Introducing Lottie, my first ever allotment

[SaraJH]

Wow, you've made so much progress already, it's looking great!

[cilla]

How satisfying. Well done you and welcome. Love reading the thread. Not an allotment person but I get excited with the garden. Love the forum, friendly lot. Look forward to your process.

[FlowerpotGirl]

I've gone and done it. I've taken on the full plot. Till now I had plot 10b and could only watch in horror as plot 10a went to seed (and started to share that seed with my newly weeded patch. Last night I couldn't sleep thinking about the little treasures in plot 10a so at midnight I emailed the council asking to take it on. This morning I've had an email saying its mine and the tenancy is in the post I now have a full 250 square foot to play with

[veggiechicken]

Congratulations

[skeggijon]

I'm just trying to remember where the allotments are in LGC. Are they near Saffron Hill?

[FlowerpotGirl]

I've never heard of Saffron Hill. There are a few different sites, this one is near the Gardeners Arms Pub aka The Worlds End in the Simon Pegg Film

[Kirk]

There are 7 or 8 allotment sites in Letchworth, sounds like FPG is up by Fearnhill Sch, top of Ickneld Way. Guess it is a bit open up there to wind, about the highest spot in Letchworth.

Having past another many times I often wonder if the Baldock Site at the A507 and Wallington Rd Jn have tried to buy the square that adjoins their allotments up to the "barn" building. Seems of little real use to whowver owns it and would make a nice extension to the BALGA site itself.

Do they give you a key for access to the Fearnhill one or do you vault the gate?
Seems sort of locked with high grade chains everytime I pass it.

[FlowerpotGirl]

Good morning Yeap I'm at the site next to Fearnhill School. There is a key code for the lock on the gate. The gate makes me laugh a bit as its all massive and high security yet the fence near the field is pretty low and anyone could get in if they really wanted.

It does get a little windy up there but there is a fair amount of border hedging which cuts it down. At the back of my plot is about 20ft of thick nettles, wild rose, brambles, Elderberry and pine trees which help break the wind.

Its nice being at the top of hill as when it rains heavily (as it has recently) we weren't flooded like other plots have been. Must be heartbreaking to have everything flooded.

We could do with a site Rep but otherwise everyone is really friendly and welcoming. I discovered I have a wildlife pond on Friday by falling in it! My plot is so overgrown I didn't know it was there.

[FlowerpotGirl]

Hi all, thought I'd give an update on my progress so far, I've attached a before and after of the entire plot, both 10a & 10b

Its been a lot of hard graft but I'm getting there:

Before

and after


I've got over the shiny new excitement and wanting to do everything yesterday, and instead found it has its own pace I've managed to plant a fair few things but my main task has been clearing and discovering what was there before. I've had a serious cut back of raspberry bushes as they were ridiculous and taking up over half of the new plot. Not sure who would need that many, and also they were a thick block so you couldn't even get to them. Anyway I have a few bits in the ground but mainly looking forward to getting it ready for next spring.

[Ms-T]

looking good.

[FlowerpotGirl]

After lots of hard work its really taking shape now. I got some brilliant roofing tiles from eBay which I won for 1p! There are about 80 of them and they are making brilliant borders.

Although there is lots of work left I have managed to grow a fair amount. I now have Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Raspberries, Carrots, Curly Kale, Brussel sprouts, Christmas potatoes, Parsnips, Cabbage and a herb patch growing nicely. My first two cucumbers became the victims of a slugs attack so I've started to grow it over a metal wire trellis which is helping massively. Also loving the masses of seed sales going on and have brought loads for next year. I've even written all the sowing and harvest dates down so I can stagger the sowing and harvest.

The pond is doing well and I have loads of baby frogs all over the plot. Occasionally the parents jump out and scare me

Tada pics:

[dru`s haven]

well done flower pot girl on your allotment its hard work ( i know weve joined the gang ) but im sure it will be worth it ,after all the hard work ,hopefully then the fun part of growing

[FlowerpotGirl]

I'm kind of pleased I started the season late, as I've been able to be a little half hearted about it and learn as I've gone along without feeling I'm jeopardising a decent crop. The one parsnip seedling that grew has shown me that the soil needs to be properly worked over as it hit a stone and spilt into a hand shape. My plot soil really needs mulch and manure too, its lacking in fibre and dries up really quickly. I have my eye on verges full of leaves

[KevinM67]

Hello and welcome from me.

I've came to this thread a little late -but have really enjoyed reading through it, and the progress pictures look fabulous.

Go you !!!

[KevinM67]

Just reading another thread -are you the same person that found 'those bones' ?