Car vs Allotment

[Bex]

I've just signed the paperwork for my new allotment and paid my £8/year rent. Looking forward and doing lots of planning. I need to buy everything again not only seeds but spades, forks etc

Otherhalf has just taken my car to be mot'd as I can't drive with two sprained ankles. My car apparently needs new rear brakes at over £200. This is the money I had earmarked to get my allotment up and running and it will now have to wait another month - I'm feeling so depressed and annoyed

Thanks for listening, rant over

[1Bee]

Oh darnit, that's so annoying! How frustrating for you.

At least it's the time of year where a month won't make a huge difference... can you sit down and make some plans of what you can do without tools or expense? Mulch with cardboard? Hand weed? Can you hit a car boot sale and pick up some bargains that won't hit your budget so hard?

Good luck.

[Bex]

Hand weed? Can you hit a car boot sale and pick up some bargains that won't hit your budget so hard?

Good luck.

Wow 1Bee I hadn't thought of that. There is a carboot in the village on a sunday. You're a genius. Thank you

[Cadalot]

Also look on Freecycle

[Greenleaves]

I never realised car boots still happened?

[Bren In Pots]

I've picked up garden tools from the flee market and smaller items from charity shops.

[Chestnut]

If no luck at car boot, do you have any nearby friends or relations who could lend you a spade for a month or two?
And/or do your allotment society have a ‘tool library’? At our site, any tools left on abandoned plots are kept in the allotment shop and can be borrowed by all plot holders, free of charge.
No harm in asking ;-)

[mothhawk]

I never realised car boots still happened?

Hampshire's obviously a bit too posh. Only 3 listed.
Derbyshire on the other hand has 40, my home county of Leics lists 22.
And that doesn't include one-offs at schools/churches etc.

[Nicos]

You'll also find that your neighbours on the other plots may be happy to give you fruit bush cuttings, split their rhubarb, and perhaps have oldspare seeds.
You'll need to get to know them and chat them up first though!

[Greenleaves]

Tres snobs, in the words of Pop Larking Mothhawk

We do have garden sales though...

[Alison]

I never realised car boots still happened?

Definitely, they're as popular as they ever were

[Snoop Puss]

Maybe you could ask for the things you don't need straightaway as festive season gifts? Or vouchers for seed suppliers?

[veggiechicken]

Look on it as Life's way of telling you that you need to recover from your sprained ankles before you work on your plot.
Take the time to plan what you want to grow instead.

[Miss Mousetrousers]

Apart from charity shops, get a local newspaper and see if there are any household clearance places, general auctions, so-called "antique" shops or even farm sales because you can often find old but good tools. If all else fails, some gardening places or shops like Wilko may have tools at a discount. Even though they probably won't last that long, at least you'll have something until you can afford better quality.

[Bex]

Thank you all for your ideas. We don't have an allotment shop as there are only 13 plots on our site, we don't even have a loo

We had a trip out in the car yesterday to Bakewell which was beautiful but the walking has made me realise I'm a way off being able to dig. I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to measure the plot today and then plan, plan, plan