Allotments 4 All

Well finally the wait is over, I got my lottie today. well we are calling it the pea patch.

What a day. First we had to go to an orientation meeting, slide presentation and all, then forms to fill in.

We had ti join the park association, then pay for lottie rent, then buy manure tickets.

It is very organic, we cannot even bring bags of potting soil or sand to fill boxes for raised beds or carrot beds.

We had a tour of the lotties, then 1 by 1 according to your name on the list you chose your spot. Yesterday we had a chance to go round ahead of time, each vacant slot had a stake and number on it.After picking your spot today you took the stake to a lady who registered your name, then signed you up for a job. We were fairly low on the list so we waited till almost everyone was done, we then had 5 spots to choose from. It was in the part I preferred, fenced with an arch around the gate way. The whole procedure took 5 hours.

But they are so tiny, I can't believe it. 10 feet x25 feet, the bit I didn't get was the fact that they thought they were big!!  Anyway after we have been on probation for a year we can get more spots up tp 6.

Experienced gardeners were asked to garden a spot in the demonstration garden, so I am signed up to do that. I could choose what I wanted to do, the harvest goes to the food bank by the way. I said I would do "squash in a small place" but think already I have made a mistake, I am toying with the idea of asking to switch to a mini veggie patch and grow a selection of assorted mini veg.I guess the idea is to demonstrate what a small patch can produce.. and small is not kidding,I have been given a raised bed that is 3 feet by 8 feet!! I think I have blown it with squash. 

Al ideas welcome by the way. If I go for the squash patch I thought of Jack be Little pumpkins up a trellis, Ambassador squash growing upright, John said he can put a post either side and a timber across, I could do hanging baskets with small courgettes in   and  train a Trombicino to grow along so the fruit hung down.

Mini veggies gives me more scope I think..so we will see, but I suspect that they want a separate spot for just 1 type of veggie though. I could have done tomatoes, all sizes and colours.

Maybe you guys can give me an idea or two.

I thought a lettuce bed with all different colours might look good but it is a bit too perishable for the food bank.

Many of the plots were still waterlogged but we got up the drier end.

Anyway we are in, goodness kmows how I am going to do this is such a small spot, bt we will be patient.I shall map it out very carefully, a spot for a coldframe and a covered bed for tomatoes, John will no doubt be down there building shortly.

We are going to the US tomorrow or the next day to get a few more seeds for the parcel I am sending off at the end of this week. .We will get a tidetable and check the low tides so we can go clamdigging this month and May, after that the tides are not low enough.

I will get you folks some pictures as and when at the pea patch The park is a lovely spot I must admit, very beautiful and everyones is so friendly, so I think we will enjoy it.We don't need to buy my tools, from rotavaters  to spades and hoes they are provide

So be joyful for me, help needed with what to grow in such a small place.

XX Jeannine

I am delighted for you and it sounds as if, although small, you have a parcel with real potential. :)

Great to hear the good news.

am so pleased for you- am sure with your enthusiasm and experience you'll be able to make it work!  can't wait to see some pics.

Nice one Jeannine, now you can relax and stop worring about the plot and get yourself a nice holiday.     ;D ;D ;D

Congratulations  ;D

How lovely that you now have a lottie, albeit a very small one.  I was wondering the other day whether you had a plot yet as without a garden, your balcony must be very crammed.

I like the idea of Jack be Little pumpkins up a trellis, for the demonstration garden.  Squash is ideal for the food bank as it doesn't perish quickly.

For your own plot, you could also have trellises to give you more room.  The answer must surely be to plant your favourite tasting fruit and vegetables and those that are difficult to buy or that lose their taste in the shops.  Tomatoes and cucumbers fit the latter category.  I really don't like shop bought ones at all these days.

Once you have got to know your neighbours, you might be able to exchange things such as runner beans for French climbing beans so you don't have to grow both.

Good luck with your allotment Jeannine.....at least it has come at the right time of year.   ;D

Just dashing in quickly - lovely to hear you have some growing space Jeannine, and when they see what a good gardener you are they will soon be giving you more, enjoy yourself!  :) :)

Wonderful news glad to here you are happy. ;D ;D

Congrats Jeannine!

I know the plot seems small to you, but my entire veggie growing space consists of 3 raised beds each 190cm x 85cm and one 190cm x 140 cm. By my rough reckoning that's about the size of your new plot and I manage to grow all my preferred veggies - tomatoes, corn, celeriac, leeks, squashes, courgettes, salad greens and climbing french beans. I have to admit, though, that I also grow rhubarb, raspberries (against the wall), strawberries in tubs and have 5 blueberry bushes on the other side of my small walled garden interspersed with small fruit trees (pear, plum, morello cherry, peach and nectarine).

