plot 8 and compost spread over plots 6-8!! Lottie swimming in inches of water :(. It's got to be raised beds or nothing...planted pear tree coz I really needed to but reckon it will die with drowned roots :( heeled in my blackcurrent, gooseberry and raspberry canes until I can decide on where to plant them permanently.
OH wants me to only keep non expensive stuff in shed incase it get's trashed or pinched. He seems to think the shed may be torched at some point :(
Anyway, still feel like I have got something done even though botrytis (sp?) has killed off my peas n beans at home and looks like it is going to get my lettuce. Really MUST ring for compost and manure this weekso I can set up my beds ready for potatoes and seedling that survive :(
-
OMG! Just got my allotment tenancy papers through in the post this morning and it appears they made a 'mistake' allocating the plots and I have now been given plots 6 and 7 instead of 5 & 6 as they say plot 5 had already been allocated :( I just put my shed up on plot 5 and OH nailed the blinking thing to the pallots it's standing on :( How on earth do I move it? and even worse still is I now have to start again :( GRRRR lol Is there some where that displays the exact outline of the different plots on each allotment site where I can go look at exactly where my plots are located?
-
popped along to the allottment earlier to put padlock on shed and someone has already been in and taken a pack of asda tool hooks. glad I didn't leave anything else in there worth taking ::) as it is the padlock is too thick so I'll have to fit the new heavy duty fastener on first before i can use it. Won't be leaving anything of worth in it though
-
Thats just awful, have you explained to the council that you have already set up the shed and done work on the plot. Surely if its their mistake they should sort it out with the other tenant especially if the other tenant hasn't been down there yet.
-
left a message for the allotment officer on her ansaphone thing but will go in tomorrow I think as I don't think it's fair. None of the plots are marked out and I was told the day I signed up for the two plots (5&6) that I could dig that day. The woman even phoned someone and told them to take plots 5 & 6 off her list as they'd just been signed up for. Will know more tomorrow I guess.
-
I agree with gardening-gal that is not fair that they can swap your plots now, you have already marked them out and the shed is not going to be easy to move, and why should you. I have never seen anyone at site no 5 since I have been there. I have 3 and 4, but have never seen anyone but yourself there. I would be fuming at this, stand your ground. I am still waiting for my tendancy agreement to come through but I have phone numerous times and confirmed that 3 and 4 are mine so I hop it doesn't happen to me. On a more plesant note, I spoke to emma yesterday and complained about the fencing around our plot and the fact that it is not safe and protected like it should be, Emma was suppossed to go doen there yesterday with a surveyer to confirm this and see if new fencing around the whole plot could be done. I have also requested a delivery of bark chip to the site, I have told her that I want plenty of it as lots of us are after it. I will phone her back tomorrow to see whats happenign with this. Good luck fluff stand your ground
-
Have either of you seen the evening advertiser today, on the front cover they have a big thing about allotments in swindon and the fact that the council are not spending the money that had been promised for fencing, sheds etc
-
oo that's interesting...not seen the advertiser as we are saving pennies for new kitchen after july floods of last year...hope Oh's mum has kept it for me.
-
I did it says that the council were suppossed to be giving all allotment holders a shed and also dealing with fencing issues, we will all be waiting a long time for that to happen
-
if they insist on my moving plots they'll have to give me much more than secure fencing around the site and a shed that's for sure ;)
-
I don't blame you fluff let us know what happens, I am also going to try and get hold of her today to find out what happening with the fencing, as I bet thats how they are getting over the fence to geton the lotti, by my lotti they can just lift their legs up walk over help themselves and walk back, not very fair
-
last Sunday whilst my OH and myself were painting the new shed a young boy who lives in house behind your lottie threw his ball over onto your lottie and then just walked straight through the bushes onto your plot. He'd been playing in the garden with his dad who, spotting me n OH, told him to get his ball and come straight back as, someone has that allotment now so you can't use it any more... >:( Obviously been using it as a football feild.
-
That wouldn't surprise me, there is no fence there and kids will be kids, they have to do something about the fencing cause its not fair if we all do the hard graft and people can just help themselves
-
I agree. Wonder what they will do about the guy with the gate straight onto the lotties at the far end of site? I've tried ringing emma and got answer phone again so I'm going to drive into town and try to speak to her personally
-
shes never in the office trust me I tried, i have also only got answerphone, but if you do get to see her ask her about the fencing and all of on the site are now requesting this
-
will do. This weather is so depressing....one minute it's sunny and has me thinking woopee not long now and the soil on lottie will be dried out enough to dig it all over and get something planted, then next day it's grey with scudding black clouds and tips it down everytime I think about leaving the house or it freezes over and snows (forecast for freeze up and snow over weekend and into next week for here) :(
-
I know the feeling, today I am determined to get down there and do somehting, my poor oh has just come off nights so he is sleeping a few hours then he is going to start taking raised beds to the lottie for me. I am then going to spend at least 4 hours there filling them with the horse manure, covering it with newspaper, and soil and they can be left to rott down till courgettes and pumpkins and things can go in there. Then at least I feel like I am getting some where. I have so much stuff in my greenhouse ready for planting out and the soil is so muddy now I can't do it, but i have put three raised beds up at hom and got my luttuce in it and a few onions so I feel I have started
-
Ladies
i think my father in law in going down to our plot today, armed with some onion sets.
i may pop down there myself if the weather hold off tomorrow morning too.
SP
-
I've got to work Saturday and sunday unfortunately...soooo tempted to pop down this afternoon for a peek ;) Do you think we'd frighten him off though super Ted? ;D
I've got spuds n onion and shallot sets to plant but not sure what blinking plot to plant them in now lol
-
Just been down to the lottie today to try and sort it out a little bit, managed to put three of my small raised beds down, fill with horse manure then newspaper then soil then black sheeting so that in 2 months time it will be ready for my squashes and courgettes to go into. The horse manure should of broken down by then. I tried to clean the site up a bit as it looks like a right tip, but I really need to invest in a wheelbarrow as my back was killing me after 2 hours. going donw tomorrow to put another three small beds in and do the same process, then sunday another three, hopefully it will start looking like more of a lottie then. I filled my compost bin up with some more horse manure. I can't beleive how quickly it breaks down, it was filled last week and already was half way down today, so topped it up. Hopefully by monday the lottie will look alright, and I can't start getting excited. Its really down putting when you go there and its like a swamp, so maby with some beds there it will look more like the lotties you see in the pictures ( I wish)
-
I called down breifly too having bought yet another padlock for the darn shed only to find that it is also a tad too big to go through the loop on the lock so the shed is still easy access ( although nothing in there to pinch so not worried about it at the minute)
Your three beds look great and will look even better once you have your squash etc planted and growing in them :)) I've bought two more types of potatoes to try bringing varieties waiting to go in now 5. Todays varieties that I bought are good old fashioned and very tasty king edwards and also Maris Peers.
Hoping I can organise a delivery of manure for next weekend. Had planned it for this weekend but now working 9-5pm saturday and sunday with a possible sleep over if a member of staff remains off work sick on saturday night and next weekend I am definitely doing the sunday sleep over so delivery will have to be saturday if she can make it. At least I'll have my shed to sit in whilst I wait and I'll take my little solar radio down too. Should keep me amused for a while ;)
-
Are you using the same person I used Fluff, I went and looked at the manure today and cause they have been left there in the black bags they are already breaking down and two bags was rich soil already so was very chuffed.
