I Gotta Lottie I Gotta Lottie I Gotta Lottie I Gotta Lottie I Gotta Lottie!!!

[Alison]

Wow, that is very tiny, mine is more like 15m by 30m (very approx) with pretty much no restrictions other than chooks being the only livestock allowed. My intial thoughts were that I couldn't cope with such a small space but then again you get used to what you have and anything is better than nothing. Is this what is considered as a full sized plot round your way? You say that there are other plots available, if this is the case would you be able to take two or would it just start to get expensive then? Don't quite understand why you've been on a waiting list for 2 years when it sounds like these plots haven't been let but who knows the workings of the officials at the council!

[SeleneMourie]

I know my heart sank when i pulled up today
I got myslef on the allotment list in March 2010, by October 2010 there were 355 people on the allotment list. This new allotment opened in december 2010 with 77 of these tiny plots and 12 disabled access ones, all were allocated to people. In january 2011 there were still 259 people on the waiting list for the county which has 266 plots and you can only be offered on that is within 3 miles and you get 3 chances to decline / accept a plot before you go back down to the bottom of the list.

I know i am being greedy wanting more land as it is hard to get hence the dilema. I know this tiny pot will be used anf i will enjoy it but i don't want it to hamper getting a bigger one or hold onto the 'chance' i can get another tiny one at the same site.

The bottom and top grass areas are where the plots have been dug with grass walk ways through them. The area in the middle is the parking and the 'sheds' are lined up the side of the fences.

Ho hum!

[Aberdeenplotter]

I know i am being greedy wanting more land .

You're not being greedy at all. Nowt wrong with wanting a decent sized piece of ground to grow your veggies on. If you aspire to become close to self sufficient in veggies, you can't do it on a matchbox.

[WendyC]

My plot is 2.5 rods roughly 6X10m so not much bigger and for much of the year can keep a family of 4 in veg.

[Aberdeenplotter]

you are doing extremely well then Wendy bearing in mind that it has in the past been recognised that a 300 squ yard plot(250 squ metres) was required to enable a family of 4 to be self sufficient in Vegetables.

Selene will be able to confirm but these plots in the photograph look to be about a metre wide and less than 10 metre long.

[Currysniffa]

Congratulations! I'd take it on till the other one becomes available, you could keep both!

[SarzWix]

So, is a 'plot' just one of those wooden structures?!

[Alison]

This sort of thing annoys me, yes it's good that growing space is being provided and it's perfect for some people (I do like the fact that they've provided disabled access for a start) but they are NOT allotments so shouldn't be called that.

[SeleneMourie]

So, is a 'plot' just one of those wooden structures?!

The raised wooden ones are the 12 disabled 'plots'. The actual plots which are 2m x 4m at the top of the field are dug in there (about 50 plots in thats small field space) and the ones at the bottom of the field are 4m x 8m and there about 10 of them.

[SarzWix]

Having trouble picturing 4mx8m, but I think it's about 2 of my big beds. I'd seriously struggle with that little space but I think it might have been enough for my first year. Have you asked if you can remain on the waiting list for a bigger plot if you take this one?

[SeleneMourie]

This sort of thing annoys me, yes it's good that growing space is being provided and it's perfect for some people (I do like the fact that they've provided disabled access for a start) but they are NOT allotments so shouldn't be called that.

I know, i agree it is great they are making space available, its the first one made in Conwy in decades and the more i look the more i think the headline '77 new plots in allotments made by council' was more important to them then giving people an actual allotment I keep thinking it about it and this 'patch' is the same size as my car.... I'm going to go to the other allotments in my town and do some snooping and chat with the locals to see if their allotments are still big uns!

I'm lucky to be offered it and I'm so desperate to get into it but I'm not sure that if i take it how long it will be before another on the site will be mine or if i such wait it out and hope a spot at the proper allotment comes up! :/ Thoughts pop into your head then like.... my office space is bigger than that.... my container garden put together is biggier than that... lol

Well i have 9 days before the council lady comes back from holiday so i'm sure i would have made my mind up by now!

I'll have to stop thinking about it and get some answers!

[A Year On The Plot]

My advice would be to take what's on offer, then see what else is about. It could be another 2 years before a full size plot comes up. Mine measures something like 6m x 35m and I think if it were double that size I'd still need just a little bit more.

Enjoy growing, and as others have mentioned, it addictive!

Richard

[SeleneMourie]

Well we went back there today and took the 7yo with us and it is 3m x 4m and i have fallen in love with it, blue skies light breeze happy people on doing jobs on their plots.
I think for the first year at doing this seriously after all the container growing it is going to be big enough. Spoke t people at the site who were full of advice and they told me which plots have been neglected and what the soil is like... Once i dig the quarry stones out i should be fine!!!!

Totally fallen in love with it so we are going to take it! I'm looking forward to the hard work and trials and tribulations that go with it!!!

How did it go.... I gotta lottie!!! I gotta lottie!!! I gotta lottie!!! I gotta lottie!!! I gotta lottie!!!

[veggiechicken]

Fantastic SM. You've made up your own mind and nobody here put you off!!. Sounds like friendly helpful people too and that counts for a lot.You can still continue with the container gardening - so whatever you grow in your lottie is a bonus. Bet you can't wait to get growing!!

[SeleneMourie]

Well the paper work came though last week so it is all official now!

My little plot is definitely 4m X 8m and i can stay on the list until a full size one comes to light which could be another 2 - 4 years so I am happy to get on with this little bit of land as we have never had 'land' before so at least we can start our adventure.
It might be the right size to start with as with our working shifts as it is we only eat about 3/4 real meals a week and the OH's 7yo is with us on weekends and holidays but i have 'taught' him all about growing veg in containers now he has got the bug he loves to help sow and harvest I know it is not a large space by any means but we still have all my containers in the patio garden for the garden to kitchen cooking which admittedly is very handy!

The council offered to rotavate and till it which we politely declined!!! About half of it has been dug up by hand getting rid of the dandelions and quarry rocks with much help from my beloved OH

My neighbours are new to growing as well which is fine, they have had theirs a couple of months longer then us and each of us are going completely different ways about it! One neighbour had gone the rotavating / tiling route. One has raked and raked and raked their whole bed. Another is sowing and digging rows upon rows and the other is boxing off raised beds in varying sizes and shapes.

With such a small space I have had my head in the books and picking through this forum and think square foot gardening may be the way to go... I think?!
The 'plan' is 1m x 2m beds, some raised some not with a few little paths so I can get near the middle for harvesting / planting without trampling the soil.

Well... back to the digging!