Newbie seeking advice / opinions / help! Possibility of an allotment!

[Snadger]

Adictive???? It should come with a govt health wearning, 'Growing Your Own is not only addictive, but could result in serious improvement to your physical form, diet and wellbeing, as well as being highly relaxing to your mind! Proceed with caution!'

Congratulations Mrs D...You just won 'Motto of the month'

[Shortie]

as well as being highly relaxing to your mind

You know... this was the really odd thing I found about starting on my lottie last week... I got home and for the first time in years (i really mean years) I didn't feel 'restless' like I usually do. I usually come home from work, and potter and waste time AND feel like I've achieved nothing all day (was going to say the f word there but if I say it usually people pass out as they don't expect such words to ever escape my mouth!)

Anyway, the weekend usually goes the same, but last weekend I got home from the lottie boht day and enjoyed 'relaxing' to cooking dinner and EVEN managed to sit down for a while and watch tell and read (okay, gardening programs and books).

It's definately good for the mind.

Sorry, enough waffle now, back to my wine

[Mrs Dobby]

They can't do that Mrs D we might end up with healthy, happy people who can think for themselves and want to get on with their lives with minimal outside interference. Where would that leave the suits then. We might even have beds in hospitals and unstressed staff

Almost utopia.

Lol, very true words indeed Earthbabe! Great Minds think alike methinks!

Congratulations Mrs D...You just won 'Motto of the month'

Lol!! I didnt know we had a Motto of the Month!! Lol!

You know... this was the really odd thing I found about starting on my lottie last week... I got home and for the first time in years (i really mean years) I didn't feel 'restless' like I usually do. I usually come home from work, and potter and waste time AND feel like I've achieved nothing all day (was going to say the f word there but if I say it usually people pass out as they don't expect such words to ever escape my mouth!)

Anyway, the weekend usually goes the same, but last weekend I got home from the lottie boht day and enjoyed 'relaxing' to cooking dinner and EVEN managed to sit down for a while and watch tell and read (okay, gardening programs and books).

It's definately good for the mind.

Sorry, enough waffle now, back to my wine

Have to agree Shortie, I've a great feeling of wellbeing and accomplishment, even tho we only managed a few hours on Wednesday two of our friends both remarked on how 'well' we looked, no stress, relaxed, confident and happy! Starnge how quickly the effects are to blossom!

Had to go to another branch this morning to collect some stock (very early before we opened), which meant I was able to finish at 4pm today, so drove home quickly and joined Mr Dobby on the allotment at 5pm! Had to wait an hour before the rain stopped, but we got to clearing again at 530 and have just walked through the door now!

Managed to clear most of the plot of the standing weeds, just the grasses to dig out and the whole plot to turnover and remove as many of the weed roots as we can! It looks much bigger now, (tho still within managebale size, in fact, we are perhaps thinking of a second plot sometime in the future), cant wait to get it all straight, paths cleared and wooden edging replaced (some of it is rotten, but we have some ex-pallets stored ready to use as edging) and then bark up the paths! Also found a cold frame, missing its glass cover, but there are some more leaded windows in the shed and some glass on top of the shed roof, so possibly will be able to sort it at no cost!

We have found a full bed of spuds, a full bed of strawberries (very sweet and delicious), the rhubarb (methinks its ready to harvets), two or three raspberry plants and a few others I cant identify as yet, will post some pics as soon as I get some!

I did take our digital camera to get some pics, took 30 great ones, but the batteries came out in the car on the way home, and as its only a cheap camera it doesnt have a permanent memory, so lost them all! Grr!! Will deffo take some next time we are down (probably Sunday after work, weather permitting!)

Anyone any suggestions as to anything we can plant for an early crop next spring? We are hoping to have it dug over in the next 2 weeks or so, and are planning on planting some garlic as soon as we've had the first frost, but any suggestions as to anything we can plant soon would be appreciated!

[Peter]

Try over-wintering Onion sets.

[Snadger]

Spring Cabbage plants, Broccolli plants,Cauliflower plants, spring onion plants are all available at my local garden centre.
Broad beans can also be planted now. Autumn planted shallots are also available, this is as well as your Japanese onion sets and garlic
Hope to be planting strawberries and possibly other soft fruit at the weekend myself
Not enough hours in the day just now!

[Earthbabe]

Wow Mrs D the plots a real find. Also finding stuff growing gives you an idea of where to put things next year so you can get the rotation thingy growing. I took a load of toms to work this week and they have been much appreciated. I have had people asking to see my allotment and one girl is keen to come and help me work (for her mental and physical health and a few veggies). Most of my patients are male and either have grown or grow their own and they love giving advice or sharing stories. They get a real buzz from it. I think they also like to see a "young" person getting into GYO. I've even had conversations about specific varieties of pots, beans, onions etc. It's always a bit deflating when we have to bring the conversation back to why they are in hospital. I've also got a couple of colleagues keen to grow veggies and fruit. I think I've started a mini revolution. It's most refreshing and heartening.

I see you've caught the "I'm sure we could manage a second plot" bug. It doesn't take long.

I think Peter and Snadger have covered most of the over wintering bits. You could also add some overwintering lettuce and some endive (chicory) but not the heading variety. You can probably get in a row of Cima di Rapa but it may need covering.

