September 2013 - Off we go!

Got an Allotment now get it cleared up!

On Friday 6th September I received a call from the membership secretary Lindsay that I'd got an allotment (we'd been on the waiting list since March so was taken by surprise a little bit).

On Sunday 8th September 2013 I went down to the allotments to meet her for a sort of induction and also met secretary John Scott (who will send me letters if I don't keep the weeds down and the plot well manured!!)  Anyway had a look at the plot and realised a lot of work needs to be done.  So set about clearing it that morning.  The previous holder had let it go to seed pretty much but we got a couple of buckets of spuds and quite a lot of raspberries overall so for the £5 up to the end of the year we have definitely got value for money I reckons!

A few(!) raspberries on the plot - Sunday 8th September 2013

Me shed - complete with wise old owl!

We got a shed with the plot and had to send the previous plot-holder £60 to cover the cost.  Even here we did okay as the shed had some tools, pots, cups, a great big book by Alan Titmarsh called the Cottage Gardener.  Have moved some of my junk down from home into the shed as well so all's working out nicely.

The plot as of 14th September - clearing the crud away

Have measured up the main growing area as being 42' x 18' (can't remember what it was supposed to be but this is what it is).  The raspberries will be staying but pretty much everything else will be coming out over time.  There's also a raised bed that had spuds in it between my shed (one on the right and the next door neighbour's shed) probably about 6' x 2' I reckon.


There's a raspberry bush in the foreground of the picture above (another shot below).  Am going to dig that out and put it in a tub near the shed at some point soon so I've got a clear run for rows or squares or whatever I decide to do in the end.

22nd September 2013 - brassicas cleared for the most part - netting to go next. 

22nd September after doing the morning training run (6 miles) I went down the allotment on a lovely morning for an hour or so.  Cleared the netted off brassicas just leaving some celery to come out when missus is ready for it.  Got another punnet of raspberries and a couple of courgettes to take away - there's still a few more raspberries to be had and some courgettes.

Going to be the odd courgette to be had as well.

This raspberry plant is in a bad spot in my view - it's going to go in a big tub near shed I reckon.




24th September 2013 - Raspberry plant rehomed - tub looks small but it's about 100 litres so plenty big enough

24th September - Front of the plot is now totally clear (well a bit of weeding to do but clearer in anybody's book)

Pics on 24th September were about 6:45 - it was dark half an hour later.  Hate this time of year.

Saturday 28th September 2013
Couple of hours on the allotment.  Down there for about 8:20, one other car in the car park but didn't see anyone.

Saw this lovely little allotment - all flowers - very pretty.

 This is what ten wheelbarrows of well rotted manure looks like!

Took the netting that was around the brassicas down - pulled up the celery too so it's now ready for weeding next

After hauling ten wheelbarrows of manure up to the plot I picked another tub of raspberries, pulled up the celery and took another three courgettes off.  All good fun.