new to this

[Mushy Pea]

We have now been in possession of our first lottie for a week and are so excited.  It is a half plot.   We are trying to get part of it ready fairly quickly so we can have some veggies this year and this weekend, despite the weather, have finished the fifth raised bed.   It certainly looks a lot better than it did a week ago, however we still have a heap of rubbish 4ft high waiting for a skip to arrive!!  The council do not rush!!

This site has been invaluable as we are both totally new to veggie growing.  Many thanks to everyone.

We fancy some fruit trees/bushes.  Does anyone have any advice on blueberry bushes?

Thanks again.

[Mushy Pea]

[alfie]

congratulations on doing so well in a week! :) Have fun and enjoy your allotment year ahead-lots to look forward to.

[Lauren S]

Hi Mushy Pea and welcome to A4A.

Congrats on your new lottie and the progress you are making. I hope you took some *Before Pictures* so you can see all your hard work taking shape.
We love seeing before, during and after pictures on A4A  ;D. It also helps newbies (and some not so newbies) with hope and encouragement.

If you need help posting pictures, just P.M me and I'll only be too happy to help.

Happy Digging  8)

Lauren

[Tee Gee]

Does anyone have any advice on blueberry bushes?

I think the most important thing is the pH. Might be worth considering containers or bottomless ½ barrels sunk into the ground and filled with ericaceous compost.

There is a bit of info here on them; http://tinyurl.com/2edwoj

[Mushy Pea]

Hi to all

Thank you for all your responses. 
To Lauren,  We were so excited to get stuck in, forgot about the 'before' pictures.  The 'rubbish heap' is still in situ, so from the gate, it still looks like a building site.  Tomorrow, pictures, thats if the snow has gone of course.  Will try and post some on here.

To Tee Gee, I think it could be containers filled with ericaceous compost for the blueberries as you suggested.  Many thanks

Denise

[saddad]

Hope you enjoy your site and this one as well..  ;D

[caroline7758]

Welcome, Mushy Pea!

[littlebabybird]

welcome Mushy Pea, where are you?
lbb

[lorna]

Welcome aboard, you must have worked very hard. but don't over do it. Yep we like to see pics cos we are nosy :) Not really, just nice to see other people's gardens/allotments.

[Mushy Pea]

Hi

We are in the NE.  9 miles outside of Durham City.  As it is snowing, and can't get into the lottie, we are surfing the internet on the allotment forums and in the background watching 'the big dig' on Sky hoping to pick up information by osmosis!!

Glass of wine in hand of course. 

Can't wait until it is sunny....

[manicscousers]

Hiya, mushy pea, nice to meet you..good time to get a plot, all that growing time ahead  ;D

[cornykev]

Welcome to the nuthouse Mushy.  ;D ;D ;D

[Mushy Pea]

Hi everyone,

Finally some pics of our lottie.  Taken a week after we got it.  Heap has gone and we have been digging.   Four new beds  at the end covered in black membrane to warm up the soil????!!!!

In the middle there is a concrete slab where an old shed used to be apparently.  We are just digging round it at the minute!  Might be somewhere to put the deckchair.

Can you see our seat in the right hand corner at the end.  Made from a lump of concrete and several bricks.  It has been well sat on.  But isn't it exciting!!  Can't wait to plant.

On the hunt for a shed now. 






We inherited some blue trays perhaps for collecting all the veggies when they have grown.

Mushy pea

[Lauren S]

Oh wow you have made great progress. Those fences are going to be a great bonus. Security, good wind break and defind areas.
Keep up the good work.
I hope it won't be too long before you are using those blue boxes  ;D

Lauren

[Plot69]

Greeting Mushy.

Blueberries do need ericatious soil and it's also best to plant two different varieties, it helps them to set.

I built a raised bed for my two bushes and raised the acidity with chicken compost. I got 4 hens and their compost tends to be more acidic than other farmyard manure.

Welcome by the way.

[star]

Welcome Mushy from me too ;D

Your plot looks great, love the privacy you have with the fence ;)

[sarah]

yes it does look nice, i wish i had some fences like that. :D

[Mushy Pea]

A couple of update photo's.

Sorry it is a bit blurred. The plants in the front were bought as brussells but strangely look like swedes  ;D

Our small salad bed "dominates" this pic.

[antipodes]

How well you have done! After 18 months mine doesn't look anywhere near that!!!
Lovely area - my mum was from Co Durham (Easington), and my granddad used to have an allotment like the other mining dads.

[kt.]

Lottie looks in full swing to me. 8) 8)    A good solid fence too.