Looking forward to the next lot of pics.

[nick the grief]

You know... this was the really odd thing I found about starting on my lottie last week... I got home and for the first time in years (i really mean years) I didn't feel 'restless' like I usually do. I usually come home from work, and potter and waste time AND feel like I've achieved nothing all day (was going to say the f word there but if I say it usually people pass out as they don't expect such words to ever escape my mouth!)

Anyway, the weekend usually goes the same, but last weekend I got home from the lottie boht day and enjoyed 'relaxing' to cooking dinner and EVEN managed to sit down for a while and watch tell and read (okay, gardening programs and books).

It's definately good for the mind.

Sorry, enough waffle now, back to my wine

Fresh air & excersise is always good for you Shortie - food for the soul. & the fruits of your labours will feed the body to so you'll be well fed all round

I didnt mean that you were all round Shortie, I'm sure you have an very attactive ,....er um best stop digging now

[Spuds up]

Welcome to the club!

It won't be too long before you've not only cleared the plot but filled it with veg.

Having an allotment becomes habit forming. Mark my words you will spend next season being in awe of existing plots and plot holders. The season after you start casting your eye over any vacant plots.

You can go very quickly from having a big plot to work and no idea what to put in it. To "I could do with some more space for extra potatoes!"

Its addictive!!

But very rewarding.

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi all!!

Didnt manage to get down to the plot yesterday (or online either), as we had friends round for a barbeque (one of my best friends has just split from her other half of 11 years and needed cheering up), so we all piled down here and barbequed, then sat talking round the fire till after 11pm! Was a very good night, if a little difficult to get up for work at 6am this morning!

Both off tomorrow, and the weather forecast looks good, so will deffo be on the plot tomorrow, probably as early as I can drag Mr Dobby out of bed, and stay for most of the day (or at least until it goes dark!)! As we've now cleared most of the taller standing weeds I think he is planning to burn them tomorrow, and I'd like to try clearing round the back of the shed and the raised rhubarb / fruit beds, plus hopefully start replacing the bits of bed edging that are rotten and clearing / polytheneing / barking up the other 3 paths. Will hopefully also start diggin over and removing roots, then covering over with black polythene for the winter!

Thanks everyone for the advice as to what to get planted now, it is really useful, its great how everyone on here is so friendly and helpful! We've taken the plunge and got some onion sets to plant, going to go through the rest of our seeds and see what else can be planted, plus been getting lots of 2litre coke bottles to use as mini cloches, so hoping to get them planted tomorrow!

Earthbabe, we havent even finished clearing this plot yet, but I must agree I think we've already gotten the 'second plot' disorder, does it ever end??

[Mrs Dobby]

Starting Tuesday Morning!

As promised, the piccies from before we started today, showing where we reached last week! More to follow in next post of what we been up to today, getting all dirty!!


The first clear path!


Get ready. Get set.........

Go GARDEN!! 'Ok, but can I have me brew first!'

Still lots to do!

[Mrs Dobby]

Getting dirtier!

Piccies of what we were doing today!


Ok, You start there and I'll go drink my brew!

Hmm, this fire seems to be an ickle bit smoky!

Bit by Bit!

Path cleared of mess, ready to bark up!

More to follow!

[nick the grief]

Hi Mrs D,

In the 2nd foto is your plot the full width of the bottom (if you'll pardon the phrase).

This is better - hte bits between the 2 yellow lines?

[nick the grief]

Piccies of what we were doing today!
............More to follow!

You can just see our gas tanks peeping over the trees Lol

[Mrs Dobby]

Ok, we managed to get down to the plot at about 1030am, and finished at 645pm! Think we are both gonna have to go and jump in the bath tonight, then a nice large glass of wine and an early night! Back aches, legs ache, arms ache, feet ache, this gotta be doing me some good!

We managed to burn all of the weeds (took most of the day!), clear one path and bark it up and start replacing some of the rotten timber edging, plus a bit more general tidying and also planted some more strawberry plants (Mick from the corner plot - known as 'Scavenger Mick' came over and offered us some early ripening ones to add to the late ripening ones we already have in the beds, told us to take as many of the dug up ones as we wanted, which was nice! Found out later that he had scaveneged them from our plot anyway, taking anything not in use from the plot when it was given up by the last tennant! So, they return home! lol! Actually, neither of us is that bothered about the stuff that he took, as we were planning on clearing as much as we could anyway, but it is funny to see his guilty conscience at work! lol!)

Also managed to make our first harvest today, a big bowl of raspberries and 9 strawberries - there were more strawbs, but something had been nibbling on them!

Anyhows, hope you like the piccies, more to follow as we progress further at the weekend! Hoping to clear the other 2 paths and get at least one bed dug over and the onion sets planted! Will let you know how we get on!


Sue - Mrs Dobby - Pathfinding!

Wow, second path done!

Another look!

End of Tuesday (day 3 on site!)

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Mrs D,

In the 2nd foto is your plot the full width of the bottom (if you'll pardon the phrase).

This is better - hte bits between the 2 yellow lines?

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Hi Nick!!

Actually its bigger than that! (Oooer missus!)

If you look at this piccy our plot goes from the corn on the right to the end of the shed on the left, about a bed and a bit bigger than your yellow lines!


All I know is it feels big, especially on my back and legs! lol!!