It is Easter and have to go and visit grandchildren and family. I am half way through digging a bed and find I am getting allotment withdrawal symptoms. The next time I can really spend a day there is next Thursday, apart from a quick visit to the doctor to check my blood pressure. I have a weeks holiday in May to France, and hopefully will not spend all my time wishing I was ON THE ALLOTMENT. Does anyone else feel the same excitement at making sandwiches and a flask and a lovely free day to spend at the allotment. All friends and meals out are cancelled as they are so boring. At least today I can watch my seeds growing on the window ledge and in the plastic greenhouse. Just sent OH off for more compost. I am afraid it is not only seeds anonymous but allotments anonymous.
Same here, even found myself calling from cyprus last year, to make sure the people left at home were watereing my plants on the plot. ::) Luckily for me my plot is just outside the garden gate, so i get to pop in and out when i like.
Yes, my garden has completely taken over my life - I have to tell my friends that I have nothing interesting to say of late, unless they want to hear about my pea and lettuce seedlings... :)
Also, I've arranged to visit my family tomorrow and I'm hoping it *won't* be a lovely sunny day, or I'll wish I was in the garden. Got more beds to dig! Got a russian vine to deal with! Got a hedge to trim!
It seems to have done at times! Not that I mind!
Is it when you wake in the middle of the night and start planning what you are going to on the allotment in the morning............ ;D
I went to the allotment for 10mins this morning (to let the chucks out), and came back 2 hours later all sweaty and smelling of manure.
So i guess yes is the answer.
Yes, and becuase the weather was so bad on Friday and family etc won't get there till mon at earliest, that'll be a week since I got down there. thank goodness we have both got week off. Can't spend it all on plot cuase kid will create but would like to, have got to finish that bed and get those spuds in. AAARGH !
Lushy x
It is still light, we have had dinner, do you think OH will take me up for a quick look. Will see sister tomorrow. I really need a quick fix of allotment.
We have got to the stage now where we only shop or visit on rainy days. We always go for the day if we can and cos we can. While Mom was in hospital I really got withdrawal symptoms cos since she went to the residential home all our time was ours apart from the days we visit her.. Being in hospital we had to go see her every day and it was an hour journey there and another hour back.( She's worth it)
We have spent a day up there today and are going tomorrow for the day. I wake up in the night and I start thinking of what I'm gonna do up the plot on the next day. Tone does too although he won't admit to it.
Sorry, it did and I've had to let it go -- next Friday in fact, feel sad -- but after
I gained my lottie, and as my OH wasn't able to help, we moved to a garden
2 times ' plus' lottie width - and even longer ! , that I realised ' something had to give !
Planning my garden / vegie patch with OH now, but that includes days out for us both
for ' free time ' , do know how you are all feeling - the 'urge ' is still there, but at home !
yep addicted to the garden, i plan to visit a friend this week and will be picking the day the weather is forecasted to be yucky ::).
Trouble is I quite like the allotment in the rain, if it is not too heavy. The weeds come up more easily and I have a lovely willow tree I can shelter under. Think I will have to give up tonight as it is getting dark, but will get up early tomorrow and then do all the visiting after a couple of hours of relaxation. I do have many allotment friends, but we just have a quick chat and I do not have to entertain them or cook for them. Well I am an old age pensioner now so perhaps I am allowed to be selfish for once in my life. Grandchilden think perhaps Nanny is retired she should be waiting at home for a visit, but 'naughty Nanny' is always on the allotment, playing tennis or walking with the ramblers group. Sadly the allotment seems to be a punishment for them as they only like the park and playing football. Spending a day or weekend with people that don't walk or garden just talk and eat all day drives me mad, I really think that as I have got older I have become very anti-social, and I don't really care.
Simple answer NO
It is my life ;D ;D
I used to love doing the food shop but now it's done online to give us more time at the lotty.
Janet
I am totally addicted. I am always thinking about what the next project is. Apparently I talk about beetroot and carrots in my sleep. Even if the weather isn't good I am still wishing I was at the allotment. ;D
Yes, but i love it. If i only go for a cup of tea i feel better when i come home, and it much much better than being addicted to day time telly! ok it's no good for my seed addiction but thats something i'll live with ;D
I knew it was getting pretty bad when I was seriously ill in hospital last year, and apparently moaned to my OH that I was fed up with slipping in and out of consciousness because when I managed to read a bit of my Kitchen Garden magazine and then drifted off, so I couldn't remember the bit I had read and had to keep re- reading it! ;D
OH said he could tell when I was getting better because I asked him to bring in my grid pad so I could plan my rotation for the next year....... ;)
Love it,love it love it.
yep.totally addicted to my lotty
my allotment makes all other aspects of my life better. Thats why I love it.
My name is Stan and I'm an alloholic. THERE I've said it.
Yes. Most definitely.
If I'm not actually at the lottie, I'm thinking about what needs doing next, where I'm going to plant stuff, where I can "obtain" (;)) suitable bits of wood, hose, netting etc (OK, I admit it, I look in skips to see whether I can use anything out of them on the plot), updating my lottie diary with my new sowings etc or in my greenhouse planting things that I'll take down to the lottie when they germinate. If I'm not doing any of that, I'm asleep (and probably dreaming about my plot).
It's taking over my life, I'm an allotment bore and I LOVE IT !!!!
