Given up plot today:(

[Snadger]

Sorry to hear you had to pack it in miffy and good luck with your 'one handed' gardening for the future.
I agree with you about the closed shop attitude and some of the older flat cap brigade are a reet pain in the rectum...............thats mainly why I resigned as Hon Sec!

Slowly the allotment movement is changing and more families are now involved in it.

I personally will just hang in for now and be a thorn in there side whenever they start working themselves. I'm bigger and younger than they are, so they've learned to give me a wide berth!

[Jeanied]

Sorry to join in the condolences late, Miffy - I am sure you have made the right decision. Can I suggest you look at the square foot gardening threads? I planted a trial one on my allotment as an experiment in mid June and already it is bursting with produce!! I am delighted with it. I know Bigmallly is pleased with his too.

[miffy]

Actually feel much better today have had a good sleep and have been out in the back garden and taken photos of my jungle!!
Son and heir has promised to help do all the hard stuff that needs two hands so that is fab, have looked at the square foot thread which has given me inspiration to have a go.
Most of all though, thank you all for taking the time to post as was feeling so very down yesterday.
Will put photos on my blog soon so you can see a before and after, off now to pot up the plants I removed from my plot yesterday so they are ok until I have a new home for them. Thankyou peeps.x

[Dottie]

One good thing has come out of it, him indoors has always said a definite NO! to keeping chucks he felt so sorry for me as I sat there with tears running down my cheeks that he said why don't we keep a couple of girls!!! Every cloud does have a silver lining after all. Thank you all for your kind words. Miffyxx

Sounds like you've got a good man, turns up trumps when needed.

Might be worth also looking into making your raised beds into no-dig for the future.

Fortunately I had already created no-dig beds before I became ill, and planted up my plot with about 60% fruit, rhurbarb and asparagus. Although this year as I've not being able to get down there much, so I've missed harvesting most of my strawberries, logan berries and all the tayberries, blackcurrants and summer raspberries. But fortunately my lovely blackberries (at least 12 plants) stay healthy on the plant for much longer, so I still get to enjoy lots of those. Plus I happened to visit the plot when the redcurrants and blueberries were ready to pick and eat straight away, which was delightful. Autumn raspberries and an apple tree still getting on without me.

Because my plot is no-dig I have hardly any weeds to deal with and have lots of perennial flowers to keep things looking good. As far as veg is concerned, this year I've only managed to really be successful with parsnips and leeks I planted earlier in the year, as they just get on without me. My fennel has flowered, beetroots, runner beans and stuff didn't take/survive due to lack of watering/neglect. But my courgette plants have given me some lovely marrows and I have 4 tomato plants that had healthy green fruit on last time I visited.

Last autumn I planted up a variety of broad beans, elephant garlic and sowed a couple of beds with cornflower, poppy and love-in-a-mist seeds. So the plot has still looked lovely most of the time. I don't worry too much about missing the harvest, as I'm happy for the birds to make the most of things while I'm not there. Plus I actually enjoy the process of planning, creating and growing, probably even more than harvesting!

Yesterday I called into Wilkinson's and the seeds were down by 75%, so ended up buying loads more flower seeds for the plot and garden. I love the fact that sometimes I may not be progressing as much as I'd like, but my spirits are lifted everytime I see seeds or plants I've put in on healthier days, pop up and brighten up my life and garden on low energy days.

Best of luck with your new garden design plans and growing your own at home.

[binley100]

It's a shame but think of it this way, the distance between harvesting and using will be even shorter. Good luck am I'm sure you'll soon be having loads of produce ( and eggs).

[northepaul]

I am sorry to hear that Miffy, must have been a difficult decision.
At least you can still do some growing in your garden - you might find after a while that your health improves and you can try expanding again!

[Rocketron]

I have just seen this on another thread. It may be of use.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ment_5573.html

[reetnproper]

What rotten luck but now you'll have time to get upclose and personal with the wildlife in your own garden AND encourage more in. You'll also find it more of a challenge, I reckon, learning how to maximise the amount you can grow in your raised beds .

Reet
x

P.S. Just think of the amount of time you'll save getting to and from your plot AND you'll be able to sit in the garden with a glass of wine (or cuppa if that's your preference) watching the veg grow and seeing all the gardeners friends helping do their bit .

[Nicos]

Having had a plot, you will have gained an enormous amount of knowledge/experience with fruit and veg growing.
This next challenge of what you will grow- and how you can adapt your gardening- in your own garden should prove very exciting!

..and remember- no-one ( apart for the young and very fortunate) have perfect health- so just be kind to yourself and adapt your methods!!!