OK I admit it I'm a lurker!!

[selfraising]

We get excited about even the smallest things on here!!

[Irie Jan]

Hi Sarah! Good luck with your growing and good on the kids for coming on board with your plans! All the best!

[Eyren]

Excellent news, Kaylis! I suspect that a lot of allotment lists are actually shorter in practice than on paper - what with people moving away in the meantime, others falling ill or getting a new demanding job, the ones who see the plot and then change their mind, etc, etc, you can move several places up the list every time a plot comes free. When I got mine, there were two people ahead of me on the list but neither of them got back to the secretary and he wanted someone on there and controlling the weeds ASAP, so I got it straight away

Let us know how you get on!

[Sanjo]

Welcome to the vine!!.
Make haste slowly Sarah but most of all ENJOY it. Don't knock yourself up in your excitement to get stuck in.
The children will be in their element, they have every excuse now for getting muddy, especially if mum is too!!
What condition is the plot in? Do you need to do much to get it up and running?

[vicky]

Hi Kaylis, well done with your lottie and welcome to the vine! Make sure you find out how to put on photos as we will all be shouting for progress reports!

[Herbie]

Hi Kaylis

Well done you for getting your lottie, do you have a secret or tip on how to get one, our lists a soooo long and Im still waiting. Let us know what you are going to grow and happy gardening

Just off to ring the council again!

[kaylis1980]

no secrets.... actually i was hounding the county council allotment officer quite reguarly as i thought that would be the one most likely to free up quicker, but as it was it was the parish one that i had only phoned once to get myself on the list! as it turns out lots of the men over there have had plots for 20+ years and a few have died! i am definatly by far the youngest over there right now. by FAR.

it is in *ok* consition at the moment.... it has previouslybeen worked and there is a fair amount of organic matter worked into the soil, however speedwell has taken over. i was really desperate to get things in but i need to be realistic and keep the weeds under control before i plant! a fellow allotmenteer gave me a root of rhubarb and i have plonked it in and will hope for the best!

i only have 2 (bad) photos so far taking on the mobile.
you can see the ground cover looks very much like grass, but its speedwell, i actually thought it was forget me nots on first look- maybe wishful thinking lol.


our chooks *helping* they did quite well actually.... and i got plenty of crazy lady looks from my neighbours


i have cleared almost a quarter of the plot now, and hope the rain stays away long enough to do another bit.

[Glutton4...]

Hi and welcome to the madhouse from another Essex Bod. There's several of us lurking around you know. Good luck with the lottie, just remember to cover all the parts you can't manage this year with black polythene, then there should be very little weeding when you get to it!
If your friend doesn't deliver the manure, let me know - I've got loads!

[DavidM31]

Congratulations on getting your allotment, nice pics, once weeded it looks like a pretty good plot and near a fence, so perhaps you put your compost bins over there to save space.

Good luck with it and keep coming back to the vine.