Feeling overwhelmed by the new plot

[HeyWayne]

Some great advice/comments already, but here's my two penneth anyway...

Alltomenteering is about the journey, not the destination. Half the fun of it is learning as you go along - there are people on here who have been doing this stuff for eons, yet they will be the first to tell you they learn something every day (well apart from the odd know-it-all! ).

Like Two-Sheds said though, if you don't want to do it in the first place, there's little chance you'll keep it up - the enjoyment won't be there for you.

However, if you think deep down that it's something you could do, and enjoy doing, then get crackin. Don't get hung up on what needs doing, what you haven't done, what you should do, what you could've done. Just do.

Once you do for a bit, you'll look back at all your doings and before you know it, you'll have done.

We all do things differently anyway, so who's to say what's right and what's wrong. The worst that could happen is something doesn't grow - then what? The world will keep on trucking along quite nicely, and you can try sowing/planting something else, maybe something a little odd, or unusual.

Just make sure you enjoy it, and take it one chunk at a time. How big the chunk is, is up to you...

[middlefield]

I've got to echo the other comments, only do what you can and don't worry to much about the rest.

We're on a plot next to a guy that has an absolutely immaculate plot, but he is retired and we're working, therefore we only have limited time. We don't try and keep-up and we do things the way we want to do them.

Allotments are long-term projects and I think it will take 5-10 years to get ours how we want it (in terms of soil structure etc), but we're in it for the long-haul so we're not worried, and we've increased productivity each year so its happy days!

[Flummery]

Instead of planting what your Mum buys (ok - I'm a bossy Mum - instead of ONLY planting what your Mum buys!) nip to a garden centre and buy a few young plants of what YOU would like to grow/eat. At this time of year lots of GCs are selling pots of young seedlings just ready to plant out on your plot. All you have to do (ha-ha - ALL, she says!) is dig the ground. You can do it in an organised manner or you can do it piecemeal - prepare a small area, bung in a few plants. The main thing is, you will be massively encouraged if you have something to harvest. Just digging and clearing for its own sake is a bit soul destroying. Make it productive not immaculate. Don't overlook easy-grow things like Nasturtiums that the kids can sow along the ends of beds. They are quick growing, bright, colourful and you can add both the leaves and the flowers to a salad.

It's worth saying however, that the keenest allotmenteer can have days when it all seems too much. If you are not doing it because YOU want to, it will seem even harder. Ask yourself if you really want to do it. I hope you do, but don't get so that you are resentful of Mum. Good luck kid!

[KateG]

Thank you all for your replies, it has helped loads.

I'm just zipping off to work so will read the responses again a bit more thoroughly when I get in late tonight but I can see plenty of good advice in there, thank you

I do, desperately, want to do this but as I said, I'm a worrier through and through. And a bit of a perfectionist. I realise I am going to have to relax a bit and perhaps this allotment journey will help me with that.

Thanks again.

[Muriel]

Hi

Hi KateG,

I'm suffering from depression at the moment, but since I took on my allotment 3 weeks ago, I've felt that it has helped me loads.

I go there every other day and I just get so busy with what I want to do that I forget about my other problems. I've found it very relaxing.

I'm working on mine a bit at a time and i've covered part of it for working on later.

I'm a born worrier too but I hope you get as much enjoyment out of yours as I do.

Good Luck, Hope it helps you relax.

Muriel