The front section of my allotment has been trashed.

[kathycam]

Hi, I've mentioned in a couple of other threads that I moved house recently, so as you can imagine my allotment has suffered. To give a fuller idea me and my boyfriend took on half a plot 2 and a half years ago. Thats the one in my profile picture. We nurtured it from what was mainly overgrown grass and bindweed and turned it into raised beds. At one point they asked us to add some reinforcement against the roadside which we did. We used the scaffold boards they supplied and big stakes. They seemed pleased with it. We added 2 beds to this area and put some perennials such as rhubarb and aspargus and a few annuals in. We put in a lot of time and effort into this. Also we put in some steps between the 2 beds and it looked really nice.

Just to add I'm a commitee member and do also volunteer in the allotment shop and sometimes help with other things, I've maybe missed a session or two, but I'd hope that would be understandable. I think I'm the youngest on the commitee by a long shot, but thats beside the point. Though I think they wanted me on it for some "young blood"

After a year on the allotment we were under control so took on another plot which was 3 times as big. We had just about managed to tame the first half of this plot when I was offered some money by my parents. So of course with selling my flat and buying a house the whole allotment thing took a back seat. I gave up the giant plot, but as no one wanted it and I had some things I wanted to harvest, I did carry on with some weeding, so it wouldn't be left in a complete stage. My smaller plot had been suffering as the newer one was more demanding, but I managed to get it under control and re woodchipped the paths and put in some crops. The new place is half an hours drive from the allotment, but we felt it was nice to keep a link to it, by keeping on the smaller plot.

I made everyone aware that I was moving and wouldn't be able to come so often. Everyone seemed fine with that. So once I moved it turned out that the owner of the house had let the garden go a bit since I last saw it. So in the 2 months I've lived here I've had a lot of catching up to do and not had much chance to make it to the allotment. I've also had to do things such as fixing roofs, ripping up carpets, decorating, unpacking, and going to work.

So I've been busy but I've still gone to the allotment 2/3 times and my boyfriend once or twice as well. We'd mainly just pull out a few weeds and harvest some stuff, we didn't have time for much more, but at least showed our faces. I had a phonecall a few days ago asking about my bigger plot as the new person wants to clear stuff, but didn't know what I still had to harvest. I described what we wanted keeping. All fine.

So I went today mainly to take a look and see if things were okay. And I was shocked to discover the front 2 beds have been removed in the orginal half plot so they can reinforce the road. As I'd already done what they asked me to do I'm a little miffed to see they have redone it with no warning. This may be down to the recent bad weather but I've had no warning. They haven't finished it, so they may be putting it back together but the fact is all my aspargus etc has probably been lost and I had no chance to move it or do anything about it. They did out a couple of plants on the top of the mound of mud I'm left with.

I'm just shocked that they would do this to my plot, I've worked so hard on it, and they just ruined it and didn't let me know. I think I'll probably give up the small plot now as well- its too much work to restart it right now and I wasn't sure how it would work out living so far from the allotment. I've had a few things taken from my plot as well, so really its lost its shine for me. It feels bad to leave it under these circumstances though.

I'm a commitee member and did miss a recent meeting, but I've made others and had no idea this was in the pipeline, but even if I missed it in a meeting, they should have thought to tell me. They have done other plots too, but I think mine was the only one that had stuff growing in the area affected. It's so thoughtless of them.

Has anyone dealt with anything similar on their allotment, any ideas if I should be chasing it up, I'm thinking of sending an angry email. All the senior members of the committee and the warden are aware if my move and are able to contact by phone or email. I'm guessing they didn't carry out the work, but would have been aware it was happening and would affect me.

[kathycam]

Sorry for the really long post, I'm just a bit worked up about this.

[veggiechicken]

Really sorry Kathy. Who is "they"? Is it the allotment committee or the council or.....?

