Allotments 4 All

In the last 24 hours I have:

- nicked an old carpet that had been left on the street for the bulk refuse collectors, for covering compost (yes I know they leak chemicals)

- nicked used toilet roll tubes from the loos at work for growing parsnips in

anyone else got any good scavenging stories?

Here is a photo of my new allotment by the way ... we've only been together a week and a half and already we can't bear to be parted.  It looks a bit overgrown but it's mainly annual weeds and cabbages that have run to seed, even some rhubarb.

I've just received approx 40 loo roll tubes from a colleagues house.  They were saving them to make a loo roll pyramid but I pursuaded them to pass them on to me. ;D

I've managed to get hold of a dustbin for growing spuds this week and plan to pick up a piece of guttering next week (for peas) both from freecyclers.

I also take home all the left over fruit from meetings at work and compost it.

That's a big site - looks like a fab location.  So what do you plan to do with it?

It is a big plot (the long sides are 38m and 28m and the short sides 8m and 20m) and very sunny too.  I've already planted out some broad beans that I sowed in pots last November, garlic will be next.  Potatoes chitting in the greenhouse at home and seeds/raspberries/strawberries/asparagus/onions/shallots on order.  For the past 5 years I've had the problem of too little growing space, now I've got about 10 times as much!  I don't expect to cultivate it all in the first year.  These pics were taken the weekend before last.  I think it was partly cultivated last year.  I haven't come across any perennial weeds yet.  I am largely resisting the temptation to dig although the soil seems quite workable and not waterlogged at all, which is great considering the rain we had the weekend before last and the fact that it is in a river valley.

Hi Phil,
Congrats on your new hugeeeeeeeee plot  ;D
It looks a nice site too, not too over crowded, lots of space to design to your needs.
Happy Growing and good luck with your new way of life  :D

I'd call that a small holding!!  It's huuuuge.

I think that works out as about 460 sq m? Nearly twice the size of mine, good for you. And yes, you have lost it. Welcome.  :)

Hello Phil

Aren't you lucky and you have a driveway up to and around it!  Wow - such luxuries.  Looks fab and it sounds as if you will have it under control and planted up pretty smartish!

Good luck with it

Best wishes

Old Bird ;D

I have just pulled an old post to the top to go with this post as I don't know how to put in on here, See under Crazy allotment habits XX Jeannime

Hello phil
since getting an allotment all I seem to be doing is scanning for recylable materials-dangerous pastime especially when one is driving-trying to peek into skips-do you think I am losing it altogether  :-[ :-[ :-[
lottie

Not mad at all - just normal behaviour for A4A member!!!!

Non-gardeners would call it mad. They miss out on all that free glee you get carting
things home while gloating. ;D congrats, Phil!

No, you've just regained your sanity.

Madness is... Sitting in front of the tele all day, watching absolute cr8p, stuffing yourself full of trash food, getting fat and clogging up your arteries with white, fatty, gooey stuff then dropping down dead at 50 through lack of exercise.

Saneness is... Spending all day digging and wallowing in good clean mud, foraging and stealing stuff from skips, puffing and blowing like an old man after the first 10 minutes  knowing it's doing you the world of good and at the end of it all your gonna eat a shed load of great tasting, healthy, zero fat, zero cholesterol veg. And at the ripe old age of 105 you'll still be wealding  a garden fork ready for a whole days digging just like most of the inhabitants on my lotties.   

Quote from: Plot69 on January 31, 2008, 14:23:56
No, you've just regained your sanity.

Madness is... Sitting in front of the tele all day, watching absolute cr8p, stuffing yourself full of trash food, getting fat and clogging up your arteries with white, fatty, gooey stuff then dropping down dead at 50 through lack of exercise.

Saneness is... Spending all day digging and wallowing in good clean mud, foraging and stealing stuff from skips, puffing and blowing like an old man after the first 10 minutes  knowing it's doing you the world of good and at the end of it all your gonna eat a shed load of great tasting, healthy, zero fat, zero cholesterol veg. And at the ripe old age of 105 you'll still be wealding  a garden fork ready for a whole days digging just like most of the inhabitants on my lotties.   

LOL @ plot 69

have you been in my mind????

I Soooo agree with you!

Louise

Hi Phil, of course you are mad join the lovely club we have here.
All very helpfull peeps, don`t forget to look in the swop shop will you .
Lots of work for you there but it looks a grand site.   Rosebud. ;D

You know what Phil?  one mans rubbish is one mans recycling you know!

I find myself slowing down driving past certain fields where I know the owners leave bags of horse poo for you to collect!!  I actually enjoy monday mornings because one place I visit always has a good supply outside - I always leave gloves and a plastic sheet in the boot - just in case!

Sad - I know!! - but worth it!

Louise
X

Quote from: louise stella on January 31, 2008, 15:56:35
Sad - I know!! - but worth it!

You think your sad?

I got more excited when 2.5 ton of hoarse poo was delivered to my plot than I did when Santa brought me a new Shimano fishing rod and Shimano reel.

Tony came home yesterday and said "get yer coat on we have to get these pallets away to the plot" He had nicked them out of a skip. He had 4 and they are the good ones with two fully slatted sides. He saw another 2 on the way home but they were laden with bricks. I bet he will keep his eyes peeled for them to be unloaded.lol.

Tell Tony to swipe the bricks as well, they should come in handy.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D