Shall we have an ALLOTMENT/veg. patch thread? Do enough people have one to justify a thread??

[LadyOfWaffle]

Thought i'd try and start up an allotment thread because I am a complete novice, and although I have joined a site it just doesn't feel the same! Anyway, hope this takes off, be nice to chat to fellow allotmenteers before I destroy mine.

'a couple of years in france trying to be self-sufficient' - did it work out for you, lottymadbird? we're trying to do that at the mo.

wellies - self-sufficiency worked a treat (although only self-sufficient in veg supplemented by keeping rabbits, chickens, odd sheep etc., not the whole hog denying myself marmite etc!).

unfortunately relationship did not work out so well and so am now back in the UK. Brilliant experience though.

are you in france or UK? What are you planning to do?

I am so hopelessly jealous of you all. We don't even have a garden. Our 'allotment' is our little balcony. No chance of one either - they're gold dust over here.

We have dug out our garden patch for this year, and are just in the process of deciding what to plant, where to plant and most importantly when to plant.
Dh comes from a family of passionate gardeners so am hoping that green fingers will be in his genes.
I am hopeful of fresh produce as I love cooking
Will certainly check out this thread in the hopes of gaining advice and support. Both dh and I feel a bit anxious at the moment, as we have too many books methinks, and we just need to get on with it now

berolina, and everyone else looking for an allotment where they are scarce... might be worth having a nose around the allotments and chatting to the allotmentees, quite often you can make a "private" arrangement to take one over from someone who can't cope with the one they've taken on (or even to take on a part of one). i know this isn't strictly ethical but where there are loads of obviously unused allotments on a site and a ridiculous waiting list sometimes its all you can do if the local council are unable to be a bit more proactive on re-allocating unused allotments.

God no, would never ever deny myself marmite. Perish the thought. Actually, we are in E Europe (sorry I realise the mistake in my last post) trying to be SS. Been here 18 months. Got the chickens, really looking forward to rabbits in the spring, and next year we would like a goat or two. I bet you miss your chickens, don't you?

We have a rule for any guests coming to stay - they are not allowed to cross the threshold without handing over a big jar of marmite and some cadbury's (so predictable). After that they are free to stay as long as they want and do what they please.

good tactic although my requests were for cheddar cheese and bacon too !

really miss the chickens (espec. the fresh eggs), not so much the rabbits (we had huge glut as i made a mistake on sexing our babies so they all interbred and we had tons and tons of them - oops!)

but the best bit i have to say was growing the veg and being there to see them grow every day.

Over here they don't have classic allotments as such, but little bits of ground on which you have (!) to have a little weekend house and then can plant flowers/grow veg, but a lot of pweople just use them as gardens (with lawn etc.) because most people live in flats here. Sadly they are real gold dust and the organisations that organise who gets what are very German and proper about it.

I want to be on my allotment now planting summer bulbs. But the ground is too frozen.

OH I just saw this thread - have put in a request here for a 'Good Life' type topic (largely because I keep missing the chicken threads!!! So please do add your support for it!

Tortoisehll, I don't want a Good Life topic. It will make me combust with envy..
It will be re-titled Smug Life (well, by me!)before you can count your chickens

has this thread totally died or is there life anywhere?

I just got an allotment on sunday! I am soo excited. also a bit daunted. I bought some potatoes (kestral & pink fir apple) - i was going to plant them out tomorrow but after reading some of the replies here am having a wobble about it. A kind soul at the allotment also gave me some garlic yesterday so I need to put them in. Does anyone know the best place to plant them? next to potatoes or beans or what?? I have 24 of them to fit in somewhere.

oh one other question - i'd like to grow pumpkins, would a bed 12ft x 8ft be big enough for this?

Saw this thread ages ago and then lost it. I have been four years at attempting to grow edibles, and every year i say ' this is going to be the best year ever' But this year REALLY is! My problems, in the past, are different each year.

year 1. forgot to sow much!
year 2. Sowed but forgot to water much.
year 3. Bumber crop .....DD 8lb 12oz!! garden derelict.
year 4. Much better but room for improvement.

We have redcurrents, gooseberries, blackcurrents, lots of blueberries, and even more raspberries in the fruit patch, oh, and and expanding patch of rhubarb.

Currently I have onions, garlic and purple sprouting broccoli that were all planted last year. Had the first bit of PSB this evening with cheese sauce, shared with my 18mo dd. NyummY!! Harvested some spinach that was also overwintered from last summers crop. DD having that for her lunch tomorrow.

Tomatoes and peppers germinated in the heated propogator 10 days ago, first and second early potatoes are chitting on the bedroom windowsill.

To-day i pre-chitted parsnip seed in dh's lunchbox on top of the fridge. Marigolds, nasturtiums and poached egg plants in seed trays on kitchen table.

My big thing at the moment is just to keep sowing. So every time dd naps i get my box of seeds and sow .... something.

Chickens.....have newly built house (v.talented carpenter husband) fencing going up at the weekend, poultry market nearby St. Patricks weekend (17th March)

bump

I live in a rented house in Brussels, and want to start a veg patch, but am a total numpty at growing anything. I have found a company called Linkabord www.linkabord.co.uk, which sells the edging for raised beds and it looks as if one could just construct them, hurl in loads of compost, plant and then grow (hopefully). I don't want to dig out a patch as then we would have to returf when we move back to the UK, and that is too much like hard work. The soil here seems to be nothing but clay, but the moles seem to enjoy it judging from the molehills that keep popping up in the garden.

As I don't have an allotment, can anyone recommend a good book for beginners which is idiot proof about growing veg please? I don't have a greenhouse, just a big cellar that is very cold, and a small boiler room which is warm enough to get pizza dough to rise IYSWIM.

Any one get any veggie work done last weekend? Weather pretty miserable here.

Rocket in greenhouse coming up, have prepared pots for pricking out my tomatoes, have salvaged a piece of guttering to plant my peas into.

Gooseberry cuttings i took last year and stuck into pots have started new growth. Two new gooseberry plants for free!!