Help offer/plot share in Birmingham

[ColourMeSurprised]

Hey!

So I have a small kitchen garden at home, but am completely in love with the idea of an allotment. However, I don't want to take one on alone, and risk neglecting my garden and/or the allotment through lack of time and taking too much on.

I have a couple of propositions, if anyone is interested.

Firstly, is there anyone in or around the B14 area of Birmingham who would be interested in a plot-share? I know of a site that I'm almost certain still has half and full plots available, and when I viewed it a few months ago looked serviceable enough. We could split the cost of the plot, and obviously with two of us, the workload would be more manageable than alone.

Otherwise, if no one is interested in that idea, is there anyone in or around the same area who has a plot that they'd like regular help with? I'm not a big burly bloke or anything (22, female), but I'm strong enough and healthy enough to help out with digging beds and generally tending a plot. If you're an experienced grower and can teach me a thing or two while we're working, then all for the better! This has been my first year veg growing, so I'm eager to keep learning.

So yeah, if anyone's interested, please let me know!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hello there, CMS - welcome to the Vine.

If you are concerned about taking on too much, why don't you get yourself down to your local allotment site (there's a cracking allotment site in Kings Heath! Our 'domestic classes' judge for the Hill show has a plot there) and offer out your services to any plotholders who need a hand. You'll get a share of the produce for helping out, of course, and it will give you a better idea of whether allotment life suits you.

All sites and their committees love a keen volunteer, and if there is a waiting list on the site you have your eye on, you might find that being around and volunteering moves you miraculously up the list.

[ColourMeSurprised]

Thanks Hazel!

Yeah, I might give that a go! Do you know the name of that allotment site, at all?

[Hazel at the Hill]

The big site in Kings Heath is Moor Green Allotments - but there are others in the area if more convenient to you, here:

Allotments in Moseley and Kings Heath - Birmingham City Council

[ColourMeSurprised]

Thanks for that Hazel, I'll try to get down to Moor Green on my next day off and take a look.

[Hazel at the Hill]

You're best off early (any) morning.

This is when all Old Boys will be tending their giant onions. They will go by the name of Ted or Reg and tend to be cagey about the giant onions, and opinionated on the merits of chemical warfare on the plot. In particular, the merits of a watering in of Armillotox and Jeye$ Fluid over the whole plot as some sort of Agent Orange, despite these being now not licensed for use as pesticides. Oh - don't get Ted and Reg going on European regulations - or health and safety.

I digress - in particular Saturday and Sunday mornings are likely to be busy with more families and those under retirement age.

The B'ham website will give you a contact number (or email) of the club secretary - I suspect that in common a lot of sites, the gates will be locked, so if you phone first, you'll be able to meet someone on site 'officially' and not have to hang around and piggy back on someone opening the gates for you.

Always good to introduce yourself, and keen people in person (if you see what I mean) are better regarded than a disembodied name/phone number on a list.

[PeaceAndQuiet]

Colebourne Road, Billesley, B13 0EY always have some plots free, strangely listed in the Selly Oak list on council site!!! Location of Allotment Sites in Birmingham - Birmingham City Council

Suggest you take on a half plot? I shared with someone to start with but even with friends, you are bound to both have different ideas on what to grow etc.