So be happy and show them what you can do - I'm sure that next year you will be allotted more space when 'they' see how expert you are!

Happy growing!

Tricia

Congratulations I remember the feeling  :)
But Wow what a complicated procedure ,when we got our first allotment 2002 it was just a phone call to the council and take your pick from about a dozen plots.
Things are more difficult now with waiting lists meaning it can take years.
Anyway Jeannine enjoy ! :)

So happy you can get your hands in the earth again even if it isa small patch. as others have said perhaps the way to go is upward
marg

Congratulations.

Thank you all. I did wake up this morning feeling as if some life changing thing had happened to me, it is amazing really..but that little patch of earth has revitalised me totally.I might even get used to this blasted awful apartment now,,shan't feel as if I am living in a hamster cage... I have escaped !!

Off back to day to measure etc,,I will take the camera.

XX Jeannine

Wow, it seems such a tiny space in such a big country but obviously you must be in a part where there are a lot of people and anything is better than nothing.

Good luck to you with the venture. I think I would be putting deep pockets inside my coat if it were me nudge nudge wink wink...........

so glad you got your little piece of paradise, Jeannine..nothing like getting your hands dirty to help you feel better  ;D

Am really pleased for you Jeannine :)

Nice to hear you have your plot, I thought you were having to wait until May.   My first veggie garden was the size of a small garage.  I was told to remember that there was another dimension and that can be very high unless it will shadow your neighbour.  There are ways of growing up ladders for example.  There are varieites for exampel fo strawberries which will tumbling down froma  pot on a support.

As for the squash I grew Uchiki Kuri up stakes last year they are very attractive they turn red quite quickly and do not take up too much space I had boped they would go right over an arch but did not get that bigh.  

I reckon with 3 x 8 you could manage 7 different squashes four at the back on stakes and three at the front.    Certainly would not get a blue hubbard but there are plenty of smaller ones.  Butternut do not get huge.  Someome here had squash rambling across a low trellis about three feet high everyitme it got to the end they turned them round and they wove their way back a little higher up each time.  

Or may be an arch with one at each corner and one in the middle. and one  at each end.

I once went to Rosemary Vereys potager garden and she grow squashes over arches and they kind of dripped through, she also had nasturium growing up the same trellises it looked amazing.   She had a whole tunnel of it too see link below, but actually l liked the individual smaller arches better.  Thanks for helping me remember I shall try one in my front garden which I am planning as a potager.

http://www.greenfingers.com/articledisplay.asp?id=1580

I think with careful planning and a shoe horn you will manage very well.

Fabulous news, your own bit of Canadian ground, well done you  ;D

Decisions, decisions, not going to be easy I bet! I agree upwards will be very handy. I wonder if you would be able to put in a few posts to hang extra baskets bags from. I also like the idea of a bag/sack garden and wonder if you could use this idea to compliment your allotted growing area.  I reckon with your careful planning and successive planting you are going to be able to fit in a fair bit.

I think showing what different squash can be grown in a 3x8' bed will be inspiring to beginners and experienced gardeners alike.

Happy hols  ;D

Hi again, Digeroo we would have had to wait till May if we had opted for the second orientation but we cancelled our trip to Vegas to get there yesterdat.. nuts maybe but don't feel robbed except we lost most of the money!!

We have been today and put a barrier of sorts up..the plot we have used to be half of a double one and someone else got the other half.. my half has the gate in LOL. John is going to start fencing it this coming week, just posts and small sized wire to keep the bunnies out.

We are putting a cuke frame in that will be 3 feet wide  and the full length of the plot along one side to grow what ever, probably squash till the actual building part is finished. The rest is being divided ito 6 beds 3 feet x6 feet, We are only having 1 foot between anything so I may have to slim down a bit!! This way we get maximum growing space..hopefully we can manage like this for 1 year then pick up some more space. John is going to mark it all off with string and then dig the beds over, the actual timber sides will have to go in when we can during the next few weeks, but can't wait to plant till they are finished.

We are next door to a lady we met a couple of weeks ago who gave us some winter veggies, she was very nice so that is a blessing, she has 6 lots next door to us.

It is exciting I must admit but it all seems so rushed now, I think it would be much better to divvy these out in the winter so folks could get planning earlier..

XX Jeannine