FA x
I can definitely identify with some of the statements on here. I am being treated to a spa day with my friend tomorrow- use of pool, gym, sauna, treatments and champagne lunch- but i really wish i could go down the allotment instead! :s
Yes its totally taken over my life! But I have never been happier. Even when I've been knee deep in couch grass. I even go to to the allotment before work sometimes, just to listen to the dawn chorus and smell the air. Sadly most of my friends dont share my passion!
I've only had mine a couple of weeks and if i'm not on the lottie i'm thinking about what needs doing, drawing my crop rotation plan, sowing seeds, boring my friends and family with veg and shed repair talk ;D and i wouldn't change it for the world. I feel healthier, happier and today it was glorious on there with the sun shining
I'm used to my friends and family's eyes glazing over when I mention the veg, they are bored silly, but always willing to accept food parcels ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
mine is starting to take over my life, last year was different as it was my first year, i didn't get my allotment till june last year and it was a jungle i've hand dug it all and it's taken me untill now to get it sorted.
this year is much better as i can concentrate more on growing now rather than constantly digging, im loving it at the moment can't wait to get back down there ;D
Quote from: lewic on April 11, 2009, 22:50:25
Yes its totally taken over my life! But I have never been happier. Even when I've been knee deep in couch grass. I even go to to the allotment before work sometimes, just to listen to the dawn chorus and smell the air. Sadly most of my friends dont share my passion!
Its their loss.
Yes and no ;D I do wake up with plans going round in my head and I love to be there, but also I find acquaintances (not friends) humouring me with questions obviously designed to be conversation openers which frankly I find daft. They must think I have no other conversation other than gardening. ::)
I have just spent a lovely evening with 10 friends and gardening didn't come up once. ;D
Yes! And I love it.
Almost everything I do now is connected with my allotment. We have a wildlife area and a community area, which I look after (with help from 'young offenders' who come to do community work on our allotment site) and which need 'managing' eg the pathways need mowing, a living willow 'house' which needs the growing branches weaved in, hazel - which we grow for pea sticks - to be coppiced in the winter, etc. Also we have visits from local schools, including children with special and additional needs and there's things to prepare for their visit (and they get so much enjoyment out of their visits). And sometimes I even get time to work on my own plot.
Well i have only had my plot for about a week and am down there at every available opportunity. However hasn't taken over my life, as my life (the kids) are in love with the lottie too. They don't need any coxing to go. Its the first thing they ask in the morning ::)
They love it
I love it
So were all happy ;D
Quote from: sparklebug on April 11, 2009, 23:08:54
I've only had mine a couple of weeks and if i'm not on the lottie i'm thinking about what needs doing, drawing my crop rotation plan, sowing seeds, boring my friends and family with veg and shed repair talk ;D and i wouldn't change it for the world. I feel healthier, happier and today it was glorious on there with the sun shining
I'm the same. My hubby who wants nothing to do with the allotment (it's your project) even says i am so much more relaxed and happy than i have been for about 18 months. It must be good for the soul. Hubby says he will look forward to eating my produce though. :)
Would love to know how to get a 15 year old girl into it - am hoping though that once it is dug over and we can do more planting she will start to enjoy it :)Lushy x
Hmmmm, I wouldn't bet on it......my 15 year old daughter is a confirmed allotment-hater, and only visits if I am prepared to bribe her, and then only 'clean' tasks like painting pallet wood and anything not involving dirt!
Excellent as a threatened punishment though........... ;) She did make me laugh last year, this was her Mothers Day card which she made herself.....
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/dlp133/Misc/mothersdaycard.jpg)
Great card Deb - obviously a character! My daughter (19) only comes to inspect if the weather's fine and there's not much risk of getting mud on her boots/clothes. She likes the produce though.
Has it taken over my life? Yes. When I'm not at the allotment or in the garden I'm on A4A for much of the time!
I bet if there were some fit, virile young boys/men up there your daughters would suddenly love the allotment. Get them to take pictures with their mobile phones and they can also stick their earphones on and listen to music. Otherwise give up, it is not cool to be seen on an allotment, but they will probably change when they are older. My grandchildren also moan a lot. I take my friends (the few I have left) for a walk to the allotment but it is annoying as they have a look and want to walk home, whereas if I am on my own can stay all day. Last night found it was getting really bad, toss up between gardening magazine and plant brochures or finish my library book. Luckily the prices seemed high in the brochures and I ALREADY HAVE TOO MANY SEEDS. They have got some cheap plug plants and fruit trees in Morrisons so will not buy from the catalogue or know I will get carried away. The only things I really need are slug pellets and some fleece. Off to Homebase. No food in the cupboard but plenty of plants. Luckily OH has gone to boat so he can't moan. Must get off this site as going to my sons for dinner (hope we don't have Tesco reduced lamb) see other thread.
[
quote author=Borlotti link=topic=50605.msg513861#msg513861 date=1239611976]
I take my friends (the few I have left) for a walk to the allotment but it is annoying as they have a look and want to walk home, whereas if I am on my own can stay all day. [/quote]
Ha ha, yes I do exactly the same thing...... ;D
Quote from: Borlotti on April 13, 2009, 09:39:36No food in the cupboard but plenty of plants.
This is all sounding strangely familiar........ ::)