After some hassles with borrowing some space on a friends allotment I bit the bullet and started phoning round to see if I could find a local allotment of my own.... wonder of wonders we have one site in Oxford without a waiting list so I went along yesterday morning and was offered a choice of plots.... I took a not huge one which had the benefit of having been in continuous cultivation for over a hundred years (apparently) by an old guy who had taken it over from his grandfather fifty years ago.... He stopped last year and it looks like the back half was getting away from him before then, but at least the front half just needs a fork waving at it to get it up and running again.... I set straight to and got a 3m x3m bed dug through and completely weeded (and discovered some feral potatos) in a couple of hours and plan on getting up there again during the week and next weekend....
It also has a proper allotment shed ....
So if you're in Oxford and are looking for a plot there are still some spares at Redbridge......
chrisc
that's brilliant, chriscross, happy plotting ;D
Congrats on getting your plot. Sounds like a good one, and you've got it just in time for the season!
Welcome. Couldn't of got your plot at a better time of year. ;)
I know roughly where you are. You're on the flood plain so ask around and find out how often the site gets flooded in winter. If it's a regular event you might be better off making raised beds.
Congratulations Chris... ;D
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on March 22, 2009, 19:51:19
I know roughly where you are. You're on the flood plain so ask around and find out how often the site gets flooded in winter. If it's a regular event you might be better off making raised beds.
Apparently it hasn't flooded since they cleared out the local ditchs after the 2005 summer floods.... several holders I spoke to said that last year had been brilliant for all the standard vegetables..... THe soil is absolutely glorious though having grown on clay and the horribly degraded sandy rubbish that my parents place has I couldn't believe how good it was.... There are still spare plots and no waiting list.... I had a fork in th esoil less than 24 hours after I phoned the contact number on the website (it has a proper website too!)
It's even got some (hopefully) blackcurrants... I say hopefully becasue they're my favourites but any currant is better than none...
That sounds good. I grew up in Oxford, and I well remember flooded meadows every winter! I used to teach A-level Geography as well, and flooding is a regular problem across the country.
Chrisscross
Im growing in abingdon,and allways make sure im sat on the right side of the bus to see whats going on at your site.
If you advertise the spare plots on freecycle im sure they will soon be snapped up