Just saying hi!

[Martin H]

Hi Bex, welcome to the vine from another Essex allotmenteer. Have fun with your new plot!

[PyreneesPlot]

And hello and welcome from me too. Enjoy the vine

[Bex2012]

Hi Bex and welcome. Great to see your piccy! I think your lottie looks lovely and is that your shed at the end?

Thank you all for the very warm welcome!

Unfortunately the shed isn't mine, it belongs to the other half of the plot. I don't know if he originally had the whole thing & gave half up. Apparently he is happy for me to use it - as he only lives round the corner to me, I should really go knock & double check!

[vixylix]

Welcome Bex! I grow in a tiny back garden so very jealous of your space!

Keep us updated with your progress

[Bex2012]

And hello and welcome from me too. Enjoy the vine

I don't know honestly how well it will do, it's only about knee height, and was supported (sort of) by some bamboo canes. Now my dad has grape vines in his garden & they are huge! They probably extend 7-8ft out when in summer growth, and are supported on wires. This one is next to the strawberry bed, sort of marooned in the middle of nowhere.

[Bigmallly]

Hello again Bex, just to clarify any confusion, the forum is also known as "The Vine or The Grapevine" the members are also called " Grapes" amongst other things..........enjoy.

[Chris11]

Hi Bex and welcome

[Bex2012]

Hello again Bex, just to clarify any confusion, the forum is also known as "The Vine or The Grapevine" the members are also called " Grapes" amongst other things..........enjoy.

Doh... Of course it is.... 😊

[veggiechicken]

You must have thought we knew everything about your plot
We will do soon

[Guest]

Here you go this might help http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ses_86211.html I struggled with what people were saying when I first joined and was to embarrased to ask, especially SWMBO

[Bex2012]

Here you go this might help http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ses_86211.html I struggled with what people were saying when I first joined and was to embarrased to ask, especially SWMBO

Thank you, that's really useful!

[Gillykat]

Hi Bex *waves* Congrats on getting your allotment I'm sure you'll have YEARS of fun with it! I got mine in February 2015 and *despite the weeds and slugs* it's been THE most satisfying, fun thing I have ever done Poor husband Neil....he knows he's third in my affections now....after the allotment and our two cats

Roll on the Spring so we can get cracking again....you'll soon get your plot knocked into shape I'm sure. One thing I learnt was not to try and do a huge bed in one go (and kill myself!) but to take a day or three over it - little and often - and it's amazing how quickly everything starts to look good

Take regular photos too...just so you can see how far you've come and it'll raise your spirits when you're struggling with a particularly annoying clump of couch grass (or sow thistle in my plot's case!!!) that just won't go away!

[Bex2012]

Thank you! I'm very excited about it all. No one in my family has ever had an allotment, so I am completely new to it. I only put my name down on a whim!

The raised beds arrived yesterday, now just need to decide whether to stain them or not. The putting together will be my OH job, along with various other building projects
I've also put the word around that I'm on the scrounge for slabs etc.

As its freezing out, I'm going to have a nice afternoon looking through my allotment books and seed catalogs. All the bits I've already bought are in a large storage crate, ready to be taken to the allotment.

[Bex2012]

Just a little update...

More to see how far I have come!
So two-thirds of the plot is cleared/dug over. We've put a path in by the shed, and a small patio/work area. Part of the fence needs to be repaired (probably at easter) and a wood chipping path laid along the length of it.
The raised beds will be located down near the shed, as that area seems to be quite clay-y soil. The rest will be worked in traditional rows I think, with the intention of eventually being all raised beds, as funds allow.

[Muddy_Boots]

Hi Bex

I'm a forum newbee as well so link to the glossary has helped me out as reading through the past posts made me scratch my head at times about what people meant. When I first looked at the posts I thought they were ages old, then the penny dropped that the date was in fact the date they joined the forum derrrrr.

Gratz on getting your plot, from the pics you more or less have a blank canvas to stamp your mark on it. and well done on making a start to the clearance. Mine had a lot of couch grass in (its called twitch where I come from). Only real way of getting rid is turning the soil over and hitting the lump with the spade to break it up and leaving it for a good couple of weeks for the grass to die, then digging it over again with a fork so you can get the grass roots removed easier.

Looking forward to seeing it develop further.