Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 2

ceridwen

I get very confused by allotments being measured in rods.

So - 250 square metres for a traditional allotment size = 812.5 square feet in my "language".

I know allotments were set at a size deemed to be right for feeding a family. I believe by "family" - they didnt mean 4 people. I think, at that point in history, "family" was deemed to mean 6 people???

If "family" meant 6 people then - that means that they reckoned 136 square foot per person was what is necessary to keep people pretty much self-sufficient in fruit and veg (think that was by the standards of them expecting this would just be for 8 months of the year - whereas we now tend to expect to be self-sufficient all year round in fruit/veg - courtesy of wider variety of plants available and polytunnels). It would be 544 square foot now for a family-size allotment these days.

Little "thing" of mine to keep trying to work out how much land I need - as opposed to how much I've actually got...:)

*********************

So Lesley - my guess is that the allotment size will be 544 square feet (ie set at "modern" size family level). Still - a nice piece of land to have - and tries not to be jealous here. Congratulations in advance!

Lesley_Gaye

Frugaldom wrote: »

Good luck with this, hope you get it. From what I can see, an allotment is 1/16 of an acre or around 250 sq m, so I'm guessing you might get more than you bargained for. Regardless of size, it'll be great, so fingers crossed for you. When will you hear?

don't really know when I'll hear. The council actually bought the land in 2009 and have been sitting on it ever since, even tho they did buy it with allotments in mind

I think they may be getting the process going now with the exhibition and all. They need to go through the planning process because of the access for cars, the laying of water pipes and permission for the burial ground. Local government stuff always seems to take a very long time to happen

Lesley_Gaye

ceridwen wrote: »

I get very confused by allotments being measured in rods.

So - 250 square metres for a traditional allotment size = 812.5 square feet in my "language".

I know allotments were set at a size deemed to be right for feeding a family. I believe by "family" - they didnt mean 4 people. I think, at that point in history, "family" was deemed to mean 6 people???

If "family" meant 6 people then - that means that they reckoned 136 square foot per person was what is necessary to keep people pretty much self-sufficient in fruit and veg (think that was by the standards of them expecting this would just be for 8 months of the year - whereas we now tend to expect to be self-sufficient all year round in fruit/veg - courtesy of wider variety of plants available and polytunnels). It would be 544 square foot now for a family-size allotment these days.

Little "thing" of mine to keep trying to work out how much land I need - as opposed to how much I've actually got...:)

*********************

So Lesley - my guess is that the allotment size will be 544 square feet (ie set at "modern" size family level). Still - a nice piece of land to have - and tries not to be jealous here. Congratulations in advance!

Can't wait! I don't have time to grow lots of vegetables there, and already grow lots in the garden, so I now have a very long list of fruit to grow there

more minarette apples, pears, plums and cherries (more because I have a mini orchard of 12 of them in the garden already)

a huge asparagus bed

lots of apricots - already have 1 in a large pot that gave us a handful of fruit in its first year last year. I am fantasising now of being able to cook crumbles and make jam using home grown apricots, how fab would that be

don't need any rhubarb as we have an enormous patch of it in the garden growing very well

lots of raspberries, for all 4 seasons

maybe a strawberry bed

red and black currants

maybe potatoes and onions as we would have the room, unlike in our small garden, and lots of sweetcorn, again, as we would have the room

I am thinking of OH making a chicken wire fruit cage to cover the cherries, currants and raspberries to keep the birds off. And a separate, smaller meshed, cage for lots of purple sprouting to keep the dratted cabbage white off -what a battle we have with them every year

met several other people looking at the plans, and they all seemed very nice. That's another bonus of allotmenteering isn't it, all the other people up there doing it, and more friends to make

Edit - I'll work out how much square footage the garden is now, just out of interest, you have piqued my curiosity!

tumptyteapot

not a terribly frugal day, I have just been given a bit more freelance work and that will bring in an extra £45 a week! hooray! I tried to go out and celebrate, bought myself a sandwich and a coffee for lunch, spent £7 in poundland but failed to buy anything new to wear which is probably a good thing! Going out tonight with a friend to see a film and spend my tesco vouchers in Cafe Rouge or similar.

rubytuesday

A NSD for me yesterday as I felt very down and didn't leave the house. Today I bought the meal deal at M and S and got an eight pound (no pound sign remember) chicken which was incredible. It's marinaded and you are supposed to cook it in the bag. I didn't realize and took the bag off so I hope it'll be ok. Don't really like cooking in plastic anyway!

cw18

I know there are some keen gardeners on here, so thought I'd ask if anyone knows what the following is please?



My SIL posted on FB asking for help, saying it's self-seeded and she's "pulled it up" many times thinking it's a weed - but it always re-appears and she's not sure whether to just give up and let it grow in case it's a plant, or how to get rid of it if it is a weed.....

destroyerofdebt2011

Thanks for all the welcomes. This website is the most supportive i think ive ever been a member of :j.

Had a good weekend spring cleaning and baking goodies. which has resulted in 2 NSDs so feeling really positive.

Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine it is free afterall

rubytuesday

Cheryl that looks like a plant to me. The important thing is does she like it? I like it. What is that expression anyway? A weed is just a plant in the wrong place?

Savvy_sewing

Well I have managed to stay clear of the shops since my return from holiday. digging deep into the freezer trying to find something to eat. But yesterday was a no spend day too, as we went to see my BF, so he bought Chips for our tea.!
Today DGD and I are having the last two shaped burgers, pasta and baked beans!. Madam is a pasta nut. She wanted mince, but I didnt have any.
This also gave me a No spend day today too!.
But tomorrow I will have to shop as we are on the last loo roll, (very scarey never been this low before!), and have run out of washing up liquid. There is only 3 slices of bread left as well. I will see if I can have a successful make in the breadmaker, but I am usually very hit and miss at that.

I have just realised that I have some bids on Ebay! So oh no, If i win them I will not have had a nospend day afterall!.
Eek I better have a check and see where I am there!. Ooops.

grandma247

Cheryl it looks very much like a hebe. There are many different types.