I was offered a choice of two, 2.5 rod (approx. 62.5m2 ) plots as I'm a new starter - the theory being that so many new people have come and left as it's just way more work than it looks to keep it going, so a larger 5 or 10 rod plot would be way too much for a newbie to handle. I'm cool with that. The nature of what I'm doing and the time of year I'm starting having that much space would probably end up in me not working it all...
I was firstly shown plot 11a ....a completely redundant, flat, featureless but visibly-worked-at some-point plot. It had grass path borders and looked pretty ready for a weeding. It would need complete ground-up installation of water butts, compost bins etc. A fine little plot.
He then showed me 11b....the plot next door. As far as neat and tidy goes, this one looks like Albert Steptoe himself had spent the last 5 years there. There was a tumbledown weird construction in the corner, 2 waterbutts, 3 compost bins, a chair, a wheelbarrow, 5 watering cans, loads of blue plastic barrels cut down with various things growing in them, partly AND full constructed raised beds, 4 distinct growing 'channels' and weeds all over the shop. On the far right was a huge potato planting. In addition there was a messy pile of loose timber/canes and various other gardening implements.
Everything up to the blue water butt and including that lovely Bedouin style man cave on the right is part of the plot. You can see the 4 rows starting with the raised beds far left, then the blue barrels with soft soil for carrots etc, then some other row, then the potatoes far right.
Raised beds with Strawberry plants....(yes I did sample them, and yes they were delicious)
The centre strip of the plot - weedy with some kind of arbitrary metal fencing running up the middle.
The weird frame constructed with tarpaulin(s), containing a chest freezer/box thingy(I didn't look inside - could be full of guns/drugs/beetles/shite), a gooseberry bush(!) chairs and loads of utter shite. I'm guessing this was used a a combination of partial protection and rain shelter. Potato runs the full length of the plot in front as you can see.
When I looked at the two plots, side by side my first question was:
"If I take the messy plot, is everything staying and I take what is already here?"
The answer was yes, and as such pretty much made my mind up instantly. This plot saves me in both planning and development time and a considerable amount of money;
I will save well over £150 in buying all of the initial bits I need to get cracking as it's all here already...I just need digging/cutting tools really. There is timber, pots, other garden tools, storage, and other paraphernalia. I also don't need to plan the plot out, just cut grass/weed/remove rubbish and shite. I can make some makeshift repairs to the weird frame/shelter thing in the short term, and assuming that I get into it and intend to keep it on, I've promised myself that in a year if I'm still there. I'll buy myself a shed and pop it on that spot.
It'll take me a good few sessions to give it a good clearout, taking bags of rubbish to the tip, then weeding and tidying. But it's all there for me.
On touring the site there are a number of features which made it very attractive - there's even a state of the art self contained private loo in the boundary. Plus countless water butts(mains fed), deliveries of wood chip and conditioned topsoil, and a fairly relaxed set of rules around what I can grow.
It's going to be fun....So I accepted! I'm getting an app form sent to me today by the allotment association and I'll complete it, pay and then I'm done
WOOP!
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