Our Allotment Journey - Day 1 !

Laura_D_3

Soooooooo tired, I was down the allotment at 6.50 this morning not a soul in sight, it was a beautiful morning and so peaceful.

Got the blackcurrants moved, the new recurrants, cranberries and gooseberries in then got shouted at by (lovely) fellow allotmanteer who told me never to buy anything again as he could get it all for nowt .... bless him. Allotment folk really are the nicest ever.

Finally got the key to the shed and was greated by the surprise of a heater ready for the cold winter so should be good.

Probably just popping down for a couple of hours tomorrow to sort out the shed, put up some curtains, finish spray painting the mingy chairs left behind :T

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=95897&id=562821263&l=28ecbaeb28

Top_Banana_2

I was so worried about what condition my first plot would be in.....I needn't have been! Take a look, and tell me what you think!
My blackcurrant bush:

My shed:

The view towards my shed:

The view from my shed:

My compst bin (is this soil useful once dug over, or should I just scrap it?)

Another view:

The bed where I'm going to put my spuds:

What are these plants? Should I bother keeping them?

Rummer

Wow, you all have so much space! Loving the photos too! I would love an allotment but I think on top of my garden it would be too much for me at the moment. I was out earlier moving my (unfilled) raised beds around the garden trying to figure out where to put them and I am so undecided!

The seedlings that I have planted are really starting to come on, the basil is doing well I have loads of tomatoes and the chillies and peppers have started to show their faces.

I think tonight I will plan what I am putting in my raised beds. The three large beds in my garden have already had peas/beans, potatoes and shallots allocated to them so I though I would get my OH to build me a third raised bed and I can then use them on a rotational basis and plant rows every few weeks to help me organise a continual supply of veg.

Still gazing lovingly out the window at my garden when I pass the window!

Laura_D_3

Loving all of your new piccies top_banana looks a very organised plot, will definatly keep you busy :-)

Your compost looks better than mine, which I've been informed needs to be burnt as its to woody. I'm hoping Tom has already got rid of it before I get down their today.

I think the top of the two plants are bulbs so may potentially flower the miny bits around are heanous weeds which will be the pain in your side forever if you have my luck. Then I think the bottom plant might be comfrey, but then again it could just be a weed :-( If its comfrey put it in a bucket of water let it stand for a couple of weeks and then use the water as liquid fertiliser on your crops, you can do the same with nettles, and rhubarb leaves are said to deter bugs or something. Or I think you can put comfrey on the compost heap to get it moving along. If you're not sure what it is check with someone on a neighbouring plot people are only to pleased to tell you what was planted where last year and what everything is.

Good luck ... I'm off out to my allotment now with a smile on my face and a kettle, teabags, water and milk in my car :-)))))

jtb2412

Morning everyone

I can't believe how great the weather has been this week ! Giving us all lots of opportunity to get things done, let's hope it stays this way.

Laura, I think your doing a great job and your plot looks great ! :T You're right about other plot holders, you won't find a nicer bunch of people, always willing to help and have a natter (although nattering can become a problem if you're trying to get work done :rolleyes: :rotfl: ). Thanks for popping up your pictures, I love to see how everyone is getting on ! Had a giggle at the pink wellies - I've got plastic clogs with tomatoes on !

feefeelalabelle give your seeds a little longer, it's still a bit early yet and things will take longer to germinate. Have you got a window ledge inside you could pop them on (sunny but not too sunny !) to give them a helping hand? As for how much to plant, I'm never sure myself so I just plant away and hope it will be enough. I do tend to do more than I think we'll need (1) because you might loose some to slugs/snails and the like (2) the weather may cause some plants to not produce as much as they usually would (3) you can always freeze things . Our personal theory is 'sow it and see what happens', that way we're not too disappointed if we have a failure (although my leeks are taking a while to germinate which I'm getting :mad: about !) Must remember to keep calm lol

Don't be worried about posting or asking questions, we're all here to help each other and if we don't know the answer, i'll look it up in my book

Top_Banana Wow !!!! That's a great plot !!! Thanks for sharing with us . I agree with Laura about the unknown plants. Our way of thinking is that if you don't want it and it's taking up space then pull it up. We took up a huge globe artichoke plant from ours that was invading the strawberry bed, none of us like them so up it came. What else are you going to grow?

