time to call it a day ...

[nick the grief]

As I may have said on here the allotment site where i am has in the last few years been pestered by 2 legged foxes last year we were done 4 times in as many months and so far twice this year . all my poultry have gone and so I've pretty much decided (along with a couple of others) to call it a day. So, the 1/3 of an acre I did have with fruit trees etc will go and I'll be back to the bottom of the garden something like 18 x 8 but I reckon I can get most of what we need from that with a bit of planning. but as that was let go for a couple of years its going to be a bit of a mission. still I've a good supply of 35ltr pots so for the first couple of years I may grow stuff in those whilst the ground cover does its business. Its a shame but I just can't be Ar5ed with the hassle.

Onwards and upwards ...

[Snoop Puss]

Must be devastating, things like that happening so often. I'd give up too if I were in that position. Best of luck at home, though. Sounds like you could get quite a productive set-up going, plus the convenience of growing and harvesting right on your doorstep.

Will you get more chickens at home?

[nick the grief]

... Will you get more chickens at home?

Hi Snoop Puss,

No, the bit where I'm going to grow is where my two old runs were.so theyre going to be coming out. the timber will be re-used and the housing thats in there I will re purpose as a hedgehog house as we have a couple of snufflers in the garden so I'll leave the ramp down and fill it with some bracken and straw ( I live near 260 acres of woodland so bracken is not a problem).

[Mr Bones]

Sorry to hear about your lotty problems Nick. So annoying and very frustrating. At least growing in the garden you can keep an eye on it.

[Snoop Puss]

Those are going to be some happy hedgehogs. I have to say, my experience is that chickens and veg patches don't go. I've put fencing up to keep the dogs and chickens out. Even just dust bathing, chickens can be a bit destructive.

[Nicos]

How frustrating for you

We had 2 legged foxes playing football and jumping on all our veg and cloches on our first site in the uk.
We’d worked really really hard making 3 clay allotments into very productive sites, but we both used to feel sick with anticipation towards the end, What would be damaged/ stolen…..and I stopped going on my own during the week with my children ….it’s a horrible situation to be in.
Really frustrated for you as I know how much effort youz’ve put in over the years.

Growing at home though is absolutely amazing. If I lived in the Uk I’d convert all of my back garden to a lottie…absolutely no second thought on that.

Knowing your character Nick, you’ll make an amazing success of this new adventure , and wonder why you stuck out with the old system…. ( I understand that though….it’s all the time/ £ you put into it and the pleasure of having a bolt hole away from your everyday life)

why not keep a blog on here so we can see how you convert your garden to a lottie.
I know many people must be interested in doing that and need an experienced grower to show them what works for them!
They just need to take that leap of faith!

[bramble]

How disheartening for you Nick.
It's not like the good old days when you could even leave your shed door open.
The best of luck converting your back garden.
I grow in my back garden and with careful planning I manage to grow a little of most crops we eat.

[Bren In Pots]

Its so disheartening o see your hard work come to nothing all because of someone else As a teenager I remember my Dad giving up his allotment for the same thing and that was 50 years ago so really not much has changed.
I'm a back garden grower and its surprising how much you can fit in a smallish area I have 3 none raised beds, a bean row, a lot of buckets, troughs and redundant recycling boxes producing enough veg for the 2 of us with some left over to freeze, bottle, dehydrate for winter.
I do like how I can nip out the back door and get a bit of lettuce for a sandwich.

[Plot70]

We had a visit from the two legged a year or so ago.
The fix was to pose as customers for the missing items when they appeared on sale and recovered most of what went missing.
They went back to thieving drain covers.

[nick the grief]

... and I stopped going on my own during the week with my children ….it’s a horrible situation to be in.
Really frustrated for you as I know how much effort youz’ve put in over the years.

Thats the worst bit Every time you go down there you think ... What am I going to now

why not keep a blog on here so we can see how you convert your garden to a lottie.
I know many people must be interested in doing that and need an experienced grower to show them what works for them!
They just need to take that leap of faith!

I may do, the bottom half of the garden has been let go so it is wild ! living where we do we get lots of birds and they have liberally sprinkled Blackberry brambles everywhere which I sort of kept in check but this year with all the rain we had they have gone wild! Its going to look like slash and bur in the amazon

I used to grow here before, firstly veg then I moved on to Chrysanth and Dahlia's so I know the soil is good and I've just treated myself to a new stainless spade and fork so that will help.

I'll put my thoughts down in it anyway.

[Jay22]

So sorry to hear this Nick, words fail me so I’ll just say best of luck with your new venture!

[lottie dolly]

Sorry to hear that Nick,it takes all the joy of growing away,so soul destroying,all the best with the home plot.

[JanieB]

It took me 5 years to get my allotment. I was only there for 2 years. I built a green house, planted fruit trees, raspberries, vegetables. Tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, melons etc. I went there one day and found someone digging in my allotment. I had had enormous problems with the woman who ran the allotment society. I just left. I couldn’t deal with the aggro. I probably left over £1000 worth of stuff but I wasn’t in a personal space to fight it at the time.

[nick the grief]

Herem are the first pictures of the new plot, I got the keys then was knocked out by Covid for 6 weeks ! Back to as normal as I ever get trust you are both well and are ready to crack on with the new season.

1^st on is from the top looking towards the road way (norf ish)
2^nd from the road looking sarf up the plot
3^rd one is the derelict area behind the ‘polytunnel’ (shown in picture 4) . I don’t think I’m going to have that of the previous occupant as I’ve got my greenhouse.

Its got covering of annual weeds like chickweed ath the minute but that will soon clear up and I’m going to ditch the existing raspberries – they look tired and I’ve no idea if they’re summer or Autumn and replace them with some new ones (Joan J I think) and I’ve a red Gooseberry to plant and a plant of Stockbridge arrow Rhubarb if it makes it thru the winter.

I’ve some Dahlia tubers on order to grow a few of those, and I shall grow some other cut flowers ( maybe get some Chrysanths next year) and the bottom 2/3’s will be veggies

[Nicos]

Sorry to hear about your Covid. That’s a long time

The lottie looks great! Doesn’t look over facing either. It’s going to fantastic next summer. Good call