Officially got my plot today.

[Nicola.P]

Paperwork all signed and paid up and it is officially mine, I did go and have a sneaky peek and took a couple of pics on our way home from town before I got home to find the paperwork waiting for me, so I would have taken more pics and measurements if I had known it was already mine

Anyway today I inherit this mud. It isn't massive (by my calculations is is 10 Nicola strides by 8 Nicola strides, 2.5 rods) and goes from the wooden stake bottom right to the white wooden stake top left just in front of the green tunnel. But I would rather inherit mud (beds all dug over ready) than waist high weeds any day! There are also some stick poking out one corner so not sure what plants have been left for me.





Looks like it needs a little bit of clearing and probably some compost dug in but it is pretty much ready to go. I need to measure up and decide on which shed to put in (4x4 or 6x4) also need to decide whether to go with the current bed layout and see how I get on (I am new to everything growing related) or whether to change the bed plan to something I want. I am thinking go with it as is for this year so I can get a feel for things without too much work at the start, I can then change them if I wish in the autumn.

[Martin H]

Congratulations, the plot looks great!

As you say, it's not far off being ready to go, all dug and everything. I bet you can't wait for the spring now.

[WendyC]

Congratulations. Now the fun begins. I would say it was less than 2.5 rods from your photos, but photos can be deceptive. I'll pace mine out tomorrow and compare. (I'm 5'4")

[Nicola.P]

I am quite petrified now if I am honest.

I would have taken better pics but I took those sneaking around as at the time I didn't know that the paperwork was at home waiting for me. Will go down at the weekend for a bit of a clear up (picking out the loose sticks and things, have a measure and see what to do to the beds.

I only found out I had one last Thurs after a 6yr wait and I have not done any growing in that time (never thought I would actually get one) so I have a lot of reading and learning to do.

I also got loads of bargains from Wilkos today ready:
- 6 x heavy duty gravel trays (for the seed trays to sit in) at £1.50 each.
- packs of 3 cell type seed trays, bought 2 packs of the medium sized cell ones and 1 pack of the smaller 40 cell type again £1.50 a pack
- 3 propagator lids to go on the gravel trays (hard plastic with a vent not the flimsy plastic type for £3.50 each. (All the gravel trays and lids were made by Stewart, sure I have seen that make somewhere)
- Also at £1.50 a pack were packs of 15 individual pots so I bout about 6 packs, 2 each of smallish, mediumish and biggish.
- Stainless steel trowl with wooden handle for £4 (the matching hand fork was a bit bendy so I didn't get that.

Most of these things are about 3-4 times that price in the garden centres so glad I waited and looked around.

They also had a very sturdy, good looking hoe and rake for £13 but I had run out of arms to carry it and the shop isn't local (I was about 20 miles away from home)

[Nicola.P]

Congratulations. Now the fun begins. I would say it was less than 2.5 rods from your photos, but photos can be deceptive. I'll pace mine out tomorrow and compare. (I'm 5'4")

I just measured my strides and 8 Nicola's equals roughly 20ft. So the plot is (very roughly) 20ft x 25ft = 500sq ft or 7m x 7.5m = 52.5m. Looking online 2.5 rods seems to be 63 sqm so mine is smaller but I didn't include the boundary paths so not sure if they count as extra although I can't grow on them.

Once it is up and running a bit I will add my name back to the waiting list for another plot as they are all being split when they come up now.

[lottie dolly]

Well done,and good luck with growing,no need to swat up as such,ask afresh,and keep an eye out as to what others get up to,both lottie and on here,am sure it will all come flooding back once you start

[NatalieCooke]

I only found out I had one last Thurs after a 6yr wait and I have not done any growing in that time (never thought I would actually get one) so I have a lot of reading and learning to do.

I also got loads of bargains from Wilkos today ready:
- 6 x heavy duty gravel trays (for the seed trays to sit in) at £1.50 each.
- 3 propagator lids to go on the gravel trays (hard plastic with a vent not the flimsy plastic type for £3.50 each. (All the gravel trays and lids were made by Stewart, sure I have seen that make somewhere

Congratulations!
Wow six years wait that's a long time! Now all the fun starts!!

