Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => Locations and Sites => Topic started by: sleepymrsp on May 11, 2013, 07:05:22
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Got the long awaited phone call this week offering me a choice of allotments. I have mobility problems so the lovely, helpful, council lady helped me find one close to paths which is easy to get to. Been and had a look and am thrilled to bits with what we've ended up with. It doesn't look like it's going to take us much to get going with it. Bit of digging and a strim round the edges I think. Next year we'll worry about paths.
We've had a veg patch in our garden for several years now but we're a family of 6 and it doesn't go very far. I also like the idea of having a shed to go to so I can get out of the house. It's felt for a while now that all I do is sit in the house all day waiting to go to work or waiting until the kids finish school so it'll be good for that. :coffee2:
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Welcome to the boards Mrs P. Lots of knowledgeable people on here to help when you need it. Good luck with your plot. Is it a full sized one?
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Hi Sleepymrsp, welcome to A4A :wave:
:toothy10: Whoo hoo on getting your new lottie, sounds like you have chosen a good one. Bet you can't wait to get everything growing :happy7:
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by the looks of it. the plot numbers are shocking on the site so i'm just waiting to get the paperwork through so that I can check it properly and work out what is actually ours! we're 15a or b (can't remember which off hand) and there is a vacant plot with a shed on it that has 15 painted on it so I presume it's that one :/ Hopefully we'll get the paperwork this morning so I can go up there and work it out before I go visit my mums for the weekend. Fab timing though as I have a rare 3 weekends and a week off work coming up and we can't afford a holiday so it'll be great to spend it down there instead. The kids were really excited. They love the veg plot and being outdoors so I think it'll be great for them. We also have multiple food allergies in this house so growing our own is a huge help. They are such lovely, well behaved kids and love being around other people so I think the social aspect will be good for them too.
We got offered a choice of sites and plots but that one being on a main path and needing very little work is ideal for us. Hoping to have a digging party up there to get it going :)
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Welcome to A4A. I hope you enjoy your plot. We have had a number of children on our site but after a while they get fed up. I get a bıt peeved when they are allowed to run around on other peoples plots.
I must say I enjoy knowing that my food has not been sprayed with anything. My daughter does not like finding slugs in the lettuce I say I do not like not finding them.
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Welcome Mrs P - glad you got a good one (once you can work out what is what).
What's growing in the garden? Wish you lots of productive fun on the new patch and of course - (wish for us all) - a decent growing season. :wave:
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Welcome from me too :wave:
It is nice to hear that your kids are keen to growing too..and having a allotment to 'play' with is like being on working holiday..and many, many times a year :icon_cheers: Who needs to go away when you have best of the holidays on your 'door step' :glasses9:
Lets hope that the weather will give you good first year on your plot..summer to remember :sunny:
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Welcome- you're not far from me. Enjoy your plot- it's a good time to get started.
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I hate kids running over other people's plots too. My kids are more the type who will say hello and genuinely be interested in what others are doing. Still no paperwork but met the lady we're taking over from. She's had it 15 years and is retiring from it so we really have hit gold. Just hope it's the full plot, not just the half. She's had the full plot for all that time and is giving it all up so here's hoping. The council lady seemed clueless.
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The garden has french beans, spring onions, leeks, lettices, cabbages, carrots, pak choi and brocoli and there are cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and courgettes inside waiting for warmer weather.
I just want to know what's mine so I can get planning. Got to say if it is half it might not be feasible as the access will be tricky. Council is moving offices hence the delay I think
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Wow, lucky you, inheriting all that veg! Most people only inherit weeds! Interesting to hear what she's already got in- much more than me!
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The garden has french beans, spring onions, leeks, lettices, cabbages, carrots, pak choi and brocoli and there are cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and courgettes inside waiting for warmer weather.
I just want to know what's mine so I can get planning. Got to say if it is half it might not be feasible as the access will be tricky. Council is moving offices hence the delay I think
I think I should look for an allotment - garden looks too small for all the stuff I have waiting to be planted out :toothy10:
Hope you will have the fullsize plot. Why shouldn't you have a bit of luck and get a good plot? Somebody has to :wave: and you are going to make full use of it.
Anyway - welcome again to the madhouse MrsP. Rain has stopped for a bit, must get on.
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Well done , hope it works out for you. Our allotment numbers are crap.
Lots of time to get the beds filled
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Hiya, welcome to a4a :wave:
Here's to a season to remember and not to forget like last year :toothy10:
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Welcome to A4A Mrs P, :wave:
My dog Graham is from Otley.
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Welcome to A4A Mrs P, :wave:
My dog Graham is from Otley.
thomas chippendale was born in otley.