-
yes was thinking of giving her a ring and asking if she could deliver then :)
-
they are really good on delivery and even unpack it all for you, I was a bit disheartended when I first saw the manure cause I though it would take forever to use, but for £10 I have a few bags that are already composted cause of the balck bags and the heat so would recommend. Plus courgettes and squashes love fresh manure I have been told, and fill your compost bins aswell so plenty for next year aswell
-
still not managed to catch Emma when I have rang and she hasn't returned any of my messages asking her to ring me back :( Work has been hectic with no chance of getting in personally to speak to her or at least someone who could help me re the plots mix up...think I may ring chairman of the allotments association and ask if he might manage to sort this mess out. At the minute I'm frightened to arrange delivery of manure or anything else incase I have to move that too :(
ARGH!!!! :D Where is everyone?
-
I know what you mean about Emma, I have left her 4 messages within this past week and no reply, its no use going down there as she is not at the front desk and you can never get to speak to her. Stand your ground with the plots, you asked for those two when you first went and its tough for them as you have been the one down there doing the work. I haven't been able to make it down this week due to work aswell, but I will tomorrow if it kills me. I finally got a wheelbarrow, its my 8 year wedding anv tomorrow so I conned that and a potting table out of him as my present, so I can cart the manure around to the raised beds, and I am almost breaking hubby down to buy me a new shed as I am tired of waiting for this lady to be in to get the one she promised me. He wants a new shed for his garden, soI hav told him toget a new one for home and I will take the old one to the lottie and fix it up, thenits mine to have. Its becoming a pain carrying everything down there. It does stop me going down a lot of times cause I just can't be bothered to carry all the tools on my bike. Iw ill be happier when I have a shed, even if its rubbish there will be nothing valuable in there at least.
-
don't see why they can't change the number of plot 7 over to 5 and then mine could be renumbered 6 n 7 and we'd be happy :D
-
no cause you need common sense to do that love lol just don't back down, otherwise bill teh council fot the cost of moving the shed and calculate the hours spent down there and send them a invoice with your hourly rate that will get them moving lol
-
Hi fluff any luck with the council yet. i managed to finally get a shed that is being picked up on wednesday and hopefully will be on the lottie the same day. I am not sure what it looks like my husband says quite good, just needs a few touch ups but I am just happy to have one. What size is your shed fluff, cause oh says mine is 7'4 but I have no idea what that means lol
-
my shed is a 6 ft by 4 ft so sounds like yours is going to be bigger and no luck with council at all yet :( mind you I have had rather a lot to deal with this past week what with working in new place and doing a 24 hour sleep over last night not to mention my ex mother in law of 21 years dying late on Friday and both my daughters being devastated :(
Hoping to get my act together and get down there today to see if I can do a spot of digging or else my potatoes will have to be planted in pots :D
-
Bless ya its doesn't sound like you have the best time this week. Don't worry to much about the spuds, I had to plant mine at home in a raised bed cause I could not make it down, but the weather has been horrible and I'm in the sam eboat as you that I do shift work and there is always something coming up when I want to go down there.
-
spent a bit of time at the lottie and managed to dig a bit of plot 6. not much mind you but it's a start! Still no potatoes in yet and my onion sets are beginning to sprout :( Still need to ring and arrange for a load of dung or I'll never get anything in at all and the bit i'd dug on plot 5 had drained and was so hard i couldn't break the clods up :( Gotta love clay soil (NOT) :P
-
Just picked up a wheelbarrow so I'm halfway to being able to move manure and other things around ;)...cheered me up no end :))
-
I could of kicked myself last week, oh bought me a new potting table and wheelbarrow for our anv, and then the next day I got one free aswell. I have one for home now which the oh says is his, and the other will be in my shed at the lottie
-
wishing our garden was big enough for a greenhouse as I saw a fab wooden potting table at blooms garden centre reduced in their sale. I was soooo tempted to buy it for the shed at the allotments then thought better of it :)
bit posh you are :P a two barrow family eh?? ;) BTW your plots starting to come together now :) Looking good
-
if you want a good potting table look at argos its 25.00 and its lovley and will fit in your shed, its the one I got for my greenhouse. Worth the money. I can't wait for the shed to go up on thursday so that I can go down to the lottie more, cause I can put things in there instead of cycling down. My raised beds are a bit smaller than What I first expected, but they are going to be mainly for the boys to grow things on, and also my courgettes and outdoor cukes
-
oo didn't know they had a potting table in...will take a look. Thanks for the heads up...:D
-
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0424947/Trail/searchtext%3EPOTTING.htm
Doesn't look much in the picture but its wonderful to use and so handy for the potting up of everything
-
Morning my lovely hatton close buddies, how are you all doing today. Isn't the weaher lovely like usual in swindon. I am getting annyoed with it now. I am dying to get down there to get things started but it is so waterlogged and impossible to dig at the moment. I have put my small raised beds up just waiting for the horse poo to be eaten by the lovely worms and dig it in then I can think about whats going in them. I am still trying to get hold of the council regarding wood chips and also I beleive that they can deliver fresh compost aswell, but I have left about 5 messages in the past 2 weeks with no reply so not impressed. I am also waiting to hear if we are going to get new fencing there aswell. The only good news I have is that I finally got a shed, which will hopefully be going up tomorrow at the lottie so I will have some shelter, but otherwise my greehous is full of things ready to plant out and no where to put them
-
Ladies
i popped over to the Hatton Grove lottie yesterday and there was a ton of chipped bark been left ( presumably by the council ), it has been left near my plot ( big shed ). by the looks of it it was a fir tree as it still has a lot of green still in it.
-
oooo * claps hands* is for all of us to use or did someone pay for it? :o Was there today with one of the residents from work and saw the pile opposite mine :))
-
is there any oppisite mine do you know I requested the chip bark for my site to do the paths
-
its is for all of us to use, typical council I asked for it about two weeks ago as I wanted to get my paths done, and have not been able to get hold of her since, will pop down in the morning, I am getting annoyed with the council cause I can't get hold of emma the phone is never answered or its always engaged. Any news on your site fluff
-
not managed to speak to her so hey ho and I now have cards to say I am tenant of all 3 plots too lol ::) Surprised the council couldn't come up with a bit more considering the amount of tree felling they have been doing over west swindon....caused havoc with traffic on a morning too lol
-
went down today to do the paths, I used stacks and there is still tons of it left, it doesn't even look like I have made a dent in it, at least the council did one thing I asked for. I am trying to find out out delivery of fresh compost that someone says they do, but still no callback, I have also heard that they are looking to supply all the allotments in swindon with a shed for each site, but again no callback about that, and my last moan the fencing I asked about still no comeback about that yet.
-
hi yes i am from swindon & have just been given 3 allotments which are going to take a while to sort lol. i have spent 4 days trying to get a rotovator from every source to no avail ! so me & a friend have spent hours digging today - at least we manage to get 2 dug over and it looks like someones actually atempting to do something ! where abouts in swindon are you ?
-
Hello penlope
Most of us are based in hatton grove in the parks, welcome. I battled to get a rotovater but my husband surprised me today with one which cost 140.00 and included a hedge trimmer and a strimmer ( all petrol) so I am over the moon, will be doing y lottie as soon as it clears up outside
-
hiya Penlope where abouts are your allotments? :)) Nice to have another swindon allotmenteer in our midst too :))
-
hi all, yes i am in the parks- cranmore ave =ripon way where is hatton grove then i have never heard of that place, spent all day today got 2 lotty's diggeg & roto'd god i got wet 2 and thought the lightning was gunna kill me of lol
-
we are not to far from cranmore avenue, if you know buckhurst field its just behind there closer to sussex square side of the field, tucked away nicley, I didden't know there was one at cranmore avenue, whereabout there is it
-
hi do you mean that yours is by the dome ? mine is inbetween rushton road & ripon way but you come of cranmore theres about 50 there, as your quite near if yiu hear of any one whos selling a rotovator could you let me no !
