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I intend this to be a diary for my new plot. Yes finally I'm going to go and visit available plots this weekend!
But first I thought it best to begin at the beginning so to speak, although some of this is also mentioned in my Intro post, feel free to skip the bits you already know.
I've enjoyed gardening all my life, my parents loved it and I was introduced at an early age when I had my own square of land behind the garden shed. Actually it wasn't as bad as it sounds as the shed was half way down the garden and the back of it faced onto quite a sunny spot.
Fast forward to when we got our first house with a garden and the challenge and joy of designing a garden from scratch, the builders left us with a rectangle of turf. Mostly though we grew flowers as the garden was smallish so it was only when we moved house that growing veg became more of a priority.
When we moved house a corner of the garden was already given over to Veg, just under the kitchen window. We thought it would be a great way to introduce our then young daughter to the idea of growing things. It worked to a degree. It was the wrong corner of the garden, up against the north facing side of our house, and received little full sun. We made the most of it and successfully grew a variety of veg over the following years in four edged beds that allowed some basic crop rotation. Plenty of broad beans, dwarf french beans, garlic, kale, the odd cabbage, tomatoes and sweetcorn, to name a few.
Ultimately though it was clear that the position was not ideal and three years ago we covered it all over and made a lovely seating area on a deck. I miss the veg! So started looking at getting an allotment. Our town has a few so I put my name on the waiting list. There are about 30 people in front of you I was told. That was over two years ago. A polite enquiry for an update and last year I was 14th.
Now I'm normally a patient chap but there are limits, so I started some research and found three other sites within 4 miles of the house in neighbouring parishes. One clearly states that plots are only for residents but they have vacant plots, the residency rule is hard and fast though. Strike one. The other two are more welcoming to non-residents stating only that residents are given priority on the waiting list. I.e. They run two waiting lists effectively and only when the resident one is empty are non-residents considered.
At the end of 2018 there was only one other person on the waiting list of each so I put my name down. Both sites have an annual review in January as that's rent payment time so I was told there is a good chance a couple of people will decide not to renew their plot and I might get a chance for one.
February 2019 and I got an email to let me know that I was top of the waiting list at one of the sites and likely to get a plot soon. Followed at the end of the month by confirmation that there were two plots vacant.
So here we are early March 2019 and tomorrow I have a site visit booked to look at the two available plots and decide if I want one. The excitement is definitely building now. Last weekend I wandered over to spy out the land as I couldn't wait any longer. The attached photo is a view of the site. Somewhere in there are two vacant plots and one of those will become Mr H's.
But first I thought it best to begin at the beginning so to speak, although some of this is also mentioned in my Intro post, feel free to skip the bits you already know.
I've enjoyed gardening all my life, my parents loved it and I was introduced at an early age when I had my own square of land behind the garden shed. Actually it wasn't as bad as it sounds as the shed was half way down the garden and the back of it faced onto quite a sunny spot.
Fast forward to when we got our first house with a garden and the challenge and joy of designing a garden from scratch, the builders left us with a rectangle of turf. Mostly though we grew flowers as the garden was smallish so it was only when we moved house that growing veg became more of a priority.
When we moved house a corner of the garden was already given over to Veg, just under the kitchen window. We thought it would be a great way to introduce our then young daughter to the idea of growing things. It worked to a degree. It was the wrong corner of the garden, up against the north facing side of our house, and received little full sun. We made the most of it and successfully grew a variety of veg over the following years in four edged beds that allowed some basic crop rotation. Plenty of broad beans, dwarf french beans, garlic, kale, the odd cabbage, tomatoes and sweetcorn, to name a few.
Ultimately though it was clear that the position was not ideal and three years ago we covered it all over and made a lovely seating area on a deck. I miss the veg! So started looking at getting an allotment. Our town has a few so I put my name on the waiting list. There are about 30 people in front of you I was told. That was over two years ago. A polite enquiry for an update and last year I was 14th.
Now I'm normally a patient chap but there are limits, so I started some research and found three other sites within 4 miles of the house in neighbouring parishes. One clearly states that plots are only for residents but they have vacant plots, the residency rule is hard and fast though. Strike one. The other two are more welcoming to non-residents stating only that residents are given priority on the waiting list. I.e. They run two waiting lists effectively and only when the resident one is empty are non-residents considered.
At the end of 2018 there was only one other person on the waiting list of each so I put my name down. Both sites have an annual review in January as that's rent payment time so I was told there is a good chance a couple of people will decide not to renew their plot and I might get a chance for one.
February 2019 and I got an email to let me know that I was top of the waiting list at one of the sites and likely to get a plot soon. Followed at the end of the month by confirmation that there were two plots vacant.
So here we are early March 2019 and tomorrow I have a site visit booked to look at the two available plots and decide if I want one. The excitement is definitely building now. Last weekend I wandered over to spy out the land as I couldn't wait any longer. The attached photo is a view of the site. Somewhere in there are two vacant plots and one of those will become Mr H's.
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