Join the queue

Producing herbs, spices and vegetable matter

Join the queue

Postby jenny_haddow » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:13 am

I live right next door to this little lot:

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Every day I walk past and view with envy as the crops grow in abundance. There is a queue a mile long for these allotments which are run by the local foeffees (now there's a word steeped in history), and given that this is fenland soil, you can imagine the quality of the fruit and veg you can get out of one of these. The upside of there being a queue is it helps to prevent the land from being developed. Here in the east it seems every available square yard is up for building on, so I do welcome the queue, even though I have a long wait.

So, to satisfy a need to grow something I have utilised some of my flower beds and have been self sufficient in salad for the past few weeks:

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I have water cress in the pond, salad in the flower beds and the conservatory is doing its best to grow tomatoes. I do have a good sized garden, but it is too nice to dig up for veg, I'll wait for the allotment and use salad for bedding plants. I think they are rather pretty!
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Postby johnfb » Wed Jul 16, 2008 12:47 pm

I am jealous. I have some potatoes growing in a gowbag in my stamp sized backyard right now.
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Postby saucisson » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:18 pm

I take delivery of my Thameside allotment tomorrow :) It's been a long wait.

I rang up at 2:30pm this afternoon to enquire whether they had any and he rang me back at 3:00pm to offer me one...

Dave
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Postby johnfb » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:24 pm

Congratulations Dave, now all the hard work starts.... :D


I will expect some photgraphs of the ongoing project!!!!
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Postby saucisson » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:28 pm

Of course, John.

They have long waiting lists throughout the city, so I never bothered looking into it before, but I heard a whisper there were a few plots available right outside the village and got lucky. Mind you, I haven't seen what I've got yet...

Dave
Last edited by saucisson on Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Big Guy » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:30 pm

There is nothing like getting out there and mucking around in the soil, the produce that you get is far superior to the store bought stuff.
enjoy
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Postby saucisson » Wed Nov 12, 2008 12:14 am

I will report back tomorrow :)

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Postby jenny_haddow » Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:36 am

You are SO lucky! I'm green with envy :mrgreen:
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Postby saucisson » Wed Nov 12, 2008 1:34 pm

It was let 4 weeks ago to someone who pulled out after changing their mind yesterday, so I was really in the right place at the right time.

I visited it today, my plot runs down to a babbling brook, that runs into the Thames, so I will be researching crayfish traps as well as everything else :).

I'll take the children down there after school and get some photos.

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Great hams, from little acorns grow...
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Postby saucisson » Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:36 pm

Look at that lovely loam, just begging me to plant something:
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If only it was my plot :lol:

This is mine:
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�15 a year to rent it :) I do wonder when it was last cultivated though :lol:

Especially when you see the shed that comes with it :)

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And here is the stream at the end of it:

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Curing is not an exact science... So it's not a sin to bin.

Great hams, from little acorns grow...
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Postby vinner » Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:07 am

Dave:

You know, and I know, and everyone has to take it on faith, that you can make this plot productive. Move the kiddos out of the way, turn the soil hard, bring them back in and make full use of your water rights. :lol:

Any land can produce something. It is just a matter of finding the highest use of the resources available.
" To be the stewards of what we have been given, to reap what we sow, to enjoy the harmony of it all.

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Postby Mike D » Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:59 pm

Great bit of luck Dave...get yourself a copy of One Man and His Dig by Valentine Low...it is a great read about getting an allotment in London.

One of my neighbours has some derelict land at the back of my house which I'm contemplating making an offer for (to rent, not buy) so I can do a bit of grow your own. My Dad is a very keen gardener, but my concern is how much stuff could I grow 900ft up on the West Pennine Moors?? We are about 3 deg cooler than the surrounding valleys and there is a marked difference in the times hedgerows, daffodils etc come out in the village when compared to the lower lying areas.

I hope you'll keep posting pictures Dave. I'd look forward to seeing progress.
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Postby saucisson » Sun Nov 16, 2008 5:33 pm

I will :D
Curing is not an exact science... So it's not a sin to bin.

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Postby saucisson » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:14 pm

Woohoo!! my new toy... Are these things safe? Do I need to cut the grass first or can I just go for it? Should I have asked these questions before buying it? :lol:

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Dave
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Great hams, from little acorns grow...
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Postby Big Guy » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:29 pm

You need to cut the grass then remove the sod, I doubt that machine will till up sod. you have a big job ahead of you. Stock up on linament LOL
enjoy
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