EXCITING NEWS AND UPDATE

[STEVE PARTRIDGE]

Hello all, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and to let you know that I have some exciting news which you can find on this weeks update, thanks Steve.

http://www.myallotments.com

[Tigger]

Go for it Steve and if you need any additional help, some of us are available and quite near to hand.

[oldherbaceous]

Good evening Steve, very glad to hear your Christmas items have gone well for you this year, and so they should as they do look very nice.
What a little treasure that kitchen garden is, with all it's glasshouses and sheds.
It certainly would be a chance in a life time, and one i would love to have.
But there is one thing i must say, and that is to not let your heart rule your head, you didn't say if you have any other gardeners to help, if not it looks as if it would be a mammoth task to do the job well.
I'm certainly not trying to put you off, but knowing how you like to keep your allotments i know you wouldn't be happy if the walled garden was not kept the same.
But what ever decision you end up with i'm sure it will be the right one, and i wish you the best of luck.
Looking forward to getting the reports from the walled garden already.
And a very merry Christmas to you and your family.

[Alison]

Yes, I agree, it looks a fantastically exciting project; but in days gone past such a garden would have had a lot of staff, and I would be a bit worried at the thought of doing it all on my own, especially if the garden is going to have to support many different types of assorted veg for gourmet meal after gourmet meal, day in, day out. However, from the photos this poor garden is obviously crying out for your sort of professional Tender Loving Care! It would be a most rewarding project - but job ads in the local paper for strong youngsters prepared to work and learn gardening might be a good idea!
What a wonderful thing to get involved with, though! I bet the soil is great.
Yours, Alison.
PS as a complete novice with any sort of digital camera, I am constantly amazed at how well you wield one! How on earth do you get the pictures to move like that? It was great!

[Allan]

I too dreamed of taking over a walled kitchen garden about some 20 years ago. It never happened. I hope you make the right decision about it whatever. It is only too easy to be starry-eyed at the beginning then have to face the realities when it is too late to back out.
As most regulars know by now I have a lot of land, lots of equipment and as far as I know sell commercially more vegetables than most if not all of the contributors tp this forum..I am sure that with the lessons learned in nearly 20 years on the way to 'going commercial' I can help you considerably.
I will go away and type in a more comprehensive guide than this impromptu piece can be. Give me time and I will be back either here or by a PM or on your website.
Allan Day
Crwys Garden Produce
Monmouth

[Primrose]

What a wonderful opportunity for you. I can imagine that many professional gardeners would give their right arm to work on a project like is and I wish you every success. From the pictures of your allotment it looks as if you've certainly got the knowledge and skills to give it a try. However, if you're worried about needing extra manual help, it might be worth contacting somebody in your Social Services Dept. They may know of schemes for youngsters or other individuals who need a project like this to work on to help them through a difficult period or who would be interested in learning some new skills. Alternatively, ring up one of the reporters on your local paper and try and persuade them to do a feature on the walled garden and the project. You could also use this publicity to appeal for some keen volunteer veggie growers to come and give you a hand. And possibly some of your local secondary schools might also have some pupils who would be interested in being involved in such a project Good luck!

[Allan]

if you are after cheap labour you will have to consider the effect of Minimum Wage law.If it is more than just you, there is all sorts of insurance necessary, any dangerous equipment must only be used by suitably trained staff.As a private gardener there are a significant number of machines that I can buy and use which are deemed unsafe for any employee.

[Primrose]

The English used to be a nation of entrepreneurs. How sad that everywhere you look around you, in almost every sphere of activity, the bureaucrats and the "red tape" pushers are stifling that attitude by making any kind of initiative almost impossible to achieve.
I'm not saying the minimum wage is a bad thing - quite the opposite as it has stopped the poorest wage earners being exploited, but all the other embargos about health and insurance etc and running with the slighest hint of risks seems to be totally stifling the initiative of those who want to achieve something or push out the barriers. Not only will we soon not even be a nation of shopkeepers. We'll be a nation of people who won't move their butts off their sofas to even earn a living in case they break a fingernail ! End of rant.

[Tigger]

Steve - if you want to know about a Mental Health Charity interested in gardening, let me know.

[STEVE PARTRIDGE]

Thankyou all for your wonderful messages of support, it feels as though I have you all with me helping, I hope that I can do it justice, regards Steve.

http://www.myallotments.com