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Hi all
After only a couple of months of waiting (its a really popular site, so thrilled) today I was offered my very first plot. Its a half plot on an established allotment site and had been previously owned by someone who was described as 'starting things and never quite finishing them'. The plot is therefore filled with 'stuff' and has a massive overgrown apple tree which is coming out (its beginning to overshadow other people's plots and is leaning rather). The plot is going to be cleared of rubbish and the tree by the council and then we can get on it. We will be allowed a little shed and were told it would be best to site it where the black compost bin is currently. Looking at the pics, it makes it look tiny, but the plot slopes away slightly and makes it look smaller.
Im sure I will have lots of questions, but in the meantime, once it has been cleared of rubbish, if this was yours, what would you do first? I cant afford a shed yet. My overall plan is to have 6 raised/edged beds (4 veg, one fruit and one flowers), a small shed and little paths with weed suppressant and woodchip. Im just twitching a bit about getting a bed ready for potatoes.
Right hand side, it goes from the blue leaved plant at the right hand side of the screen to just past the blue plastic hoops.
Left hand side of the plot with the overgrown apple tree, you can see how much it has been neglected. The plot runs to the black compost bin.
Just off centre of the plot, you can just see the 'archway' that is dead centre and some of the 'stuff'. Sadly most of it is in a worse state that you can see in the pic and very little is salvageable.
After only a couple of months of waiting (its a really popular site, so thrilled) today I was offered my very first plot. Its a half plot on an established allotment site and had been previously owned by someone who was described as 'starting things and never quite finishing them'. The plot is therefore filled with 'stuff' and has a massive overgrown apple tree which is coming out (its beginning to overshadow other people's plots and is leaning rather). The plot is going to be cleared of rubbish and the tree by the council and then we can get on it. We will be allowed a little shed and were told it would be best to site it where the black compost bin is currently. Looking at the pics, it makes it look tiny, but the plot slopes away slightly and makes it look smaller.
Im sure I will have lots of questions, but in the meantime, once it has been cleared of rubbish, if this was yours, what would you do first? I cant afford a shed yet. My overall plan is to have 6 raised/edged beds (4 veg, one fruit and one flowers), a small shed and little paths with weed suppressant and woodchip. Im just twitching a bit about getting a bed ready for potatoes.
Right hand side, it goes from the blue leaved plant at the right hand side of the screen to just past the blue plastic hoops.
Left hand side of the plot with the overgrown apple tree, you can see how much it has been neglected. The plot runs to the black compost bin.
Just off centre of the plot, you can just see the 'archway' that is dead centre and some of the 'stuff'. Sadly most of it is in a worse state that you can see in the pic and very little is salvageable.
(well, most of it
)
the plot is getting there. It's taken six full car loads of just junk and just over a month to get to this. The previous tenant had been described as digging big holes and just planting in them and it appears that was true as it was like a lunar landscape, complete with foot long parsnips and beetroot the size of my hand! Despite being only in my early 40's, I've got some damage in my back and my mum is 70, so we got the gardener who mows her lawn to dig over, remove the couch grass and level the plot for us (no rotovator). The plot is now going to be covered in weed membrane before our raised beds are going on and wood chip paths. I'm still saving for my little shed. 
and one for cut flowers. The front edge of the plot will have lavender Hidcote as a mini hedge for bees and cutting. Hopefully going to get an old English climbing rose for the archway with sweet peas on it too. 
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