-
we got a brillaint deal on our rotovater, go to screwfix which is by bookers wholesale, and you buy a petrol hedgetrimmer and you get the petrol strimmer free, and then you can buy the attachment head rotovater to go on it and its all 160.00 ( I haven't found a rotovater that cheap even on ebay) and you have everything for the lottie. If your is like mine I have tons of blackberry bushes behind mine which the hedge trimmer will take care of, then I have the petrol strimmer for the little bits at the lottie but its more for my home garden, and the rotovater which a really good one. We tested it on a peice of our garden yesterday and it tore straight through the ground no problem at all so very happy with it. I am now broke till payday lol
-
well you see thats were the prob lies i dont drive and have very little funds lol so i am hoping with the word of mouth gets around & someone will all of a sudden say oh i have one ! its a pity we could not start a borrow club in swindon for all us lotty lovers
-
I know the feeling I don't drive either so I know how you feel, I was very lucky witht he rotovater cause Imy oh bought it for me, he did tons of overtime and surprised me by taking me to pick it up, on a normal month there would be no chance at all. I like the idea of a borrow club, I think the council should do like a hiring service for this to help newbies like us out, I though a allotment was nice and cheap until all the things I started buying lol
-
yes but you no what they say speculate to accumalate lol, i am just checking the local friday ad mag there a couple on there so just wait and see, me and a freind have dugg 2 of the lotty.s so 2 down 1 to go, but i am trying not to work in the rain as i spent 2 weeks in hospital with numonia in jan so i dont think my hubby would be happy
-
ok where has everyone gone? ;) Not got down to the plot in past week. Took car in for MOT test on Thursday which it failed :(( so now I'm carless until 13th when work is done and it's retested. Thinking about getting bus over with my trusty fork and spade tomorrow if weather perks up. got to get a bit dug over for the potatoes if nothing else...getting depressed now
-
Hello eeryone
I went down to the lottie yesterday and today for 2 hours each as oh was on nights. Started rotovating the first plot, my little mean machine works a treat and really broke the clumps down well. Added a little bit more woodchip to aroundmy raised beds, and started diggind beds after where my raised beds are for my broad beans, and dwaf beans, just wait for that to dry out and then oh can rotovate them and smooth them out. Beware though we have found tons of red ants on the site, but after we dug them over theya re gone they hate the light.My greenhouses at home are overgrown with runner beansm broad beans and tomatoes, and my cucumbers and gherkins are coming up now aswell. my poor back is aching at the moment from all the digging and shoveling of horse poo, and all the planting at home today. My potatoes are doing well, I planted them at home in a raised bed and they came up today. I might see you at the plot tomorrow fluff, I am going down with the boys mid morning if the suns out. But then I am at work the whole of next week. Oh should be putting my shed up thois week I hope I am dying to have it up.
-
oh yes your new toy :D...hey maybe when you have done yours you might like to do mine too ;) LOL ;D
Will probably be mid morning for me too......don't want to get up crack of dawn if it's my only day off...I'm also working rest of week too...sucks doesn't it? :(
-
I know that feeling, tomorrow is my last day off then on for 9 days, not looking foward to it
-
well I spent a good few hours down on the allotments today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Fab weather which nearly baked me alive. Took my potatoes along but didn't put them into the soil as it was way too wet still :( instead I made a chipping path between my two plots ( still heaps left too) and took it right up side of the shed. I really wanted to do some digging but it's still sticking to everything so didn't bother. Picked up some bags of chicken Poo and rabbit poo today and added one bag of chicken poo to my compost bin....boy! it heated up within minutes :o I was well shocked at how quickly. I still need to ring heather up re manure delivery and hopefully will get some delivered this weekend coming if possible.
I was hoping that I wouldn't have to use deep beds but as I can't dig and water is lying on surface of allotment I'm going to have to :( Delay delay delay...trying to get OH excited enough to build them for me is hard at the minute as he's on nights for a while :( I might just dig n raise level of plot on one half and then work on other half next year lol
BTW Caseylee I was bitten badly a good few times by red ants so will be buying something to blitz them little beggers with asap :( My knee has swelled up as one got under trousers and bit me loads of times and i've come up in an allergic reaction which surprised me. Have taken piriton and that has stopped the throbbing and the stinging thank goodness....who would believe such a small thing could cause such a reaction eh? :o :(
-
I know they are little buggers, I uncovered one of my raised beds and there were tons of them, but supposly they are good for the soil just not for us lol. I didden't make it down there yesterday as children were in a naughty mood. I am now at work soild fr the next few days. Typical just when it warms up, oh on nights to at the moment but he has the kids in the morning so he is going to try and get down there to get a bit more done to keep awake bless him. My runner beans are taking over my greenhouse they need to go down there but nowhere near ready lol
-
wow what a fab day today has been :) i spent most of it at the alottment and have finally planted my first earliy potatoes ( Pentland Javelin) under plastic. I used a bulb planter to cut out holes in soil under the plastic and then popped a potato in before putting the cut out soil back over top of them. Fingers crossed I get some spuds. If needs be I'll buy some topsoil to build up depth over them but it feels great to finally have something in there. NOT so great a feeling is my poor sunburnt back and shoulders. Had no idea I was burning at all but know about it now :(
-
hi peep;s god yes thst was a hot one yesterday, i go abroad 2 times a year and never burn, yesterday i rotovated 2 allotments and i am suffering - burnt to a crisp. but as you said it was so good to get on 8)
mind you i was standintalkin to emma from the council for a while in the blazin sun for a while
-
OO you were talking to the 'elusive' emma? :) Hope I am on our site when she next visits as I'd hate to have to move my potatoes n shed etc over one plot :)
Got heaps to put in the ground in the way of plants so hoping to get a bit more put in this weekend and I have a week off at the end of this month so if it stays nice and my clay stays diggable then I should be sorted out by end of month :D
Have you planted anything yet Penlope? Did you say you have a rotovator now?
-
I have just finished a week of work and got a nice surprise I though I was working tis weekend but I am not, I am off yeah, but hubby at work so cannot use the rotovator. Go tons going in the greenhouse too I am itching to get them in the ground, oh has got a few days off next week so him and his mate are going to get my shed up finally and get the ground ready for me while I am at work so please let the hot weather stay. I did get my first veg yesterday I got some gorgeous radishes, and my potatoes at home ar doin g really well so I guess thats something
-
YOU SAW EMMA!!! you better write that down its a once in a lifetime event lol
-
OO you were talking to the 'elusive' emma? :) Hope I am on our site when she next visits as I'd hate to have to move my potatoes n shed etc over one plot :)
Got heaps to put in the ground in the way of plants so hoping to get a bit more put in this weekend and I have a week off at the end of this month so if it stays nice and my clay stays diggable then I should be sorted out by end of month :D
Have you planted anything yet Penlope? Did you say you have a rotovator now?
hi yes manged to get a rotovator from purton & the man brought us back with it. it still had the labels on it -got it for £125. yes i have planted - runner beans,carrots,cabbage onions leeks potatoes corn parsnips cali's i think thats it plus we rotovated the 3 allotments 3 times each lol
-
oh yes i have meet emma to ! waiting for some bark & to find out about people fly tipping at are place & about the 6 lotties not being used there 2. ;D
-
OO you were talking to the 'elusive' emma? :) Hope I am on our site when she next visits as I'd hate to have to move my potatoes n shed etc over one plot :)
Got heaps to put in the ground in the way of plants so hoping to get a bit more put in this weekend and I have a week off at the end of this month so if it stays nice and my clay stays diggable then I should be sorted out by end of month :D
Have you planted anything yet Penlope? Did you say you have a rotovator now?