[kathycam]

Hi, the allotment got independence around a year ago- so will be someone on the committee- probably acting on impulse and just ordering some of the "builders" onsite to do it. It has been very wet recently so the road may have gotten damaged if they didn't act. But they should have let people know, so we had chance to move or protect our things. I also had a mint plant in that space which I don't think is there anymore. When I went in no one else was around, which was probably a good thing as I would have gotten very emotional with them one way or other. I'm the first to admit my plot is very overgrown at the moment, but I've been moving house and have visited as often as I can.

[Hans Mum]

My take would be to send a polite email to the Chair of your committee asking for an explanation and a copy of the minutes for the meeting you missed.
Reiterate that you had told them you were moving and that they had your contact details - see what their response is & take it from there.

If you go in all guns blazing you might end up saying something you regret....of course if you intend to leave anway.....but its better not to leave on a bad note.

Just my thoughts......... sorry for your situation

[Dorothy rouse]

Kathy, oh dear this is awful, no wonder you are upset, I wud be to. It's the fact that they did it without telling you, as if all your hard work counts for nothing.

But the others are right, try a calm approach first and see what reaction you get! Then go and chuck a load of rotten smelly spuds at them! ( if you're leaving that is )

Hope it gets sorted for you

DottyR

[Nicos]

Keep calm and find out more info.
Then we can help you more.
x

[alldigging]

It may be that work has been done as an emergency and you were unable to be contacted. Do they have a mobile number/email?

[Two_Sheds]

I think I'll probably give up the small plot now as well- its too much work

I'm going straight to the point and try to be pragmatic: the plots are too much work for you, you've now got a garden at home: give up the plots.

Of course you're angry, so would I be, but don't try to hang onto your plots just because you're angry. Don't think of it as "them winning", and don't waste your time & energy on "getting your own back".

Just do what is best & practical for you.

[kathycam]

Hi I sent the polite email, which I already intended to do, as having worked with them on the committee I know they are good people. They've apologised, admitted their mistake. Apparently its been on the job list for ages, though no one had told me it would affect my plot, and as I'd reinforced the road myself, I didn't think it would affect me. Especially not to the extent of so much of my plot being affected. They've offered to replace all the plants that got damaged. The lost plants is just the tip of the iceberg really. We spent ages transferring what was a grassy weed covered slope into 2 raised beds which we had carefully put layers of manure, compost, leaves, straw, cardboard, veg waste etc to build it up. As well as spending a lot of time getting out stones and levelling it off.

I think 2sheds is right, I've already given up the big plot (I did about 4/5 months ago) I still have a few things to harvest, which will be gone in 2/3 weeks. The smaller plot was a managable size as we're no dig and it had a good structure, and we were going to use it to grow perrenials that needed less work. So it was more a case of visiting once a fortnight to weed, harvest and have a look round. But now it requires a lot more work, I don' think I've got the time to rebuild it. Especially when I had my doubts about keeping the plot anyway, as its half an hours drive away, so a lot more effort to get there than stepping out of my back door.

Thanks for advice guys!

[alldigging]

It is sad giving up a plot you've enjoyed having and worked hard on.

But if it is a longer journey to it and you've got a garden at home now you've moved then it probably makes sense to concentrate on your garden and when you feel you're ready for more space to find an allotment nearer home maybe?

[kathycam]

Yeah there is an allotment in the village I moved to. In some ways we wanted to keep the plot as a link back to our old community, and the friends we've made on the allotment. But yeah my garden is huge and has so many possibilities. Once we've got it under control we can maybe start thinking about another allotment. We're going to go tomorrow and take a look, but its not looking too hopeful for the allotment, so we probably will give it up.

[Mikey]

Personally I know I would struggle to keep a plot that was 1/2 an hours drive away. Logistically its a bind and economically it doesn't make sense using petrol to make the drive, it would be cheaper to buy organic produce from the supermarket down the road. At a guess I'd say it must be costing you about £6-10 per visit.

I'd concentrate on removing anything that can be put into containers and transport them to your new garden, and transferring anything else you are likely to need/want or could make use of. We all hate losing something we've put blood sweat and tears into, but I get the feeling its a little tainted now anyway and it might actually be the push you need to make the right long term decision for you.