Progress on Andy's Allotment Garden (The brick yard)

[quietandy]

Good evening all, hope we are all well? Sitting at home recovering from a tummy bug had me thinking about how far i have come from late September on my starter plot to where i am now.

It all started with an enquiry into how long the waiting list was. I was promptly told which "starter gardens" were available and to have a look round. Once i had made my choice all i had to do was sign. The association admitted they were all badly overgrown so no payment was needed until April next year. I was over the moon.

So off i went, very wet behind the ears, with hand shears, rake and fork and i stood at the gate and thought "This is going to be some task" No kidding when i say my girlfriend disappeared in the weeds as they were over head height. The first afternoon was a very long shift. By the time we called it a day we had hardly made a dent in it. The next day we made a little more progress.



That photograph started a ritual. At the end of every visit i stand at the gate and take a photograph from the very same point. This serves as a reminder as to what i started with and what i have achieved so far.



I made a decision. I would go no further this year. I would concentrate on this area for my first year after all i have never had a garden never mind an allotment!

Soon i had a shed.

[quietandy]

I then got a greenhouse. This was a bargain from an online auction. Lots of hard work. It was stored in my garage in some sort of order. I put it up the weekend before the beast from the east part 1 arrived. I should have waited. Putting it up proved to be very difficult. I had no instructions or memory of the order i stored it in. Searches online for instructions was impossible. The only help was an Eden sticker on the door. Out of pure desperation i emailed eden along with the auction photograph i asked them if they knew which model and if they had any instructions. They only went and sent me the instructions!!!!! I was over the moon. What great customer service. It was assembled over a weekend but glass smashed and tempers flared. I would have to wait until the following weekend for replacement glass. It must of been a sight to the other plot holders when i came to put the glass in as i was working by torch light and it had started to snow!!!! But it survived the beast part 1 and part 2.

By the title of this thread you may gather that i could of built a house with the amount of bricks i have dug up. I wondered what i was going to do with them all and i started to mark out my beds with them. Then a mate was digging his block paved drive up and was going to skip the old blocks and the left over new ones. So that is how i ended up having blocks as bed markers. Paths are all free paving stones too.

So this is where i am at now


Well i am bit further on as i have things planted but i will update here as i get through my photos.

Bottom line is if i look at where i started and what i have achieved in the short time i have had my plot it gives me pride and satisfaction.