Puzzled

[butter fingers]

I found out the reason i got my half of a plot was no one else seemed to want it. so im told it was played out and with an oak tree in the corner dropping acorns evetywhere it wasnt productive enough.i wondered why with a waiting list i was offered a plot so soon ,but i took it anyway .
I moaned one day about a plot next to me not being looked after and regreted asking. turns out that the old man who was one of the most responsible in the allotment was looking after his wife who had cancer,so try talking yourself out of that comment of the cuff ..Another thing i found out was every one loved the way i kept everything weed free but couldnt understand why i didnt just plant weed suppresant crops instead.wish they told me that sooner,it will be different this year mind you.

[tricky]

Oh dear, and the weather this weekend couldn't have been more perfect could it? I really hope he turns up soon.

couldnt agree anymore and today,and this evening too

hope he turns up

[PAULW]

TAFF
Yes he was next on the list after the site manager had contacted 14 other people who could not be bothered to reply to the letter offering them a plot, we still have a waiting list of 50 people

[taff]

Ahhh...maybe they've changed their minds since then, maybe they need a prod to get started.

[seasprout]

Perhaps...

A, They have already filled the plot with the bodies of their Victims and done a flit out of the country.

B, They are Armchair gardeners, and have been designing the plot and seasonal growing maintenance schedule for the next 5 years on the PC.

C, They are waiting for Gardeners World to start on TV, cos everybody knows it's not time to do any growing till that starts.

[di]

Have you been in touch with him?Seems it would be a good idea to do so...you seem to be(understandably)getting quite frustrated by this & the only way to discover his reasons would be to chat to him.
You may be right & his hearts just not in it,in which case it would be best to find out now so someone else can get a growing season from the plot...OR...there may be very just reasons why he's not been there...he/family member may be poorly...new baby...family bereavement.???...as ButterFingers pointed out...could be embarrassing/regrettable to jump to the wrong conclusion!

[yorkshire sam]

On our allotment we have an agreement they sign when they take on the allotment. They have 28 days to have 'done something' if not the lease will lapse and be re-allocated. The trouble is there is a breed of new allotmenteer who just want to say 'I have an allotment!'

We have too many people - some really keen - who are on the waiting list - to waste time with 'trendies'. Harsh perhaps but to me an allotment is for growing things not a designer possesion!

[flowerofshona]

That sounds like a great system YS !!
We give them 3 months, if you cant do anything in 12 weeks and you havent told the site manager you have a problem then you really do not want an allotment and i have a gut feeling this guy is a 'trendy'.

[Elliesmummy]

I was on our waiting list for 20 months before i was offered a plot end of november, in the mean time i fell pregnant and Ellie was 9 months when i got the call.

the plot was a blank canvas, the existing beds were covered in carpet and plastic, very over grown with weeds and grass every where else. no fencing/gates etc and it runs along side a stream.

my husband doesnt want anything to do with it either but he did put some fencing up along the stream purely for Ellies sake.

i was down there when i got the go a head to say the plot was mine, so far i've been down most weekends digging, weeding, clearing and now i have my onions in and yesterday my potatoes.
i also have alot of seeds on the go here so i have time to sort other beds out ready for planting them out later.

i cant wait until Ellie is big enough to help mummy, i want her to understand where her veggies and soft fruit comes from and hopefully she will be as enthusiastic as i am and want an area of her own.

i would contact them, if there has been a long wait, circumstances do change from when you put your name down on the list, maybe they are having second thoughts....

[Becca]

Could he/they be unwell..? When I first got my plot I immediately got a nasty chest infection that made going outside more or less impossible as as soon as the cold air hit my lungs I coughed my head off so i didn't make it down at all for the first month after a bit of a bramble attack before the infection hit..it was incredibly frustrating but once I was up to it suddenly I was there every weekend and as soon as the evenings got lighter most evenings too.. He might suddenly surprise you..

[womble]

I hadn't thought about allotments being trendy, but they are talked up in all the magazines and newspapers and very rarely do I see anything about the hard work needed to keep on top of them.
I bet it's quite a shock to some people.

[PAULW]

Hooray at last he has started digging his plot, hopefully he will carry on and have success in growing things and really catch the allotment bug.

[Snadger]

We have an 'old guy' on our site who only makes an appearance three times a year!

Once to rotovate and plant, once to harvest (if he can be bothered) and once when he gets a letter telling him to clean his plot (usually arrives with a strimmer)

He MAY be getting his marching orders this year though!

[flowerofshona]

He said it was to cold to start !!!!! Now we are in the warm south and have been on our plots all winter as has everyone on site !! looks like a fair weather gardener then so no chance of him growing much for the winter !

[petal]

I hadn't thought about allotments being trendy, but they are talked up in all the magazines and newspapers and very rarely do I see anything about the hard work needed to keep on top of them.
I bet it's quite a shock to some people.

Yes I agree,it must be really daunting when you first look at your plot and not everyone comes from a background where they have a foundation of knowledge about gardening. However, in all fairness, I have seen at least 5 plots in the last 2 years taken on, looked at and left. It is a tremendous amount of work and does look easy on the tv/in a magazine.