The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

mardatha

Thanks MrsL, got that copied

GreyQueen

Afternoon all.

I'm back from the lottie, where I arrived full of the joys of spring, having seen some violets (possibly violets, was biking past) and the giant hogweed regenerating, presently about 1 ft tall, and feeling happy.

Not a happy bunny when got to the allotmentino and found that the plotholders next door had run amok with a herbicide and turned their plot into a ginger meadow and oversprayed into my own plot. Grrrr! Several bits of my grass path are dead and ginger, which doesn't look too nice, but the barstewards got within 18 inches of spraying my broad beans, strawbs and leeks. They nearly killed some of my food.

Am spitting tacks and have rung the council and asked for them to pass this to the allotment officer. This is a half plot, they've had it 2 years, they're able-bodied twenty-somethings and they've cultivated only enough ground to be the equivalent of a double-bed, the lazy useless s0ds. I guess they failed the March inspection, are on their final warning, and thought they'd take some short cuts.:mad:

Anyone know what it is likely to be? And the consequences; beggars have sprayed around the water tank, damn their eyes. I have no truck with chemicals in the garden. I expect my path will regenerate, as it's couch grass, and nothing short of a nuke will kill that for long, but I hate having to look at that poisoned ground. What about the invetebrates, plus the frogs and toads which would have been in there? Wah!

I told my Dad; we're both fans of Cold Steel Gardening- they don't like it up 'em.

Have prepped some seed beds ready to sow tomorrow and added to my extensive collection of glass, rusty nails, old cans and random bogies of disintegrating plastic bags.

FairyPrincessk

Evening all,

Softstuff and Elona, I've been thinking of you and your families both today.

I'm afraid I'm about to have a bit of a moan. Exhausted and must admit to being just a bit downhearted this evening. We got the painting done, I gave the floor a good scrub whilst the furniture was all moved about, bread dough is rising, Maggie's blankets have been washed and finished drying and brought in, some new lamps that we've saved up for a year for have just arrived. Due to an Easter offer we not only got free shipping, but we also had enough to add in a new desk lamp for OH who doesn't have one. They're sturdy and look very nice AND will help with those squinty eyes when reading..but I still feel a bit discouraged it took us a year to save up for them. I guess we could have put it on the credit card, but I'm determined our only debt will be the student loans and a small mortgage.

Neither of us slept well last night as the neighbours were at it. The painting took longer than anticipated, largely because we had three rollers break in a row and had to go out for more..I guess that is what we get for trying to buy from our local shops. Next time we'll go to a national chain, spend less and only have to buy once. We've run out of space in the bin because the lamps all came cossetted in thick layers of polysyrene which we can't squidge any smaller and seems such a waste going to the tip..so we haven't unpacked the last one yet, we'll have to wait for bin day as once the stuff is out of the box it seems to just breed little white balls that stick to everything.

I know I'm just tired and it will pass. The rooms will look much better with even, fresh paint, and it will be a great improvement for the year to come and make our home feel much more like a home and less like a slightly dingy rental. We still need to tidy the front of the house, pull the weeds up in the cracks and do another sweep of the rubbish that is constantly being chucked over the wall, but both of us is loathe to go out there and risk having a confabulation with the neighbour of doom who is likely to be swigging from his litre bottle of super strength lager and shouting at his 'guests' inside. Rainy days are best for outside work in front of the house. I feel guilty as the neighbours on the other side keep their front very tidy and nice. They see me out in the back gardening etc. and must wonder why I can't keep it up in the front, but then they've had their share of run-ins with the other side so hopefully they understand. Today they washed their nets and had them out on the line, it is a nice reminder that we aren't alone in our desire to live in a clean house with a tidy street.

[Deleted User]

FPK Have a hug petal, it's very hard to be objective when you're so tired but tomorrow,and I hope you DO sleep well tonight, tomorrow when you get up into the sunshine and walk down and see your nice bright refreshed walls and your rearranged home with your new and smart lamps you'll feel a real sense of achievement of a job well done. You are NOT in debt, you DIDN'T put your lamps on a credit card, you were Soooo sensible and with a life that just at present has little slack in the finances you HAVE saved up and made your purchase, WELL DONE YOU!!! It's not easy being that self disciplined girlie, hats off for staying true to your principles, true to the OS lifestyle and being organised enough to have saved your pennies in the first place, you're a couple of Good'uns!!!

FairyPrincessk

Thanks Mrs. LW. I've just had a nice cold drink sitting in the sun whilst Maggie had a romp and feel much better. I know you're right--things never look the same through tired eyes, and our finances are much less tight than when we started saving--largely because OH worked very hard and was given a raise in recognition of that. We'll be just fine in the end. Of course, it helps that OH is making tea--white fish breaded in panko and he is looking up potato recipes, says he is feeling creative--this could be good!

[Deleted User]

Atta girl!!!

nursemaggie

I agree with every word Lyn says FPK have a hug from me too. Another one for GQ your lottie neighbours do not deserve their allotment. I understand fully how you feel.

Local paper said last night we would have our hottest day so far today 19 degrees, I think it is a little cooler today. Lunch time forecast says cooler over the weekend, warm again in the week, then cool again next weekend. Reminded me of a poster that used to be in our local chemist about 30 years ago. "into each life a little rain must fall. Why is it always on weekends." Sorry for those at work all week.

FairyPrincessk

Thanks NurseMaggie. The poster made me laugh. On the upside we have been relishing a half-term holiday where it didn't rain so maybe sometimes we get lucky?

I'm furious on your behalf as well GQ. Part of why we haven't signed up for an allotment is because I know we wouldn't have the time to put into it and aren't yet quite ready for one. As for the 'scorched earth' approach, I think I'd be furious as well.

GreyQueen

It'sso sad and ugly, it really makes me feel wretched just looking at it. I just don't get the mentality of some people who take on allotments and don't seem to want to do a hand's turn.

I mean, it's not like you 'accidentally' get an allotment, like I accidentally bought tinned spaghetti instead of baked beans one time as they had similar labels and were side-by-side on the shelf. You made a conscious effort to rent a piece of ground for growing veggies and then you do nothing with it? For a year plus?

This stupid thing is that they haven't saved themselves much effort at all. This is couch grass, the rough tussocky stuff. It's still there, just dead and brown. They are still going to have to break the surface, fork it out, shake the soil out and get it off the site (no burning now until 1st Oct). And then they will have to fertilise and cultivate the soil.

:mad: And that is exactly what they would have to do if they hadn't sprayed it. Plus couch grass can regenerate from 1 mm of root, as well as seeds, so it will still come back.

I've got rid of my couch grass by digging it up repeatedly. Cold steel all the way.

[Deleted User]

The reality of what is involved in actually running an allotment is usually vastly different to the perception of those novice gardeners who see the produce standing on the plots, the harvests going home in trugs, bags or on pushbikes and don't see the hours and hours of preparation, planning, sowing, nurturing, weeding, watering and patience it takes to produce something as small as a radish!!! They are on our little patch of plots all fired up with enthusiasm for the first month, clear the plot, dig in all the horsetail and couchgrass, lovely, and then decide other things have priority over all that hard work and are ALWAYS completely dumbfounded when they come back on week 5 and find what mother nature has done with the horsetail and couchgrass, and that there is now twice as much as there was before. That's what sorts the sheep from the goats isn't it?