hi yes manged to get a rotovator from purton & the man brought us back with it. it still had the labels on it -got it for £125. yes i have planted - runner beans,carrots,cabbage onions leeks potatoes corn parsnips cali's i think thats it plus we rotovated the 3 allotments 3 times each lol
Bargain!! Why can't I find a money fairy to bring me the cash to afford one of those too :)....Wanna a job? lol
-
honestly took me ages to find one. tried ebay tradeit and in the end the friday ad mag
-
You can get it brand new from screwfix for 165.00 and it includes the petrol hedgetrimmers and strimmer. The rotovater attachment is brilliant and really does the job. My shed is finally going up today yeah about time
-
well what a week allotments all flooded. god what a downheartening few days trying to salvage all are hard work was just thinking we were doing well getting most things planted then the heavens opened up ! i am sure theres a cloud that follows me around ! ??? trying to work out a plan to stop are middle allotment flooding - any ideas apart from digging the whole allotment out putting bark in then covering the bark with the soil that was dug out !
-
The swindon one is the same, I was due to go and plant a few things this week, but it is so mucky at the moment can't do anything. I have a few small raised beds put up filled with horse manure that is nearly rotted down, so I am going to plant my courgettes in the next week or two hopefully. Still can't get hold of emma at the moment, have left so many messages but no replies.
-
well what can i say i have phoned her at least 60times to no reply so i am thinking of going down to talk to her face to face. whats the point of appointing someone if they cant be contactable !
-
tried the face to face method, and shes not based where you can see her, they just give you haer telephone number and tell you to keep trying
-
ok...where are you all hiding??
My plot has yetagain been covered in water, pigeons have eaten all my mangetout and runnerbeans and my purple sprouting brocolli was got by slugs in their thousands I reckon :(( All but about 6 of my potatoes have been had and those that showed aren't going to give me much this time around. Talk about down hearted :( not to mention the darn weeds are back to over a foot+ again :(
oh yes and my courgettes were up rooted by a blinking fox who then planted his meat and covered it over :( I'm not impressed. Thinking our allotments need a drainage job done on them too by the council. If I could find emma and show her the state of the plots maybe she'd get something sorted for us :(
-
I couldn't agree more, I haen't been down to the plot in weeks cause it is so flooded and I cannot plant anything there, I feel like giving up on it and concentrating on my greenhouses at home, at least I can get some stuff grown. I so far have had tons of peas, courgettes, rhubarb, strawberries, blackcurrants, carrots, gemsquash, tons of cucumber and tomotoes and due to pick first pepper soon, plus tons of potatoes. I think we should all do a petention to emma and put a massive complaint in about our lottie, why are we paying for something we cannot use.
-
reckon you have a point there but I think I may go to the allotment society and talk to the secretary bob....see what he says about it all before we go to petition stage. I agree it isn't fair that they will ask for a years fees in October for something we've not been able to dig over yet :(
-
well I have a friend and her stepmum is part of the allotment society for swindon, she goes to all teh big meetings and things. I am going to phone her tomorrow and tell you the issue ans say that we cannot even use the plot. I have not been able to plant one thing this year as the ground is always flooded, my second plot is hard clay and my first is half nice and half clay, the fence is still not done. I rekon we need to have the fence fixed, the whole place sorted so flooding does not occur, and at least the poiltness of a return phonecall. Plus I have tons of red ants on my plo aswell and my poor kids have been bitten as have I am my partner. I just give up phoning her cause she never returns calls.
-
hi all ! well i am glad that i am not the only one who is having problems contacting emma at this stage i have done 54 emails - 72 calls and 4 visits to the offices and not had one reply or confrontation yet ! i think we are all suffering the same thing - NIC NO INPUT FROM COUNCIL !it is truely perfetic. there are at least 9-10 allotments down are place so why are people waitin she said in march that they would be sorted - still waiting as as far as gates and fences go yours are far better than ares- hence all the kids keep knicking things and breakin in the sheds ! ???
-
I am going to leave her a message today saying that I am looking to canx my two lotties and I want a full refund as I have not been able to use them once. The ground is full of red ants and the other half under water. Its reall sad cause I loved having a lottie just wished I could use it at least once. I am going to collect my shed and raised beds from there, and do it at home. I forever have friends offering me greenhouses so I am going to put a few more up and do it that way. I have had more crops at home this year any way
-
:o dont you think its sad as we have all been givin it are all ! and she cant even reply. what gets me the most is there are waitin list and so many lotties waitin empty - surely that would help there tight budget lol the point is when you have put so much into your lottie your reluctant 2 give it up !
-
I was very sad to see that your shed had gone last time I was at the lottie caseylee. Such a shame to give up the plots. Pretty sure if we all protest in writing ie official complaint about her lack of communication they will sort it out at the councils end. Anyway, a fox ripped open three big bags I'd planted up and ate the seed potatoes so I'm going once again email her and hopefully get a response of some kind *rolls eyes here*
Fluff
-
I just gave up trying to get hold of her to sort the lottie out, and also tired of walking in deep mud and having red ants trying to eat me alive. I have now got one side of my garden full of greenhouses, as my husbands family just keep giving them to me when thye don't want theres anymore ( they are a massive family) and I can go out every morning and check everything. I have had tons of produce this year from the greenhouses and I can look after them in my pj's. I think emma is terrible and needs to be replaced cause she is clearly not doing her job
-
what are you going to do about your raised beds etc. Are you going to take them home again?
-
I am yeah, hubby and I are off this weekend so we are going to go down there and collect the raise beds, and make sure the plot is how we fond it, so mow the grass down and clena up and take the compost bin. I will then take photos to show its been cleaned up and email them to Emma to say we no longer want the plot and it has been left in good condition
-
well just 2 let u no me and 4 other people went down the council today asked to speak to emma as e-mail and phone calls dont work with her they told me she was on holiday till monday ! laugh i nearly split my sides ;D i asked is that since febuary because thats how long i have been calling and e-mailing since to no reply. they told me to right a complaint out there and then but said they had loads of complaints about her . well we now have 14 empty plots at cranmore and 12 people on the waitin list ( mad i no) but there all so badly in need of doin as its ruinin the rest of are allotments ! bit of luck that she may come back from her little holiday - lol
-
Hello Caseylee, Sorry that your giving up. Some of us have been trying to contact Emma barton for months. We have issues dating back over 18 month when Christabel Banks was the Allotments officer. At Dawlish Allotments, Park North there's fly tipping there that's been waiting to be removed and despite promises its still there. I don't no if any of the promised monies have been spent on any of the other Allotments in the Swindon area. If someone can supply me with the name of the National Allotment people in Swindon I would be most grateful. There's been no meetings of the Allotment reps for some time as far as I'm aware. I rang the council this week to be told Emma is on holiday. The weather the last 2 years as been terrible. What hasn't rotted with the rain as been eat by the slugs. My project for this Autumn is to get as much well rotted horse manure on to my plot and raise the levels as flooding is a problem. I've been advised that digging in lots of grit sand will also help with drainage. Have a good weekend. Regards, Taurus
-
Apparently if a letter is recieved and it is aimed at a particular person by name, that person must and I stress the MUST give a written answer within a certain time frame ( not sure what that is but I have ways of finding out) so answer is to write to her the old fashioned way ie pen, paper and a stamp and keep a note of when it was posted ;)
-
I am so busy at the moment I cannot e bothered to write to Emma, she will probley throw it in the bin anyway so whats the point. The only letter she is going to receive from me is a canx one, and a refund request, I am then going to give her 14 days to reply, if no reply I will then take it further.