I've used the same Propagator last year, bought another one this year. They are great for starting off the seeds. I've also used the seed trays, really strong plastic.
If you have a Poundland local they also have some great bargains in.

Looking forward to seeing somemore pictures!

[Bohobumble]

I am quite petrified now if I am honest.

I would have taken better pics but I took those sneaking around as at the time I didn't know that the paperwork was at home waiting for me. Will go down at the weekend for a bit of a clear up (picking out the loose sticks and things, have a measure and see what to do to the beds.

I only found out I had one last Thurs after a 6yr wait and I have not done any growing in that time (never thought I would actually get one) so I have a lot of reading and learning to do.

I also got loads of bargains from Wilkos today ready:
- 6 x heavy duty gravel trays (for the seed trays to sit in) at £1.50 each.
- packs of 3 cell type seed trays, bought 2 packs of the medium sized cell ones and 1 pack of the smaller 40 cell type again £1.50 a pack
- 3 propagator lids to go on the gravel trays (hard plastic with a vent not the flimsy plastic type for £3.50 each. (All the gravel trays and lids were made by Stewart, sure I have seen that make somewhere)
- Also at £1.50 a pack were packs of 15 individual pots so I bout about 6 packs, 2 each of smallish, mediumish and biggish.
- Stainless steel trowl with wooden handle for £4 (the matching hand fork was a bit bendy so I didn't get that.

Most of these things are about 3-4 times that price in the garden centres so glad I waited and looked around.

They also had a very sturdy, good looking hoe and rake for £13 but I had run out of arms to carry it and the shop isn't local (I was about 20 miles away from home)

You'll be fine, you're going to love it!

I picked up similar Stewart stuff this year too from Wilko, the flimsy stuff did me at the time as I was super-skint but it's not really designed for lasting much beyond a year, the Stewart stuff looks like it'll last for ages

If you are going to add MPC to the soil, I picked up 56 litres bags of JABowers stuff at Y-vale in their sale for £2.49 - prob not good enough for seeds and cuttings tho!

[Mikey]

Keep the sticks somewhere safe they come in handy for marking out your seed rows later on.

I love the planning stage its fab.

You've got a really tidy plot for the first time out, mine was more like your paths all over.

[Nicola.P]

Thanks all.
We have a wyevale near us so I will take a look.
I think as I am so new and not sure what suits me yet I will run the beds in the current form for the coming season and then decide from there what to do.

But I was thinking of putting the shed in the bottom right of the photo and then have 3 long beds the same size running from left to right of the pic (left of pic is north and right of pic is south) which I can use for crop rotation and then a 4th shorter bed coming down to near the shed for some fruit. It doesn't look like it would take much to move things around as the paths are just dirt and a bit of grass.

[Sheneval]

Nicola p - Congratulations on getting your plot - enjoy

[Paulieb]

Sounds great. I'd be tempted to keep it as it is, then after a years growing you can change it if necessary. You don't want to spend time changing it then it not be quite right and then change the layout again.

Good luck.

[Stan79]

Nicola - congratulations!

Keep an eye out (or ask) on your local Freecycle site for old tools, pots, seed trays, etc to keep your costs down. Also worth keeping an eye out in the summer on there for spare plants!

If you put your shed to the South of your plot you will presumably be shading part of your plot which might limit your options as to what you can plant. Are there any allotmnet rules on where you can put a shed and size, height, etc, etc, etc?

The other thing to have a play with is a garden planner like the one on Suttons website. I think you get 30 days free?!?!

Congratulations and have fun!

[veggiechicken]

Congratulations! It looks really good compared to some new plots I've seen on here.
If you site your shed to avoid casting shadows on your plot, you shade your neighbours instead. Check to see whether the rules prevent you doing this as you don't want to upset anyone at the beginning (or any other time!!)

[Nicola.P]

There is another plot to the right (south) and they have their shed on the edge of my plot so I thought it best to put mine next to theirs (in the shade they cast). If I put it to the North I will be shading the guy behind me which is the same man who left me the nicely dug over plot so I don't want to upset him.
We are as far south as you can get and the sun mostly goes overhead without many cast shadows. The maximum size I am allowed is 6x4.