Beside myself with excitement!!!! Lottie at last!!

[Johnboy]

Hi Deb,
Now here comes the word of warning. Do not try and do it all at once just take it nice and steady.
You have some covered soil and if you fetch this up first and then throw the blue polythene into the shed 'cos to my mind blue polythene is not an awful loy of good. ('spect I'll get told off about that)
May I wish you every success and hours and hours of pleasure each year. May all your crops be gooduns!

[Carole B.]

That's pretty good Deb,the wood on the falling down shed might even make up into bed sides or a compost heap.It's fenced at the sides and with a central path I notice,is that normal on this site?

[Deb P]

All the plots are quite different, the three I looked at had paths, some better constructed than others! Some concrete, some paving slabs, one was yorkstone!The one I picked has low rusty metal railings either side, but a very broken down wooden fence and gate at the front which will need replacing at some point. Most others have hedges at the front, some at the sides too, which makes them quite 'private', mine looks quite open at the moment, and the path is offset to the lefthand side; I don't know why!

[Carole B.]

Could be some low trained (step-overs)fruit trees on the edges then!Give us all a bit longer and we'll be planning it for you Deb!

[oldherbaceous]

Not just the planning Carole B. Makes me want to get stuck in with the digging.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

[Deb P]

I don't mind, all suggestions welcome! I quite fancy using cordon apples to make a lattice along one edge, or as the edges of a bed? I'm trying to work out what I can plant in the autumn, and then where each thing will be best put. Hopefully I'll work out my main rotation beds, and the permanent beds for rhubarb, strawbs etc. I love the planning bit!

[Weed]

Congratulations Deb......you have an excellent start with shed and a greenhouse frame....the old boy on the next plot to me (he's 84) covered his greenhouse frame in heavy grade clear plastic sheeting and it has lasted for several years....and its cheap and boy does he grow some wonderful produce

Love the railings by the way.....you will be too posh for the rest of us soon

[frantony]

Nice one Deb P, get cracking now, If you need a hand we are not too far away, be glad to help out

[Johnboy]

Cor yes Deb those railings look the perfect place to grow Bindweed!!!

[Deb P]

Bindweed!!!! On my lovely rusty railings!
I blooming well hope not!!!!
There was some on one of the plots I looked at, but I bore your advice in mind.............
Looks like docks are the enemy at the moment, I'm sure some nice suprises await though...
There is also a full sized bath that I have unearthed....dare I ask for suggestions?!!!!!!

[Malk]

Carrots, I fill mine half with wood chips and half with compost and grow lovely carrots. Seems to high for the carrot fly and the chips and height keeps the water draining off (important in wet Scotland). Carrots here always better than anything I grow in beds.

[Jenny Green]

Water, in our drought-ridden times. Water, some oxygenating plants and a little ramp for the froggies to get in and out (mistyped that 'friggies' at first ). Better still, wait till the ground softens up a bit and sink it in a foot or so (makes the ramp less steep for the friggies).

[darrenc]

Looks a nice sized plot and not bad weed wise. the first thing i would do is measure the plot and decide wether you are going to garden on the flat or use beds with paths between.The second consideration is what can i put in now, its not too late to plant out your winter brassicas.The third thing is its easier to clear a plot in the winter when the weeds have died back and by now most of the weeds have seeded anyway so in the spring those seeds will sprout in dug soil making them easier to remove.There some excellent books out there,one of them is Fruit and Vegetable Gardening by Michael Pollock for The Royal Horticultural Society .

[tracie]

just wondered how you are getting on with your new plot this week.. Have you found anything unexpected like buried treasure.

Its very exciting when you first start and you want to do everything at once, but take it a bit at at a time or you will end up with a bad back and will have to stop till its better again

[Deb P]

Just on my way down there, I haven't been able to go this week and take the plot over officially yet (even though I was originally told it was available straightaway), the current allotmenteer wants some time to move some stuff off, and wanted to 'clear it up' for me. I hastily asked them not to bother, having visions of the carpet and covering being skipped, and the weeds moving in pronto before I've had a chance to plant it up or recover it! I've got to be patient for another two weeks before handover, really hard!!! I'm on nights this week, and have just got up, and I'm off down there to measure up; this will have to do for the next couple of weeks!