-
well heres a laugh for you all me and 4 freinds went down to see emma 2 times last week in the end we were told she was on holiday - i ask was it since feb as thats how long i have been trying and a few others 2. any way got to talkin to a man called martin xxxxx who is her boss well if ever i have heard a load of thingy and bull. told hom that 14 allotments are not bein used in are allotments he said they were wrin to people since feb and have to give it time !asked about new fences and gates or even havin the roadway cut - i just of well spoke in swaheelie he just fobbed me of. then to top it all there was a story in the adver sayin about some area in swindon has 4 plots not bein used somewhere when there is a waitin list, well theres a waitin list at are place of 12 and there are 14 not bein used !!!!!! ??? madness
-
Hi Penlope, some one listened to what you said because I've received an e-mail from Emma laying out the work that their proposing to do over the next few weeks so I'll keep you posted as to what work gets done and when at the Dawlish site on the Parks. Theres a meeting on the 3rd Thursday of each month in the Sheik temple of the Allotments Association. I'm going to go this month and join. It starts at 7.30. We have 10 plots not been worked this year on our site. The householders who's homes back onto our site have complained about the uncultivated plots as it effects their gardens. I'm going to make Crab apple jelly for the first time so wish me luck. Hope you've all had a nice sunny day.Taurus.
-
whoops,
correct address for the Swindon Allotments and Leisure Gardens Association meeting on the 3rd Thusday of the month is the Community Centre BEHIND the Sikh Temple in Gorse Hill.
By joining the S.A.A.L.G.A you will receive 3 news letters per year.
Join in with the Seed, Grow organic, and Discount Schemes.
Shop at the Association Stores. And lots more.
Off round the allotment now. Hope the rain keeps off.
Taurus
-
hi taurus for that i might try and see if i get get a bus to that meetin - what time is it ? and i have asked for a lottie at dawlish. what they like - do many flood ?
-
Hi Penlope
The good news is that when I weny round Dawlish today the vacant plots have been scrapped and the fly tipping rermoved. If your about on Thursday I can meet you so you can have a look. If you email me at:
opals11@yahoo.co.uk we can arrange a time to meet. I suggest you give Emma a ring to find out if any plots have been taken and which ones are free.
Taurus
-
Morning Allotmenters,
For those of you who are interested the Dawlish Allotments will be open for anyone who is interested in an Allotment tomorrow Fri 22 Aug. I will be there from 8am till 10am They have been scrapped off so knows the time to start. Emma Barton will also be there from 8.30 as she's giving me a helping hand on a small project.
To find us you can drive up Shaftsbury Ave and turn into Dawlish road and you will see the gates on your left about 2/3 rds round or if your coming from Welcombe Ave turn into Midhurst Ave then right in to Dawlish road and the gates are on your right.
Penlope if you e-mail me I can give you a lift to the meeting this evening.
Regards, Taurus
-
Can't believe Emma burton. It now appears that she has 'promised' to be in the council offices on a Monday and Friday morning until at least mid day according to the young man I spoke to two days ago. had to call in to let them know that some toerag had pushed the barrel of the lock into the actual padlock preventing any of us accessing the allotments unless we're agile enough to climb over the top of the gates. me n other half plus his mum climbed over simply because I had stuff that needed watering and we are keen to get on top of things ready for next season.
He was going to tell me to contact Emma but I said "please DONT ask me to contact that lady! she's still not got back to me about plot allocation numbers since I emailed her and rang her several times in April/may of this year. He told me to write down what the problem was along with contact details but true to form she ain't rung me and I'm not expecting her to anytime soon. In the meantime a retired chappy a plot up and across from me can't pick his broadbeans or access his plot and I ain't climbing over no 6ft gate on my own again so i guess all my hard work over the past weeks alongside my OH's mum has all been wasted. the plots are waist high in weeds too which doesn't look like they have owners..it's madness :(.
Going to email the swindon aver as they seem to be running a lot of articles on allotments with it having been allotments weeks recently..you never know we might get some joy sooner rather than next year *rolls eyes*
-
Are you leaving your messages with the right people because I don't seem to have the amount of trouble contacting Emma as you seem to.
Try this number 463527. or Mr Hambich on 464572. Don't forget to leave your number so they can contact you in return. I think some times we forget that there's 25 Allotment sites to deal with and there only one part of the parks department responsibilities.
I wish I had a magic wand to make people more thoughtful to the rest of the human race. As you say "some toerag " is the cause of your problem. Hopefully the lock will be fixed soon.
Taurus
-
Well I'm going to take back what I said about Emma in my last post and say that she rang me today whilst I was out about the lock and also about how the plot numbers were mixed up in the beginning. I may vent off in frustration but I'll be the first to admit if I've said something and it is proven wrong :)
I fully understand the lady must be run off her feet with having to go around visiting the sites and organising allocation of plots etc but sure it must be in her powers to allocate some of her more minor roles to maybe a designated person on each site so that her time isn't eaten up as it has been ? It would make sense to have maybe a site rep on each site who is willing to feed back on plots not being worked, repairs needed or problems arising once a month etc surely...anyways.. lock is apparently being chased up today so here's hoping :)
-
There are Allotment reps for a lot of the sites as I'm the one for Dawlish. We do meet with the Allotment officer at the Oasis, the last meeting was in the spring.
Perhaps you could be the one for your Allotment site. I've put the information for the Allotment Asc on the notice board at my site and what I hope are things of interest for people to read. Our site as more Ladies plot holders than men at the moment. I'm please Emma's contacted you and lets hope you have a replacement lock soon.
Regards, Taurus
-
I must agree with fluffco, I too have been trying to get hold of emmas for months and have now given up all together. We are phoning the right number, but i guess I am sick of hearing my own voice leaving messages including my phone number, hubbys mobile and my mobile number all with answerphones in case we too are not avail. I have not been to my plot in nearly 2 months and only plan to go and pick up my raised beds. I was so excited at first to have my own allotment, but now I dread to even think about it. As so a allotment officer acccording to the council they do not have one for our site and emma is the only contact. I would agree with going to the evening advert because sbc go on about being green, growing stuff, and recycling but when people are trying to do it we can't. I did not even get the chance to plant on my plot due to being bitten by red ants every time, also having a very bad fence I was worriedmy hard work would be nicked, or even ruined by kids having a kick about. I am glad Emma finally contated you Fluffco, but I wish she would do the same to everyone else.
-
I feel really sad you have gave up your plot caseylee.I remember how pleased you were when you first had it.If a council employee had not responded to me for so long I would have written to the leader of the council and complained big time.Clearly this person is not doing what she is paid to do. :(
-
She's doing her Job Betula but as Taurus has pointed out the allotments are only one small part of the whole department and she is only in office for 1-2 half mornings per week whilest the rest if spent going around the various sites. The problem is that there isn't anyone at the office end to do her more mundane tasks like replying to emails etc which go some way to alleviate the frustration many feel at the moment.
