New Plotter says 'hello and thank you'

[squidette]

Hi

I wanted to peek in and say hi to everyone here. I have been on the list waiting for a plot since early summer and this weekend i got her!

She is a half plot, long and thin, 35 metres long by 8 metres wide with rasberries cane rows (5 autumn and 2 'other' i think) and asparagus beds (3 rows) at the top end. The rest of the plot has been well looked after (if a little 'sad and lonely') and i can still see where the previous plotter had divided her into rotation areas.

I was there this weekend with my fork and bucket, twigs and string - to start dividing her into what i think will be the next seasons rotation, (hopefully!) using what i can see is still there as a guide. It was fantastic, the sun peeked out and shone on me.

There is no shed. Yet. There is a lot of wood, corregated plastic/metal, window frames etc in a big pile hidden at the back of the plot, so i am hoping that there is enough for me to build a small shelter - room for my spade and somewhere to sit and slurp a cuppatea.

I am just very excited! I found this site during the summer when i was looking for a plot and i have learned a great deal here. Thank you all and i hope to carry on learning as i dig!

Here are a few picture of her - i thought the idea of taking lots of photos was a great idea  ;D

From the bottom up (as far as the black shed (my neighbours) -


From the top down


canes


Thanks again - this is a dream come true for me to grow my own for me and my children as part of a wider simple living philosophy, so i am really happy!

[squidette]

[triffid]

Congratulations! Not only on getting your lottie, but on getting such a peach. Raspberries and sparrowgrass, indeed.  ;D Lucky little squid. You'll have it all planted up and gorgeous in no time...

[emmy1978]

Yay- new lottie- I just got mine too, although mine is sorry and neglected. still so pleased though. Supposed to be there now but essay to hand in tomorrow so obviously working very hard on it!!! ::) Going down later for some serious digging.
welcome to what is definately most friendly and helpful forum site on whole net!!

[supersprout]

Hello squidette , fabulous pictures - like triffid says, you've landed a good 'un! I'm sure that plot will reward you with a little tlc. Congratulations on the new plot, look forward to your posts and pics :)

[squidette]

:)

Thank you for the warm welcomes.

One of the things that i am really determind to do is not to spend very much money. I have been very lucky with the rent (is £3 per year) and i even found a idea of making pots (for growing seeds) from newspapers. This seemed like a fab idea as i dont even have to disturb the roots - plant them straight in the ground and paper will disappear into the soil eventually. No coloured inks though. Second hand, but good quality tools and i am going to try and grow as organically.

I am weary of over-consuming, and i want my children to grow up knowing that food comes from somewhere, not from a plastic bag on a shelf.

[emmy1978]

Wow- you have been lucky with rent, mines £21 but I still feel it's well worth it. Do you use newspaper to make pots? sounds like a great idea.
Really good tools can be found at car boot sales and I usually request anything like that as b-day/christmas prezzies. My non gardening female friends thought i was crazy being overjoyed with new fork and trowel as present!!
My daughters (7 & 5) absolutely love it at the lottie and love chatting up all the old boys. result- loads of freebies!!!
Be prepared to be told organic won't work, and in fairness, with lots of people spraying all over the place it won't be properly organic. was reading a thread the other day about 'natural' gardening instead ie only treat when you need to as opposed to out of habit etc. Also read up on companion planting - not tried yet as lottie still site of devastation but will be bearing in mind as I start planting. So exciting isn't it!!

[squidette]

Oh! I like the idea of 'natural' instead of 'organic'. Organic sometimes does conjure up images of over-priced handtied bunches of carrots complete with MudOnThem at the lastest hip and trendy farm shop. Natural is MUCH nicer - thanks for the thought! I am going to try - and i know that it wont be 100% natural, but 100% anything is a pretty high goal. I am happy without perfection.

If you google 'newspaper pots' there are lots of different ways to try this - lots of shapes folding like origami or just a simple tube wrapped around a jam jar as a template.

My children are about the same age as yours emmy, - 5 and 8, both boys. They both are almost as wildly excited as me!

[emmy1978]

have just had a look at the pots- they are brill! I used to grow spuds and toms when I had a little garden and sending girls out to pick and dig was great fun. My friend has managed to get her kids to eat courgettes by growing them, if they are involved it just makes meal times so much easier. I'm going to give my girls a little patch to grow their own and like yours they are as excited as me. 7 year old has done her own little plan a la mummy. I've bought them little gardening gloves and trowel each- so cute!

[Tee Gee]

That looks like a good plot squidette lots of potential there and shouldn't be too difficult to knock into shape.

You comment;  I like the idea of 'natural' instead of 'organic'. me too!

[manicscousers]

welcome to the site, squidette, love the name, your plot looks very like ours when we took it over, don't try to rush, there's loads of time at the moment, and your plot already has crops growing in it, bonus !!  :)

[cornykev]

Hello Squid and a big welcome, ;)   looks like your up and running, lots of help, ideas and friendly advise on this forum good luck and happy digging.   ;D ;D ;D :-* :P

[Yellow Petals]

Hello squidette and to A4A  :D

[Robert_Brenchley]

That one looks a lot better than most. You'll soon knock it into shape.

[kitten]

Hi squidette and welcome  ;D !  I'm a newbie plot holder too and am looking forward to gettting stuck in sometime soon (just as soon as our lottie neighbours plough our plot for us and it stops raining!).  We're learning lots of new things all the time on this brilliant site too, it could turn out to be the 2nd best thing you did joining up (after getting the lottie that is ;) )!  Look forward to lots more piccies as you progress, best of luck x

[saddad]

Welcome aboard Squidette,



Our first plot after it's first digging... a man could get to hate buttercups!

[squidette]

 ;D

Thanks again - i feel most welcome here!

This afternoon, i stopped by the little independant nursery near to home and got some seed packets that were on special offer and a brown bag of Rocket seed potatoes.

So far, we are going to be attempting to help nature grow carrots, parsnips, sweetcorn, peas, french beans and potatoes. I have a couple of other things that i would like to grow too, that i will add to the pile over the next few weeks.

I am interested in growing beans for drying - i use a lot of these in cooking and would be so super to be able to supply myself! I can smell tomato and bean soup already. Does anyone grow beans for drying here? I think that i would like to have one whole area just for beans.

eeeek buttercups! i think i have a small invasion around the raspberries - dont the roots go for miles? eeeek. Ah well! Best get used to bending over - i know that you 'should' talk to plants to encourage them to grow. Do you think if i just ignore the weeds, they will go away? ;D

[MrsKP]

but buttercups are just sooooooooooooo pretty !!  if it were me, i'd be tempted to leave them be!  :P

anyway ..... hi there squidette.  thanks so much for re-encouraging me to hang on and grasp the plot (when it comes) with both hands and not to do (as i have been recently) thinking when the plot finally comes to the top of the waiting list......... i'll just let go, i can only just about cope with the garden !

congratulations on your new plot.  I'm still waiting for my (current, but should be changed to broadband tonight) connection to be sorted so your pics are taking hours to download, but i can wait to see them !!!

i had my first year at broad beans last year and with no effort at all grew loads.  don't know if you can dry them or not but i'm doing more this season !

welcome !

MrsKP

[saddad]

Mustn't ignore weeds... and Buttercups secrete things from their roots which put other plants off!
>:(

[MrsKP]

"things?" discuss ..................


ok then destroy the buttercups !

;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

If those are creeping buttercup, they'll go everywhere if they're not ruthlessly exterminated. They come back from seed all over the place as well, a real nuisance.