Rummer - lol at can't decide where to put the beds. Which way does your garden face? If you can get them in the sun, all the better. Don't worry about not having an allotment, you can grow plenty in your garden - we did last year and we only finished eating the runner beans in the freezer in January :rotfl: . I've still got raspberries in there from last year too ! Nice to hear your seedlings are doing well, always makes me breath a sigh of relief when they finally come up .

Right I'm off to get the kids to school, popping back to make my flask and then off up tut'lotty :rotfl: . I've not much to do so going to potter about like all the 'old folk' do . Have a great gardening day everyone xx

TismE_3

TOP BANANA, That looks like a great first plot to me!!
I went to look at one that i've been unoffically offered yesterday, its in a terrible state tbh.

Not been worked for years, over grow with brambles, no signs of a path, beds, has no shed or gate ! but i'm going to rise to the challenge and take it on as my first allotment, will post pics as soon as its offical. The plots either side of mine are in good order, so that gives me hope and helps my visualise what it could be like.
I feel very lucky to even be offered one as i know some people wait for years for an offer of a plot.

Tisme x

Laura_D_3

Yet another beautiful morning down the allotment got the chives, thyme and red grape in plus a very tidy shed :-)

Rummer

Finally an evening in my garden! I am blessed that the area where the raised beds are going gets sunshine pretty much all day and evening so I finally made a firm decision and poured a bag of compost in one of them so there it shall stay ! It is so lovely being able to come home form work and just potter about looking at things and getting little jobs done. Still waiting for the day my OH earns enough that I can stay at home gardening and cooking all day:rolleyes:!

My seedlings are coming up very well and I am now starting to wonder if I should plant another load or wait and just sow directly outside in a few weeks?

I spread manure pellets today that I found in our shed that had been left by the previous owners and I ended up laughing out loud at how excited I was throwing it round the garden, it made me feel like a "real" gardener :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:.

Just going to go and make something for dinner using the leeks that I grew last year, oh the joy of home grown food!!!! :j

TismE_3

Great news, i got the key to our 1st Allotment ( or should that be waste ground?? ) today at 4pm, have taken some pictures to share with you all.
We were clearing brambles til dusk and had a great bonfire, and going back in the morning for some more of the same, Do wish us all the best! We cant even see the back fence yet

Ohhhhhh No! just tried to post pics but cant work out how to do it on here , will have to store them somewhere like photo bucket so you can take a look, will go now and see where i can post em.


Top banana, those pics you posted of your mysterious plants, well they must be an alloment fav, coz we got some of them too! and i dont know what they are either lol, also found some rhubarb crowns, red hot poker bulbs and some sort of lilies i think, also have a few shrubs but have no idea what they are either!? found treasure in form of a rake and a fork, and loadsa trash, gas bottles ,broken glass frames, tyres and carpets :mad:

The site manager says it looks like other allotment owners have been dumping recently, and has already erected a frame for the new gate, and told us we dont need to pay any rent til september, because it needs such a good clearing.

The girls absolutely loved it down there today and as soon as we got in and had finished our chippy dinner, they were both doing some grand designs in their sketch books! one wants a swimming pool, and the other is happy with a hammock!! amongst the veg plots. :rotfl:
Tisme x

im going to see if i can post pictures somewhere , if not i'll get my OH to do it tomorrow, he'll know what to do im sure.

TismE_3

PICTURES STORED HERE..........best viewed as a slide show

http://PHOTOBUCKET.COM/Tisme_2009

Right off to bed! night all
Tisme x