To all the single parents...

seconded......

Thirded! I can't even cope with my little bitty veggie patch

Fourthded!!(???)
Also to anyone with a full time job & back problems & a lil baby to oggle at!!!You'll get there Wayne,as long as this year you have a few little bits to bring home,it's far more important to be spending time with the Lil Fella & Lovely LW.Next year he'll be able to join you & manage the slug problems while you're busy doing other things!Don't lose heart!

I really do know what you mean!

My husband works and runs I do everything in the house, everything to do with our children, clubs etc and all the cooking (my OH doesn't even know how to turn the cooker on)and the allotment. He leaves for work at 8.10am and comes home about 7.30 - 8pm then goes out for an hour and a half running. He's been to the allotment twice in three years. I'm used to it so please don't think this is a moan.

Sometimes I really struggle but have to say this year has been the best by far.
I have a 20ft long polytunnel and it is set up as three long beds. This has worked out really well so I started to turn over the rest of the plot to beds.

As I still have a toddler at home in the day I aim for 1 1/2 hours each morning but longer if she's happy. Nearly all the plot is made up of beds so I am to tackle a bed each visit. Yesturday I planted two 12 ft rows of celery in one, checked out the tom plants and made a compost bin, went home happy. Today I planted out my young celeric plants again two 12ft rows. I planted 20 outdoor tomato plants which filled one bed and I went home happy. Tomorrow I plan to check the PT for weeds and if I have time left to sow some more carrots and beetroot in a bed I have just cleared.

I found that my expections of how much I could do each day was to great and I would get frustrated. Now I realise that 1 - 2 hours a day is loads. When I look at other plots that seem to be easy to look after I remind myself that the people don't have children with them and they have been there for years and they have someone to help them.

Fifthed - Good on you, Wayne, to point out that so much credit is due to so many here. I've quite a bit of time to grow stuff, but the garden is still a mess. I'm often amazed at what so many grapes achieve. On top of that, so much good advice gets passed around by very busy people.

Makes me feel like opening a bottle of red so I can toast you all.

i've been a single dad for 8.5 years - this is my 4th year growing stuff at home and had the allotment almost a year now

my daughter lived with me till last year - my son still lives with me - i've spent a vast amount of time over the years helping with cubs, brownies, guides, school things, running football teams and so on - not to mention the amount of time running my son to and from football training and matches

i'm also self employed, i'm a scout leader and i've been going to evening classes to learn french for almost 2 years

i keep on top of the housework and i've half renovated the house over the last few years

i keep on top of the veggies in the garden - the allotment takes a lot more work - this year i've had 5 weeks of food poisoning and 4 weeks so far of arthritis which makes a lot of things very awkward so the allotment isn't coming on as well as i'd hoped

i have never had any family support, if anything needs doing, it's down to me to do it - if i'm ill (as i am now with arthritis), i have to carry on regardless

somewhere in between all that, i've managed to have a social life with friends, holidays etc and been on the dating sites and been on lots of dates and had a lot of fun (no real luck tho)

how do i manage it? i just get on with it .......

i envy people living with partners - life must be so much easier - i don't need a partner to help me out tho, just want that special someone to share and enjoy life with

you are pretty blinking special FG and I can't believe you haven't been snapped up by now!

get FG a huge medal, cause also he has been growing my veg for me and is coming to help me tomorrow to sow all the veggies he has grown for me so far!

and i would like to say, even though i am now newly a single parent, in reality i have been one for years, as the ex worked away and when he was there he never did a damn thing (ie: why he is ex!!!) so thanks wayne and you know that being a parent is the hardest part of anything i have ever known!

you are a star HW and LW and dont every forget it

ummmm ...... yes i've grown tons of stuff for you su, but i'm not helping to plant it, i'm just gonna sit there telling you how and where to plant it ..... and drink lots of tea ............

Hang on a minute....

One Su.

One Farmer Giles.

One meeting.

Anyone for Pimms?

Now, where's me 'at....

God i know what you mean oh wont touch the lottie and wants me to give it up, we paid someone to clear it but couldnt plant stuff up as as was about on my due date, and have the pelvis problem i then went over due. Went to make a start a few weeks ago and its over grown again, need to get the strimmer on it before rotavating but cant take the baby while im doing that, and while i have the nursery runn to do, so going to strim then wait till september once older one not in nursery and has gone full time can spend longer there then. Oh yes and will be making friends with mypex membrane. As only i do the lottie plus housework and takecare of the children, plus i use washable nappies, i never know where to chain myself too, but love it.

ooooo Hey wayne you are welcome, come along and help me lol! my mum is here too planting as i hurt my back falling off the bath lol! (grouting i am not tall like you lol) give me a PM and i will send you my new address i am near the hospital lol! more help the merrier for us single parents lol!