Allotments 4 All

Hi everyone,

I thought I would pop in to say I am soon to loose my garden.

The reason is we have purchased a boat (to live on) and needless to say, there is no room for borders on the top of a narrowboat  ;D

Needless to say I will miss it BIG time but our "needs" come well before our "wants".

I will still be visiting A4A from work to talk about .... boats probably.   ;D
I just wanted to wish everyone lots of good luck with whatever they are doing.  I will probably be growing things "on the small side" - in a pot which will suit the windowcill.   ::) ;D
So all the best to everyone.   ;D :-* :-*

Aww, Marianne, wondered where you'd been. Sorry about no garden, must be gutted. But, bet you end up with 1 pot, then 2, a few strawbs......Just glad you OK and back. Good luck, I have paint brush ready, by the way......

Hiya Lottie - thanks for your kind response.  We have been skimming the rivers in search of the ideal boat, and there are hundreds out there !

Our search has been fruitful (without the tree  ::) ;D) and we will be moving in shortly.  I think it will feel horrible in February/March when I will want to start sowing.....  Of course I could grow water lillies ....  :P ::)

Thanks to everyone for your friendship and Good luck to everyone in life, in the garden, as well as on their allotments.
;D ;)

Aw sorry to hear you are losing your garden Marianne but wow living on a boat!  Ooooh I do hope you'll post some pictures when you are settled in and especially when you get your first pot of something growing!  Good luck and loads of best wishes  ;D

You'll have to get into that barge ware!  Lots of lovely plants to bedeck your deck!   :)

Are you still going to be able to sit your dogs?

Thanks Heldi and Wardy !  :)

I have lots of pictures for whoever wants to see.
Yes the dog sitting will still go on, but downsizing to 2 at any one time.  The doggies will have the run of the towpath all along the river Lea. 

Speak to you all soon.  Thanks for good wishes !  :D ;) ;D

Your new life will be brilliant Marianne, and quite exciting to live on a boat.  I am sure you will be able to plant one or two things in pots, so enjoy that, and who knows some time in the future you might have another garden to plan. All the very best in your new life.  :) busy_lizzie

Will you be moored or plying up and down ?  You;ll need a lap top with a connection to a mobile phone then you can still use A4A  :)

I wish you all the best Marianne, it sounds like it will be fun, even although you will not be growing on the same scale.
I will definitely miss you, you already know why.

I wish you all the best again, and please keep in touch ...

All my warmth,

Derekthefox :D

Oh dear, this is so sad .... You are all going to make me cry ...  :'( :'(  I will miss our chats but will still pop in from work to wish you all the very best.

Take care everyone and enjoy life !   ;) :D

 Hi Marriane , we shall all miss you if i had known we could have had coffee at V.H. we went over there last week, oh dear pockets are much lighter now, but the bulbs will look good in spring thats my excuse anyway. ;D.
I hope you soon settle in and we certainly hear from you once you are settled , what a wonderful idea.  Lots of love and best wishes to you take good care.Mary.

good luck with your new venture Marianne

Oh Marianne, don't be so down.  Think of the gardening possibilities!  I can see it now.....forget 'Britain in Bloom', it will be 'Narrow Boats in Bloom'!

Good luck, may the waters be smooth!

Marianne, we have spent many weeks chugging up and down the canals of Britain and we have seen some beautiful barges.  People who have green fingers will always find a way!!!!!  They have had tomato plants growing in the front and herbs on top,  or just plain ornamentals growing in grow bags or pots or any container on the top.  Whatever, they look stunning.  Will you have a perminant mooring??? We have seen many with a perminant mooring that have little allotments growing at the side too. We have thought many times about taking the same step as you but circumstances have not allowed ie.. work and such.  However I do envy you.  You can still have your computer on board though.  No need to leave A4A all together.  ;)  Best of luck in the future and we may see you in our travels on the canals ( I hope)

Marianne, how wonderful.  I mean, of course the narrowboat, not the loss of your garden.  Do drop into A4A and let us know how it's going.  I'm sure you'll find any number of ways of growing your veggies quite easily/inventively aboard.

Wishing you much happiness in your new life afloat.

If you're going to be moored permanently somewhere there's nothing to stop you having an allotment!

