Greetings from Romney Marsh

[Nanny Chicken]

Hi all

I joined last year when I was struggling to maintain my allotment. We'd had it three seasons and did all the research, tried all the suggestions from the other plot holders but still struggled to keep on top of it - particularly as I was then working alternate weekends.

The encouragement and sound advice from here was invaluable both for and against keeping it on and once we got over the guilt trip we decided to give it up in the end.

I'm intending to create a Potager style garden at home, growing fruit, veg and flowers together and again the members on this site directed me to some great articles. I currently no longer work in retail and so to have the weekends free is wonderful. I just never seem to know where to start first! There are lots of maintenance jobs at home that got neglected while we were keeping our heads above water at the allotment so we are currently juggling those with the growing season reaching fever pitch. I'm hoping and expecting a continuation of the great advice, camaraderie and friendship that greeted me when I first posted over a year ago and I'm excited about creating my new garden.

[muddled]

Hello Nanny!

I have a small allotment but it's very expensive (£100 a year for a teeny half plot) so I am trying to build a cottage garden at home and see how much food I can grow there.

If the cottage garden eventually generates enough food, or the allotment price goes up any further I might give the plot up.

We shall have to compare notes!
Welcome back to the vine.

[Knight of Albion]

Welcome back to the forum, dear Nanny Chicken.

Good luck with your new garden.

[Nanny Chicken]

Thanks guys - my garden was a football pitch for many years so I did a lot of gardening in pots but as said footballer is now 23 and more or less has left home there are no more excuses. My lovely hubby built me a greenhouse and potting shed a couple of years ago and we have a chicken run along the back and a lovely sunny patio outside the back door so the hard landscaping is all there - now comes the fun part!

[veggiechicken]

Welcome back Nanny Chicken I remember your posts from last years - we Chickens never forget
Good luck with your potager. Its great to be able to pop out into the garden with a cup/glass whenever you have some free time. Don't forget to post some piccies - we want to watch your potager grow!

[Lumpy]

Hello NC, its good you have found your way back home. We have had a similar situation to you and although I try (and regularly fail) to grow in pots and teeny weeny raised beds we have decided to dig up the front lawn (not all of it but about 60%) shove a load more perennials in and go down the potty route. This morning I quite enjoyed myself telling a neighbour that I was planting swede next to the flowering current - the look of horror was priceless.

[Nanny Chicken]

Thank you for the warm welcome. I remember your kindness and support from last year too. I couldn't believe it had been a year!

I have been taking photos - one half of the front garden is currently (tee hee) becoming a soft fruit area. I have just stripped the turf off for preparation for a blackcurrant hedge! Presumably I don't carry on posting here now I've done the introductions to show my progress? Do I just find a forum that is the nearest match to what I've been up to?

[Nanny Chicken]

Hi Lumpy - sorry I was replying to VC when you're post came through. Thank you for the warm welcome. I am really quite excited about finally taking the plunge. Front gardens are often an underused area. It does mean adding a lot of stuff to the soil to give it some guts. I'm just on a lunch break then I'm going to de-turf a smaller area for my rhubarb plant and I may pop a pumpkin in there to keep it company :-)

[Nicos]

Hi there...and welcome back!

Looking forward to seeing your piccies

[Guest]

Hi and welcome back

[skeggijon]

Glad to see you again

I'd love to be able to grow veggies at home, but the OH has barred me and in any case the chickens would decimate everything before it had a chance to grow.

[noviceveggrower]

Hi there. Welcome back to the Vine

[PyreneesPlot]

Hello again!

I must admit to doing a happy dance when I nailed a Monday to Friday retail job, although I did miss the day off in the week when MrPP was at work!

Enjoy your potager - that is the point, after all