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The allotment is totally empty, it's my garden with stuff in :) I've planted up loads of seeds to go in though as I can't afford to do much else this year. I'm hoping that because I've sown a lot of stuff inside for the allotment it'll overtake what I've sown directly into the garden and we won't end up with as many gluts (like the year of the sprout a few years back!)
No paperwork in the post yesterday so I've just dropped them an email. Might pop down to the council offices tomorrow if I don't get a reply.
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Oh yes.. keep them pestered to get your paper work..other wise it will be autumn before you get started. And while you 'talk' to them..let them know that you are talking about the whole plot or understood that was the case. They might confuse themselves and and put it through paperwork even it wasn't attention in first place! :icon_cheers: :angel11:
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Good idea goodlife. Playing the system can work to our advantage!
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We've had a map through showing that it's a half plot. There are no boundaries and it's tiny - 4mx4m. Not happy if it is that. She's not given a clear answer to who's on the other side of us either but as it stands it's empty and not currently being used by anyone. Putting in a boundary is going to take up space as well. Not very happy about that. We're going to try and get a straight answer from the site manager I think. I suspect it's possible that they former occupier signed a lease for half the plot but it was for the full plot if you get me.
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well the email has gone off.
"Thanks for that Karen. It would appear that it’s the half plot in which case i’m not sure we’ll be able to take it. My husband is visually impaired as well as me having walking problems. If it’s just the half then we’re not going to be able to put paths in to make it accessible to us without reducing the growing space to next to nothing. I’m worried about the boundary between the 2 plots as well as, at present, there is no clear boundary and putting one in would make a very tiny plot stupidly small. The only access onto 15a is either down the narrow path at the back or over 15b as there is a shed and compost bins in place blocking access from the main path. I’m also concerned that if there is confusion about who has 15a that takes a bit of time to sort out, it will become overgrown and cause us problems. At present the whole plot is bare earth so weeds will have a field day
Clearly you know more than us and obviously there are policies in place etc but if there is any chance of us having the full plot and keeping the status quo we’d be thrilled to take it on as it is perfect. If not then do you have something more suitable on another site?".
Wish me luck! A 7mx4m plot aint much use to anyone!
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went up to the site last night to look at some other options and they've given us a half allotment with level access from the path that we can put pathways in. Only snag is that they sprayed it with weed killer so it won't be much use this year crop-wise but we can get it set up ready. Off up at the weekend with the string and some canes to get it measured out so we can work out where to put the pathways in. Canny wait!
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:icon_cheers: hope it is dry for you at the weekend :toothy10:
Have they sprayed the whole of your new plot or where the pathways are going?
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If you don't fancy growing anything on the ground after weedkiller treatment...you can still grow stuff for harvesting seeds...ready for next year :icon_cheers: That means you could plant many, many things....and have 'bags' of seeds to grow, share or swap! :icon_cheers: OR....once the weeds have died down..turn the soil over and sow loads of 'green manure'...it is better to grow something than let weeds take hold of the soil again. Green manure crop would make the soil structure better and you can repeat the sowings until early autumn..keep the soil 'working'..and once the last lot is chopped into ground you can get some winter 'stuff' in :icon_cheers: yes!..food crops :icon_cheers:
...just some ideas...
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most of it was sprayed. They've said that if we mark out where we are going to put the paths, they will put green manure down where we're going to put the beds. Originally they were going to leave it fallow for a year but if we were happy to take it on we could. I'm thrilled to pieces with it.
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4m x 4m are you joking????
Thts the size of our pumpkin bed
Feel lucky compared to some people who have small allotments
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Slight exaggeration, it was 4x7m but still tiny. Thrilled with the larger plot though. Access is so much better for a start.
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All the best then Sleepy, all systems go. :wave:
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Don't worry about the weed killer, most probably a type that neutralises when it hits bare earth and only active for a few weeks on the weeds. Try a row of cheap radish seeds to see if it is good to plant in. Also try and find out what they used just in case it is something horrible. It should not be as there are rules and regulations that have to be adhered to when spraying on public ground.
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Don't rush into it and get fed up, take your time and enjoy it.
Do a bit of work take a rest and have a cup of tea, feel relaxed and enjoy the allotment.
I bit at a time is better than a lot and it feeling like a chore.
Better to have a small plot to start with and expand later.
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Britbrat tht is spot on
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Britbrat tht is spot on
Yes...cup of tea! :coffee2: ....and cake :icon_cheers: :sunny:
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I think the most enjoyable thing really is being able to sit down and have a cuppa tea and a bite to eat once you have got an area looking nice, mown the grass and things look really good in the sunshine.