It is a shame though Caseylee. Most of the ants will move on when the earth is worked regularly as they don't like soil disturbance. I think most of mine have probably either marched onto yours or onto plot 5 on other side ( BTW my plots were always plot 6 & 7 apparently and because I never saw a map of the site I'd presumed the one closest to your plot was 5 so no move for me)
-
I understand she is doing her job, and I work in a pressured eviroment aswell, but I can understand taking a few weeks to respond but months is really taking the mickey. I do feel sorry for Emma cause she must have tons to do but then something needs to be done to help her otherwise it is going to end up in the local paper and it more bad press for that department when it may not really be by their own doing at all. I did think about writing a letter, but never got around to writing it, I think I just had enough of the hassle and gave up on the lottie all together. I have now got 4 lovley greenhouses n my garden at home and I have loved every minute of it, I can go outside in my pjs and pick fresh veg, I am lucky that I have a large garden, and had this option to fall back on, even though it has now been taken over and my boys have lost tons of space, but we do it together. I know red ants move on, but we rotivated a large section of the lottie nearly three times and the amount of nests that we found was stupid, plus my kids are always down there with me and were scared in the end to dig at all. My raised beds were packed with them all aswell, and every time I went to dig them over, I had to keep dropping the spade as they would crawl up it. I know its part of nature, but I am not a fan of pain lol. I do wish everyone luck with their lotties, but I am going to stick to my greenhouse and raised beds, at least if I know there is a issue i can sort it out on my own.
-
I do need to say something as someone may wonder why if I have a big garden did I want a lottie, well I tried having a veg garden at home, my soil was pure clay, and where I had dug up, it caused major drainage problems with heavy rain, and flooded my whole garden almost to the height of my patio doors, so I had to cover it back over, and I tried the lottie life. But in the end a good friend of mine helped me put bases down for my greenhouses and I fell in love with that gardening.
-
I do need to say something as someone may wonder why if I have a big garden did I want a lottie, well I tried having a veg garden at home, my soil was pure clay, and where I had dug up, it caused major drainage problems with heavy rain, and flooded my whole garden almost to the height of my patio doors, so I had to cover it back over, and I tried the lottie life. But in the end a good friend of mine helped me put bases down for my greenhouses and I fell in love with that gardening.
Hi all, i know this post does not directly affect me as 1. i don't have an allotment and 2. I'm not living in Swindon, but i have been following this topic closely to see if everything works out for everyone in the end. I just wanted to say i don't think you should have to give a reason for wanting an allotment, i also have a fairly large garden (not massive, but bigger than most) and i have lots of raised beds a greenhouse and and area marked out for fruit. but i would also like an allotment it will give the area needed to grow more en mass like more tomatoes, potatoes, sweetcorn and pumpkins and squashes for storing purposes. but when you are on a 1 to 2 year waiting list :-\ you just have to work with what you got. anyway i just wanted to say i didn't think you had to explain why you had or wanted an allotment even though you have a large garden. anyway not sure if this is coming across well. (i am knackered and aching after a hard day in the garden ;)
-
No one should have to explain why they have an allotment and I know I got a little hot around the collar on another forum I frequent when someone complained about a couple that have an allotment of mown grass and two chairs..lots of moaning because these two people just sat on the grass lawn they had grown. My view is/was that they looked after the grass and it doesn't say that only fruit and veg can be grown on an allotment in the tenancy agreements nor should it :) Chances are the couple under scrutiny didn't have a garden at all and lived in a flat..who knows..thing is they were using their plot for their own purposes as we all do :)
Enjoy your greenhouses Caseylee :)) Just wish you could push a free one over onto my plot ;) *grins*
-
I know you don't have to explain but similar to fluffco on another website someone mentioned a big garden and having a allotment and got a few bad comments from it, so I would rather explain than cause a debate. FLuffco if I get another greenhouse offered to me I will send it your way definately. I was very lucky that I purchased two very cheap off trade it, and my friend knew someone getting rid of theres, so I am very grateful for them and love them to bits, they are my babies. But next one I get offered will be for you as I know have no more space for anymore, otherwise my kids are going to kill me lol. I agree that allotments are not just for growing veg on, they are for relaxing and doing things on, as long as you mantain it I see no problems with it. But some people could get upset as they are on long waiting lists and that must be frustrating.
-
Its very quiet on here, hope you've not all thrown the trowel in. Or is it that we're all tidying up and putting away for winter. I've decided to re plan my allotment plots and use more raised beds on one plot and fruit /root crops on the 2nd plot. Tried to move my compost heap only to find I've got a bee's nest there. So am going to leave them in peace for the time being and hope they move of their own accord. Just got to dig the plots over for next year and hope the weathers better and I'm more organized (glad my other half can't read this)
My one success's this year was my garlick, grown on a raised bed. Most everything else either rotted or the slugs had them. So hows the year been for you? The next S A A meeting is on the 16 Oct Community Centre behind the Sikk Temple at 7.30pm. Regards Taurus
-
I have now cancelled my allotment. I managed to get hold of Emma finally and explained that the site I have is not good at all, and I would not recommend she gives it to anyone else as it is pure clay. I have also advised that I will fetch my raised beds by the 30 october and clear the site. Such a shame but I will concentrate on my greenhouse instead. I had a lot of success this year, I am still picking green runner beans by the dozen, my onions were wonderful, tons of lettuce, and my sons two pumpkins are nealy ready at nannys for hallowean.
-
Hi everyone, Sorry to hear your giving up Caseylee, but can sympathize with the problems you've faced. Swindon seems to be on a clay seem as far as I can make out. I've decided to do more raised beds next year. Have you had a look round at anyother sites close to you?
Had to smile, has promise we've had a load of woodchips delivered to make 2 parking spaces. Laid a tarpaulin on the ground, where did they put the woodchips. Yes you've guessed it on the allotment next door, words fail me at times.
Let us no how you get on Caseylee with you greenhouses. Hope a few more people write on the site and let us no how we're all getting on.
Regards, Taurus
-
hi all ;D hope that all your sites are gettin all the little jobs done by the council ? alot have around the parks area ! but not ares the cranmore plot has had nothin done and theres still about 10 empty which have not been touched since i;ve had mine which was febuary !!!!!!! we do not even get the grass roadways cut let alone the fence mended or gates changed but hey never mind had a letter in with are bills sayin keep are plots tidy or else lol. well the letters say u have 2 weeks to clear your plots or ur off ! well i think 8 months has not even give the council enough time to clear all the empty ones so dont see ares keepin weed free !!!! well heres wishin all new lottie holders the best of luck as your need it !! thanks penny
-
Hi Penny
The Dawlish site have had 2 new water tanks put in this week. Ones been out of action for years. The guys who did the the work have done a really good job. We've all so put tarps down to go under wood chips to make a couple of parking spaces.
Theres 9 plots vacant that I no of for sure and may be another 3 if some don't come back as we haven't seem them for some time. The track is all so being repaired. I think the fences and gates will get done during the winter months as long as we don't get to much rain, here's hoping any way. My 2 plots are getting a majer overall this winter. Have learnt a lot by mistake and error. Have covered them over for the time being as am working 6/7 days a week at moment. January will be my time to dig over and plant bare rooted items and move over crowded Raspberry's etc. Its great to hear from someone else in Swindon. Do you go the the Swindon Allotment meetings, very helpful group of ladies and gentlemen. Regards Taurus
-
hi taurus ;D
nice to hear from you ! well as you said theres hope still that things will get done and that sums it up lol ( hope ). well we have cleared alot of plots out ready for winter, brought a new rotovator so was dying to use it -- its great dont no what i would have done without it. well this was my first year of being a lottie holder so like you said its been trial & errear but it aint been to bad. lots of courgettes.marrows strawberries and been over run with runner beans.kidney beans & corn And not to mention relatives who all of a sudden like you for your crop lol. must say its been hard work but it wont be as bad next year as all the old people give there hints - in exchange for my labour !!!. also if the council do get down to sort the empty plots out there wont be so much to do on are plots as all the grasss seeds blow over and weeds to the plots that people are trying to use ! so are you at dawlish ? as far as the meetin goes i dont drive but i think the 17 bus goes up by there is'nt it by the shiek temple ? when is the next ? = take care penny
-
Hi Penny,
The meetings are the 3rd Monday in the month. You can have a lift with me I've put my Email address for you opals11@yahoo.co.uk. If you e mail me with your phone number then we can arrange apick up point.
