Finally we got the keys on Thursday! The three of us went straight over there armed with some secateurs and short handled shears. Within five minutes of being there we had already met a neighbour, who was eager to give tips on how to clear. Apparently the tools we had wouldn't be enough to clear a whole allotment. Lucky we had a brush cutter booked for the weekend then! We trimmed the hedge so we could actually get through the gate, but rain stopped play so we went home to some celebratory beers and more planning.
Me and Matt went to start work on Friday. Still armed meagerly with shovels and shears, it was looking like we had bitten off more than we could chew! Also our carefully trimmed hedge (allowing access but still somewhat hiding the gate, so as not to draw attention from unwanted guests that were tempted to break in) had now been hacked back by our neighbour to create a parking space for us. Tongues were bitten, and we thanked him through gritted teeth. Best not argue with people in our first week!
Saturday went much better. By the time I arrived after work at lunch time, half of the allotment was strimmed and the paths were looking clear. We were all in love with the petrol strimmer, it was so effective! The bramble branch that had grown into the runner of the greenhouse door, had also been disposed of and the door was now opening smoothly.
Us new arrivals were still under the scrutiny of the locals but this time it was a falcon, looking to see if we had cleared the space so he could see the mice better! We also have a resident robin, a large rat and at least two frogs. I decided to salvage a couple of plastic containers to bury and make into a make shift pond to encourage the frogs to stay. Unfortunately, I also saw my first slug. AAHHHHH!!!! But I am hoping froggy will help me with that.
By the end of Sunday we had cleared all the weeds from where the beds will be and cleared the greenhouse to find a raised bed on each side running the full length of the greenhouse. We managed to get a good look at the finished article while sheltering from a downpour in the afternoon. Even discovering that there are very few leaks in there!
Decisions were also made. Matt wants to be known at the semi-naked gardener after working so hard, he had to take his shirt off to cool down! I also decided Mark's role was to be in charge of chilling out. It was his idea for the seating area, he mentioned trying to find a sturdy fence post so he could hang a hammock, and when we salvaged a wooden table for the greenhouse, he said it wouldn't be for putting seeds in - but for putting cups of tea on!
Pictures of the allotment to be added soon, in it's new cleared tidiness.
Me and Matt went to start work on Friday. Still armed meagerly with shovels and shears, it was looking like we had bitten off more than we could chew! Also our carefully trimmed hedge (allowing access but still somewhat hiding the gate, so as not to draw attention from unwanted guests that were tempted to break in) had now been hacked back by our neighbour to create a parking space for us. Tongues were bitten, and we thanked him through gritted teeth. Best not argue with people in our first week!
Saturday went much better. By the time I arrived after work at lunch time, half of the allotment was strimmed and the paths were looking clear. We were all in love with the petrol strimmer, it was so effective! The bramble branch that had grown into the runner of the greenhouse door, had also been disposed of and the door was now opening smoothly.
Us new arrivals were still under the scrutiny of the locals but this time it was a falcon, looking to see if we had cleared the space so he could see the mice better! We also have a resident robin, a large rat and at least two frogs. I decided to salvage a couple of plastic containers to bury and make into a make shift pond to encourage the frogs to stay. Unfortunately, I also saw my first slug. AAHHHHH!!!! But I am hoping froggy will help me with that.
By the end of Sunday we had cleared all the weeds from where the beds will be and cleared the greenhouse to find a raised bed on each side running the full length of the greenhouse. We managed to get a good look at the finished article while sheltering from a downpour in the afternoon. Even discovering that there are very few leaks in there!
Decisions were also made. Matt wants to be known at the semi-naked gardener after working so hard, he had to take his shirt off to cool down! I also decided Mark's role was to be in charge of chilling out. It was his idea for the seating area, he mentioned trying to find a sturdy fence post so he could hang a hammock, and when we salvaged a wooden table for the greenhouse, he said it wouldn't be for putting seeds in - but for putting cups of tea on!
Pictures of the allotment to be added soon, in it's new cleared tidiness.
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1 comment:
I remember all you are going through. We took plots over in Hullbridge Essex. We cleared the
1st plot the normal way and thought there must be a better way. We then learned about Permaculture, a no-dig concept. If you don't want to use tons of weed killer, the turning over of the soil will just bring more weed seeds to the surface and you will need to keep doing this every year.
We had access to tons of compost at the site, it was delivered to the site and 15 barrowloads cost GBP 5. So we overlapped flat cardboard first and placed 2 feet of compost on it and then grew straight in the compost. Each year all we had to do was top up the compost.
Good luck with your plot I will enjoy reading how its going.
Mark Emmett, Patterson USA
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