Grow Your Own Magazine

This hopefully will be an encouragement to anyone considering taking on a lottie for the first time.

I took mine on in April of last year and it had not been cultivated for at least 3 years(see first pic).
A year later it looks like this.
This is not designed to be an ego trip for me but an insight of what that unsightly mess you may have been to look at can look like after a year of 5 hours(maximum) a week.
If you are offered a jungle then TAKE IT if you are able because you will feel such a sense of achievement as you go along .
Minty

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" If it tastes like chicken THEN EAT CHICKEN " :- Kermit The Frog


http://mohicans-allotment.blogspot.com/

Umm, is my pooter playing up again? I only got the before pic Minty

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Nope, it`s my stupidity. Sorry. Now sorted, Minty

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" If it tastes like chicken THEN EAT CHICKEN " :- Kermit The Frog


http://mohicans-allotment.blogspot.com/

Minty, you are the wind beneath my wings

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http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

In the woods there grew a tree
And a fine fine tree was he

Blimey, that's a bit of a difference - want to come and dig my patch?

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Thank you Seahorse.
Wind beneath my wings??????.......anger rising...........Must Kill Bette Middler, god she is so annoying .
Sorry Minty

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" If it tastes like chicken THEN EAT CHICKEN " :- Kermit The Frog


http://mohicans-allotment.blogspot.com/

I asked the same of you female grapes last night and nearly got lynched
Minty

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" If it tastes like chicken THEN EAT CHICKEN " :- Kermit The Frog


http://mohicans-allotment.blogspot.com/

I must have missed that thread Minty - I didn't lynch anyone!

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Ooops, meant to say .. er... I'm Not Looking For a New Potato Patch...

If you'd paid proper attention, you'd have seen various lady grapes seeking a mobile uplifting service, you could have been noble and self sacrificing and volunteered!

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http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

In the woods there grew a tree
And a fine fine tree was he

Are you refering to the bounceometer thread. If so i am obviously far too shy
Minty

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" If it tastes like chicken THEN EAT CHICKEN " :- Kermit The Frog


http://mohicans-allotment.blogspot.com/

We believe you...

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http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

In the woods there grew a tree
And a fine fine tree was he

Shy? Yeah, thats not what he was saying yesterday, when offering to be whipped neked round the streets of Derby!

Just what are you guys encouraging on here!

Nice bit of clearing gone on there Minty.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Minty started it

(probably)

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http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

In the woods there grew a tree
And a fine fine tree was he

Actually, that's a good idea Minty (no, not that idea!), if we all put before and after photos on, it might be good for people facing newly aquired jungles!

Here's mine; I got my plot in February last year. What you can't see in the 'Before' photo is the marestail & bindweed just about to spring into action It hadn't been properly worked for 8 years before I got it!!
The 'After' photo was taken just yesterday. Although it's nowhere near finished yet, it's been productive already & definately will be this year! I expect to be battling with the weeds again this year, especially the marestail, but it'll be easier every year (I hope )

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Sarah

http://www.hypermobility.org


“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Top work will encourage a lot of people. It is dam hard work but if you want it . It can
be done.

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The force is strong in this one!

brilliant minty!
no pics of you crying or throwing things tho! tee hee.
you should be proud.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

I don't have any piccies, but it was a similar jungle to Minty's "before" last February. And hadn't been worked in a good few years (no one knew how long but it was totally infested with couch grass).

Last year I cheated (both as it was late and I was doing exams) - we dug as much as we could but we bought in a lot of the plants rather than raising seedlings (well I tried a few tomatoes but they died). So we got a LOAD of red and yellow onions from sets, garlic, 5 of 6 cauli plants made nice heads, cabbage and lots of brocolli (still eating that from the freezer). I also threw in some seed and got lettuce, spring onions, a fair few peas and mange tout, and lots of new potatoes (1st earlies only).

We also bought in some winter brassicas, and are expecting to start cutting cabbages this weekend, the cauli are looking ok for a few weeks time, and the purple and white sprouting brocolli should be coming good soon too.

This winter, we manage to clear the top growth and cover the remainder of the plot, and should get most of it dug over for planting in late spring. The 1st early spuds area is done, there are broad beans, peas and lettuces coming up, and we overwintered some onions too (more going in this weekend). We should get a lot more out of it this year too - but I am just so happy that we actually were able to feed ourselves a few dinners last year and enjoy all the weather and peace up there last year!!

Jungles are fine, as long as you don't kill yourself trying to clear it all and then get nothing planted - clear a bit, plant it, then clear some more is the best approach.

Great pics and encouragement Minty and Sarzw - even tho my new plot isnt as bad as either of yours was to start with, I still take inspiration from you both that I can make it look like a 'real' lottie!!

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Life may not be the party we hoped for but since we're here we might as well dance

Thanks Minty and Sarah for the pictures. I just got my allotment at the end of February and started to attempt clear it. It is a 10 rod plot that looks similar to your before photos but with brambles, so it is good to see what can be achieved. The brambles are so long that they are rooted at both ends. It seems like madness to tackle it on my own but even though it is daunting, it makes me happy to know I can go there.