Whats the ground like on you site. Every time I've tried to use my rotavator its either bounced over the top of the ground or dug a hole that's filled up with water, the water table is very high here. Either that or I might need a lesson on how to use it. You did really well with your produce. The only things that where a success for me where my garlic,strawberry's,raspberry's and spuds. My sweetcorn is still in the ground and only grew to 9 inches and my neighbours did the same, But further down the site another plot holders grew really well. Wether we just planted that bit to late or its colder on our side of the site I don't no. Every thing else either rotted with the rain or was eat-on by the slugs and snails. At the moment I'm due to get Monday off, so keeping fingers crossed that the weather as kept dry so can get my garlic in.
Yes I'm at Dawlish. And for my sins I'm the site rep. My plots are the worst as I'm to busy trying to get things improved. Where abouts in Cranmore is your site? That's it for now as must get ready for work. Happy rotavating, Taurus
-
whoops!!! 3rd Thursday in the month not Mondays. Senior moment.
-
Hi fluffco
Just wanted to see how you were doing down there at the old lottie site. I still need to pick up my raised beds, I have just been so busy. I passed my driving test last week and the world is now my oyster lol. Too bad cause I could of spent more time down there now that I can drive but just no time I'm afraid.
Will pop down in the week to grab them
good luck to everyone
-
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!! on passing your driving test Caseylee. Here's trying to tempt you back. Dawlish as new water tanks, the roads under repair and some of the vacant plots have been rotovated. Worth a look dont you think. Anyone interested just email me. opals11@yahoo.co.uk
Anyone have any Q as I going to the Allotment Reps meeting Thursday night.
Regards Taurus
-
i am based in wootton bassett... still snow on the plot but just planted new fruit bushes adn peppers and toms coming on in the greenhouse..
-
hiya, squeezer, welcome to the site ;D
-
Welcome squeezer, I'm over in Swindon ;D
-
Hi All,
I was just wondering has the Hatton Grove site improved any since? I live just across the other side of Queens Drive so this would be ideal for me.
Cheers,
Mark
-
Ah well it's all academic now as I have just been informed by Swindon Council that there are no free allotments anywhere in Swindon at all!! Back to the window box then.
Adios
-
irishmilo, keep e mailing and ringing them as there are always plots coming up.
There's 4 at the moment on my site with a ? mark against them so get your name on the lists. If you ring Emma Burton direct you will get a better idea which sites have the shortest waiting list. Did you get my reply to your e mail OK?
-
Hi Taurus,
I'm on the waiting list for Burghley Close now. 12 months minimum wait. I've told them that it doesn't have to be local as I don't mind travelling. Have to wait and see what happens now. I was told that they aren't giving out any more from Hatton Grove as the soil is just clay. Did you mail me? If you have I'll check when I finish work tonight.
Mark
-
??? Thats rich the whole of Swindons on clay. Another site ear marked as building plots I wouldnt wonder. I've tried ringing Emma this morning but as usual no one manning the phones. We're off Shaftsbury Ave, Park North, so if I hear anything I'll let you no. And yes I did e mail with all the info for the Allotments officer.
Regards Taurus
-
I'll be moving to Swindon soon and will be looking to get a plot in Swindon sorted out as a matter of course.... can keep the one in oxford near work for a while but would prefer one nearer to home for 2011.....
chrisc
-
Hello all,
I'm on the Hatton Grove site chris....they're going to flail and de weed the half plots that are vacant and then they will be given out....only two of us on site at present. The council have put in a much better gate and a new driveway on the site so once they've been allocated hopefully we'll finally see the site come alive again :) Keep your eyes open and keep asking the council if anything is available
Fluffnco
-
Hello all,
I'm on the Hatton Grove site chris....they're going to flail and de weed the half plots that are vacant and then they will be given out....only two of us on site at present. The council have put in a much better gate and a new driveway on the site so once they've been allocated hopefully we'll finally see the site come alive again :) Keep your eyes open and keep asking the council if anything is available
Fluffnco
They're reopening Crowdies Hill which is the nearest site to me as far as I can tell anyway..I'm in contact with the allotments officer and will be allocated a plot there as soon as they've finished... eyewitness reports say they've done everythign except fit locks to the gate apparently.... I've got access to unlimited cardboard and with Crappers in Wooton Bassett doing compost for 28 quid a ton (and a ton is a lot of compost BTW, I pretty much loaded my van with as much as I could yesterday and it was only 320Kg.... I'll take my trailer next time too)...problem is you have to load it yourself from a giant loose heap and they work out the costs by using a weighbridge.... I'm not fussed with 9 quid for a vanload though :-).... I should be able to set mine up quickly by putting down cardboard and compost then weedmulch plasticv and planting through that....
chrisc
-
Hi chris,
well that's great news :) I've not heard of crappers but will look them up as that's a great price for compost. Have you joined S.A.L.G.A yet? I can give you the secretary's number if you want to get information. I let my membership lapse last year but am going to join up again. They do some great trips and visits and have some good guest speakers so worth popping along. I'm not sure where they meet now. Anyway nice to meet you and if your interested I message me and I'll give you the name and number :)
fluffnco
-
Crappers are in the arse end of no-where, be warned... my Satnav tryied to send me down the M4 and back up the other side :-). You do have to do all the shovelling yourself though, it's just a big heap and they weigh you on the way in and out on a weighbridge adn charge the difference.....
What's SALGA? (so obviously "no" in answer to your question :D)
What's your soil like./... I think the brickmakers had all the clay out of my area, so what I've got is like gravel...... #
chrisc
-
Hi Chris and Fluffnco,
Swindon Allotment & Leisure Gardens Association. Next meeting is on the 20 May 7.30 pm. At Gorse Hill Community Centre. Just along the road from Lidl. Gardeners Bring and buy. Annual General Meeting. This is a lovely group of people. Theres all sorts of trips, savings on seeds (Kings) and of course the Knowledge. Due to work this year have not made a meeting but hope to be at the next one in May, see you there hopefully ;D
Wish someone would come and make bricks with the clay on my site :'( :'( Glad to see the rain today as ground really hard.
Regards, Taurus
-
chris - my site is clay and then....wait for it even more clay...not to mention aquatic for several months of the summer as well as most of winter n spring too so just transferred my plot from 5 to 8 and hopefully a better chance of growing more than pondweed and less chance of smashing my spade or fork. Having had my shed broken into and all hand tools pinched not to mention my old wheel barrow and a few other items taken as well, I am also hoping that being at far end of the site will prevent any further break ins...won't hold my breath though ;) Just got to retrieve my shed and paving slabs, compost bins and a few other things from the guy who took over plots 10 and 11 and I'm in business..
Taurus - hopefully will make the annual meeting and meet you..how will we know each other though? lol. Really wish we had a site rep to fight for new fencing at our plot as the people living in houses that back onto the site can access through their garden's..no fencing to prevent them..kids playing ball, dogs digging up and fouling, tipping, breaking in and taking produce too...can see why it wasn't such a keen choice for most folks...with a bit of love it would be a nice little site though.
anyway, rant over :) hope to see you both at next meeting
-
Hi Fluffnco,
How about putting yourself forward as the site rep? The way to get things done is to keep the pressure up. The improvements that have taken place on my site as been a combined effort by all plot holders as well as myself over a period of about 4 yrs. Mind you it as been said I can nag for the Olympics ;D ;D ;D
Ask Emma for ameeting on site when as many plot holders can attend and write a list to give her.