Marianne we'll miss you, Please drop in when you can?
"Hope you can swim?"
All the best..
Glyn

I would like to thank you ALL so very much for your kind good wishes.  It is a big step that we HAD to take as renting is so expensive in this area. 

Finding a permanent mooring is like gold dust  ::)  There is a 3 year waiting list which we may join.  I have seen boat owners who have erected sheds, greenhouses and have rows of tomatoes et al growing on their bit of land !  ;) :D  So maybe one day, when we can acquire a permanent mooring, I will be able to do the same.  However, I will take some of my seeds and pots with me as spring is really not that far away  :D  Right now, we are busy making the boat look nice  ;D or nicer than she already is.  I wonder why boats are addressed as "females" ??? ;). 
Take care everyone and enjoy your gardens !
:) :D ;D

Marianne I'm dyyyyyyyyiiiiiing to see your boat !!!!  ;D ;D Please please please can you,will you, show her to us ??


I remember a few years ago my then father-in-law,a chief engineer in the merchant navy said "they" whoever "they" are, were trying to stop the calling of ships in the feminine "she,her" etc on some grounds of political correctness. How stupid is that!

Here are some pictures of her.  We want to pull up the carpets and tear down the curtains and basically shove things around in the living area.  Once we are happy with her new looks, we will move in !  She is all tongue and groove inside, a steel body and has a BIG 2.2 HP engine in her belly.  She also has an inverter will be help feed the washing machine and fridge/freezer and she also has central heating.   ;) :D :D

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Argent47/boat10.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Argent47/Bed.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Argent47/Showerroom.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Argent47/Front.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Argent47/LivingArea.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Argent47/Kitchen.jpg)

Marianne you certainly will be missed ,your boot looks beautiful ,a lady after my own heart something i have allways wanted to do live on a canal boat ,but with 5 dogs 4 kids think i would need a cruise ship  ;D ;D ;D you have fun and enjoy go where life takes you

Just seen your post Marianne, how exciting for you, something I'd love to do , a real Rosie and Jim. You can decorate your boat with flowers and veggies.Don't leave here though, we still want to know about your pots and flowers and if you travel about on the canals some pics of the different things you'll see.You'll end up being our tub expert, unlike me who is just a tubby. Take care and enjoy. Val.x

Marianne. Just to wish you the best of luck for your future on your boat. Like other members hope you still find the time to visit a4a.
We have a river running through the middle of our town and I love looking down from the bridge to watch the long boats which are moored.. Some of the displays of flowers/plants on the boats are amazing.  I am sure when spring arrives your boat will be viewed with envy at your displays. :) Good luck for the future. Best wishes Lorna.

Aaaah she's lovely!   I love the stove,I could sit beside that quite easily.  :)  I like all the tongue and groove.  When you get all your bits and bobs in it will look so cosy.  How long did you think about living on a boat before you took the plunge?  I think it must be a great way to live,once you get used to it.

Thanks Marianne for showing the pics. I think she's a fab boat. I think the blue she is painted is very smart.  She needs some pots though!

Awww you are all so sweet and kind.  thanks ! ;)

We live between two rivers (the river Lea and the New River) and there are a couple of marinas in the area where you wander around and have nice food too! 

We met a friend of my OH last year at a funfair - she used to live in a 4 bedroom house and sold it to live on a boat, on which she invited us that day.  We were amazed at how much you can cram on there and how nice they look.  they have everything a conventional house has but on a smaller range.

Financial hazards led us to think this may be something we could do and we went hunting for the perfect boat.  Well.... once which would suit our pockets.  And we took the plunge. 

The lady in question had lots of herbs growing on the bow and on top of her boat and I thought it looked very nice.  So - as soon as spring has sprung, I will get those seeds in and sit back.  I am still at work so we will not be cruising every day  ;D  but the beauty of living on a boat is that the riverside and the towpaths are your gardens and you can change them at your leisure !  ;) :D  But later we will have a mooring place.

I will still access A4A from work and keep you posted -

thanks again to you all for your kind and touching wishes.

Marianne
:-* :D ;)

Hi Marianne,

I would love to live on a boat too and am so jealous ;D. Used to go on boating holidays every year with my parents and long to go back but money is tight so need to wait a while.

You are so right about the riverside and towpath being your garden, it's also your own personal nature reserve. Hope you enjoy livivg on the boat and please let us see lots of pictures.