So here is the exciting news! When we were signing up for the plot for the next twelve months there are a few people who have decided to give their plots back. One such plot is number 118 – right next to our friend Bob and it is a full size one of about 300 square yards. We decided to snap it up meaning that we now have two plots to occupy us! It does need some work but nowhere near as much as 97 did and a lot of the plot has been dug over and covered with membrane to prevent weeds so we will be getting things planted this spring.
Most of the time we spent at the allotment this week was on the new plot. We had to do some measuring so that we could make a graph paper plan (like the good old days when we were newbies!) and we also made a list of jobs that need doing. We took some photos too so that we can do a before and after comparison along the way. Neil’s main job was tackling the shed/greenhouse contruction. It is pretty rickety and is a combination of wood (some rotted!), glass and perspex. It seemed like the weeds that were in there had almost become part of the structure! There will be much more work to do, but he made a good start.
I used my new spade that Neil got me for my birthday to dig over one of the beds. It seems like we have inherited lots of slugs as well as the usual weeds! Once I was done, I gave it a liberal layer of manure to keep things tidy till the spring.
We also managed to get lots done on the old plot thanks to a day off on Friday. Things were looking a bit forlorn due to the time of year, the leaves seem to get everywhere and with things dying back it looks much less lively than at the height of summer. But it is exciting to be planning for the new growing season and now that we have placed our seed order it is easy to imagine what things will look like in a few short months. We cleared the munty frame of the last of the runner beans and another couple of beds that had passed their best. Our manure (not literally ‘ours’!) has well rotted and is lovely and uniform in colour and texture. We used a fair bit of it covering the cleared beds and before long the plot was looking tidy and ready for action.
And for some of our avid readers who were keen to know if we were employing the recently lauded technique of urinating on the compost heap, the answer is no and there certainly won’t be any pictures!
Hi to both of you,
Reading your latest allotment update with jealousy, because I am still waiting for somebody to die at the allotments near me before I get one and now you have two! Its a good job that Pilla has a new spade for her bithday (I like a man who can get away with buying his wife a practical present) you will get plenty of use out of it now. If you can do anything to get the allotment society in Chorley speeded up I would really appreciate.
Good Luck, Neil (The Pie Eater)
They are curious things, the allotment waiting list. I find it really hard to believe that a) they are keeping all the names or b) that all the people on the list still want one. I think the only thing you can do is keep going down there. If you make a nuisance of yourself they might bump you up the list. It’s likely that it’s flexible, and if you go down often enough they might just give in to stop from bugging them, I think that is what happened to us!
You could always offer to either help someone with their plot, or see if anyone wants to let you work half a plot. It’s still a huge amount, and I can’t believe every bit of every plot is being used – there is always someone that can do with some help.
Or you could move to east manchester!
Hi Neil,
I have been to see the woman in charge of allocating allotments quite a few times, I dont think she has taken restaining order out on me yet but! She is nice and freely admits that she thinks some people are not using their plots fully or some at all and she was contacting those a few weeks ago to try and free the plots up. I know one of the older blokes who has plot and I am going to ask if he would consider sharing as it is now the time of year that you need to start getting things sorted for next year. If he lets me share I will then look into claiming squatters rights.
Failing that, what are the pies like in East Manchester?
Cheers, Neil.
Congratulations! Great news about the new plot–that’s a huge amount of growing space. I’m jealous! You must be going wild thinking of all the things you could grow in that amount of space. I always enjoy your blog. You’re both so refreshingly enthusiastic (and I love the wellies, Pilla)!
Your fellow gardener in the States