Perhaps we could arrange to meet up for a coffee somewhere and Chris and digeroo could join us?
Regards, Taurus
-
Still no news from Emma at my end :( ... I'll have to run my leeks and stuff through another pot iteration and pray that they get themselves sorted out (as well as sow other stuff)... will run out of sdpace at the house soon (certainly if I put all the leeks into final positions) ..... Bit of a mad scramble anyway, still need to sow squashes (going on my Oxford plot), plant out the shelling beans (oxford too) and sow sweetcorn/courgettes/gherkins (home)..... finally got all the GH toms into final positions over the weekend....
I've got a 4.5x2m polytunnel, built a bed 40cm wide by 35 high around the entire side and end walls and got 31 tomatoes at what look like sensible spacings in there.... need to sort out the watering rig too though.... the tunnel and the celeriac next to it will probablyh need 2hrs per day come what may with 2 l/hour drippers on the toms at each station and a length of leaky pipe between the two rows of celeriac.
Will probably need to plumb in the assorted potted plants elsewhere in the garden to the same timer as the tunnel as they're pretty sheltered and the 12+ foot row of peppers, aubergines and chillis in the tunnel,
Then I'll need to rig a more general garden autowaterer with a timer plus a sensor to over-ride it if it's rained enough ..... The stuff on the oxford plot should be OK cos a fair amount of compost and stuff went in and the squashes will have plenty of manure, Swindon plot if it turns up will get a load of compost and manure in a hurry, a sheet of weedmulch then I'll plant through that this year
-
I've got a parish allotment in the Swindon area, rather than a Swindon borough Council one.
Can i ask what facilities you get on the different Swindon sites, we have none on ours!!.
No water, no sheds, no lockable gates, no maintenance of the paths.
Do you automatically get water, or some sort of maintance of paths. What about skips or manure deliveries?
-
I've got a parish allotment in the Swindon area, rather than a Swindon borough Council one.
Can i ask what facilities you get on the different Swindon sites, we have none on ours!!.
No water, no sheds, no lockable gates, no maintenance of the paths.
Do you automatically get water, or some sort of maintance of paths. What about skips or manure deliveries?
I think we get a lockable gate but that's it, I don't think there's water onsite.... I'm planning on getting a 1000l tank to put on mine (assuming they ever get round to sorting it out)
chrisc
-
I'm on the Dawlish site, Park North. We have 3 water tanks which are turned off during the winter. Parking/notice board, lockable gates and a site rep. You can put a shed/greenhouse on your plot. Manure not supplied, but there is plenty available if you can collect yourself fron stables around the area.
The council are suppose to maintain vacant plots and road and I understand the work is long overdue looking at the condition of the road (weeds)and vacant plots. Unfortunatly, the allotments are at the bottom of the parks department 'to do' list is my conclusion. There are 4 plots on the site that are still not worked due to people taking them on and then not turning up. That is a fifth of the plots on site And I no that Emma Burton is looking to speed up evictions of those that do this. These plots could have been let several times over by the site rep as she is approached on a regular basis. When sites where sold several years ago we where promised that the money would be used to up grade the sites left. To be fair some sites have had work done, its the quaility of the work that has left a lot to be dissiured.
-
Hello!
After a very long wait, I am apparently due to get an allotment at the Crowdy's Hill site this year - hooray! Does anyone know when they are planning to open the site or how it's progressing? I'm keen to get started!
Vicki
-
Hello!
After a very long wait, I am apparently due to get an allotment at the Crowdy's Hill site this year - hooray! Does anyone know when they are planning to open the site or how it's progressing? I'm keen to get started!
Vicki
I've just been given a plot on this site (it's a rum place to find BTW) and having picked up the key at the one-stop-shop council thingy went up tonight to have a look... the plots are very small (about a quarter what I have in Oxford I'd guess) so this will be my last year for ridiculous acreage of squash, but the soil isn 't too bad, got some bits of broken brick in it but this is swindon and the entire place used to be a brickyard.....best of all, my plot has no bindweed that I can see... a bit of grass, not all of which is couch, a lot of plantains some thistles and this thing that's a bit like a thistle, but no bindweed..... hurrah!... Will get the fork into it this weekjend and get some peppers, chillis, caulis and cabbages in, I've started off some more beetroot, might well try and transplant some gherkins cos they're going mad in the bed at home.....
chrisc
-
Hi Chriscross,
Congratulations !! :D :D
Does the price reflect the size compared with your last allotment? Where abouts is Crowdys hill ? Perhaps you will get the chance of a 2nd plot. When they see how hard you work on this one. It sounds in a lot better state than I got mine !! shoulder high in weeds and I made the worst mistake and cut it down then rotovated !! :'( :-\ :-X :-[ ::) ::)The one thing I'm good at is telling people what not to do has I'e made most of the mistakes as there was no one to guide me. Anyway enjoy.
Regards Taurus
-
Welcome to A4A vickibluemountain congratulation on getting your allotment. I do not know what Swindon has been doing but I have been keeping an eye on this site for some time and it was all nicely rotovated in April. There must have been some delay and so it has had three months of weed growing. The weeds have been well mixed up and stirred round already. Such a pity since it could have been cleaned up by a nice crop of spuds by now.
I think the site was a school playing field. The school has moved elsewhere.
-
THe site was part of a much larger original allotment set that is now part of the CH liesure gardens.... apparently it's a statutory site so the council got in trouble for closing it.....THe school up there is a Special Needs one and they've got a sort of animal sectiopni backing onto the plots.... will have to see if I can get some chicken and llama pooh for the site... was talking to a parent who hepls on the chicken rota through the summer and they seemed to think it woudln't be hard to arrange....
Anyway, I'm on plot 14 now and have started meetiong the other folks there.... bit shocked to fins I'm one of the more experienced growers there, all the folks I've met so far apart from Brian the dahlia and crysanthemum growing vintage horticultural machinery fiend (he has 125 assorted rotavators, powered scythes, two-wheeled tractors etc) have been new to veg growing.... Some of them were getting Brian in to plough their plots up with a classic old British Anzani Iron Horse with a single share plough fitted to it followed by what I think was a Norlene rotavator (like a Merry Tiller basically).... great to watch but given what i've been digging out the last thing I want through there b efore I've dug it over is a mechanical rotavator..... there's enough couch to make that impractical, though there's very little bindweed..... I've got a bunch of plants in and dug over about a quarter of my plot, and have agreed with the neighbours one side that we'll use a path as our boundary, that way a 2' wide path only costs us a foot each of growing space.... useful when you consider the plots are only 20 metres by 6 wide........
THe bit I've put 27 assorted peppers, aubergines and chillis in was about 1.8 metres wide but took a thousand litre bag of horse manureto make it even start to look like it might have some heart to it.... we've got about 8" of topsoil over a hard clay pan, so looks like I'll be doing some shuttling in the van to get a lot of horse manure (the stables will be happy) and compost in there... want to get some carrots sown, probably shift some more half-hardy stuff out of the polytunnel to free up some growing space and try and prep the ground to recieve beetroots once they hatch in their modules.... might look at putting the overwintering onions in there too, try and get some field beans into a chunk of it too..... ome Catawissa and welsh onions, get soome soil prepped for the garlics too.....
chrisc