Kitchen Garden Forum

Thanks for that. They do look serious kit probably as you say with a serious price tag. It's amazing what you can achieve with a silly budget, probably sponsored by Harrod Horticultural!
My veg plot developed over a few years with concrete paths (of variable quality as I started off a bit mean on foundation and thickness with time and cost constraints) and I have often thought with hindsight they would have been great with post sockets built in that I could use with an array of panels; windbreak, environmesh, maybe even polycarbonate.

The arches are screwed together probably flat packed,

I got gifted a secondhand one of those aluminium coldframes.
Polycarbonate and twin wall estate agent sign material work better than glass on the allotment.
Gave it away to another plot holder as it was a b***** to work inside it and needed constant watering or it dried rock hard inside.
New owner is using it with fleece.

Geoff

They do look like something one might get from Harrod, or Two Wests & Elliot but I recall there is a label on the end showing who makes them. The label is obviously very effective as I have seen it over a number of years and can't recall the name on it


I have been toying with ideas of how I could give our plot more protection from wind.
I figure 1.5 mt high green windbreak on each side to be the likely best option. However, our rules state no fences between plots. Not that anybody enforces some of the tat being used as dividers. But I can foresee objections if I did such a thing

Perhaps our allegedly newly appointed site managers assistant will enforce more. I've yet to meet him.

We have a store locally called 'Countrywide' they do round fencing posts and wooden half rails at what seems like very good prices.

Maybe I will see something akin to this type of coldframe at Malvern this weekend.

I agree with you about glass Peter, but the polycarbonate coldframes I've ever seen are small lightweight and , well to sum it up succinctly, rubbish.

I could not knock the easy accessibility of these frames. Sliding glass sides and tops all easily removable if required

We are not allowed fences between plots I got told on one allotment in our town some one had an eight feet high fence all round his plot he was left alone in till he was reported for growing cannabis then the council brought in the rule of no fences, the ones on our left put a nice wire link one up between us not the other side we have the eight feet high perimeter fence

It's hard not to get a bit envious & wish you had the £'s to blow but I do love seeing these gardens. It does give you ideas to modify what you have available and try things & so cool when you find your same varieties & yours are bigger!

Thanks Pa for posting - great pics!

Great photos Pa. thanks for sharing. I definitely now have vegetable plot envy and even if those compost bins are not 100% perfect I would happily swap them for mine! And.not a weed in sight! Yes it's inspirational to see perfection at work but who could ever afford the cost of labour to keep it like that.

And now the style of arches and allotment architecture has changed Pa, will have to demolish everything he's built and start from scratch again or he'll definitely be out of fashion !

Those steel and netting tunnels for the cabbages are great but who in their right mind is going to pay about £70 or whatever for that kind of protection to grow a crop of cabbages which would cost about £7 to buy ? Might be a nice thing on a Christmas wish list though, and I suppose they do last a few years.

The idea of raised beds is to optimise space and broadcast sow, far too much wasted space in between all those neat rows, looks pretty, but not my style.

Primrose a no base needed self assembly Wonderwall, basically a plastic frame with good quality netting to fit caught my eye an hour ago while reading KG magazine advertising pages.
I quite fancy one, I've spend about £100 to £150 on my home made , not quite finished brassica cage and I won't be able to stand up in it. It is about 4.5m wide and ten metres long.

So I went online at https://www.walk-inwonderwall.co.uk/ to see what a stand up ready made (self-assembly ) equivalent would set me back. You'll need a deeper handbag Primrose, nearest listed size is (standard width) 3.5m x 10m = £359 plus £25 delivery.

Still fancy one for when I retire though.

And a Keder tunnel, prices on those seem to start at £1,000 so a greenhouse with polycarbonate glazing might be better.!

Primrose wrote:Great photos Pa. thanks for sharing.

And now the style of arches and allotment architecture has changed Pa, will have to demolish everything he's built and start from scratch again or he'll definitely be out of fashion !

Re the sharing, you're welcome. A lot of people have never been I suspect. A lot may not be able to afford to go. Whatever reason I hope they get enjoyment and a sense of what the place is like via those pictures.

Then there is of course the areas of Wisley that are not applicable to KG.

The orchard and soft fruit area's are though. May be another trip coming, once I have recovered from yesterdays. Its knackered me.

As for being out of fashion, I will not be rushing to catch up

Must be thirty years since I last went there, I recall the trial fields as interesting and the rhododendrons as spectacular, it is an excellent garden, big enough to cope with visitors and varied enough to cater for all tastes.

peter wrote:Must be thirty years since I last went there, I recall the trial fields as interesting and the rhododendrons as spectacular, it is an excellent garden, big enough to cope with visitors and varied enough to cater for all tastes.

Spot on.

Primrose wrote: even if those compost bins are not 100% perfect I would happily swap them for mine!

In truth so would I.
Even if only to really annoy a neighbouring plot holder who seems to be trying to copy each raised bed I make.
I find it funny.

But at least they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery