Wednesday 6 July 2011

Allotment moaning

 Popped to the allotment last night to pick the raspberries. The courgettes have started and cut the fourth one!  The runner beans are coming on, they are setting and some are about 3 inches long, not quite ready.  I have grown sweet peas up the same poles and it is all getting a bit tangled hope that I will be able to see all the beans when they really start, the borage is leaning over from the next bed as well so all getting a bit crowded, might need to cut it back but it looks so lovely at the moment.  There are sunflowers, nasturtiums, borage and calundula all over the place mixed in with the vegetables, I think that my plot looks beautiful, which is more than I can say for next doors!
 The picture above is next doors.  Two years ago I put my name down for a plot and expected to have a long wait, but they decided to turn part of a field into plots and we got a call in September.  When we visited there was just a field we were able to choose our plot and it was marked with 4 sticks -one in each corner.  There were 5 other new plots which were taken on the same day.  Some got started and some just left them until the spring.  We started and spent the whole freezing cold winter putting up fences, digging beds and then building a shed.  Next door turned up in the spring rotovated the lot and made a lot of noise.  They planted lots of seedlings which got eaten by the rabbits as they hadn't built proper fences, they then bought more plants.  The last time I saw them was in September.  Their plants grew and grew but nobody came to harvest them and then in the spring the weeds were 3 foot high and growing through my fence. One day I arrived to find all the weeds had been cut down and dumped in a heap, I thought perhaps they were back, but the weeds are growing back.  I understand that the rent is paid until September BUT what a waste!  I have asked if I could take the plot over but told no as there is a waiting list, but this has been a whole season with nothing.  I don't expect that it will be allocated to anyone new until September when the rent is due.  My big worry is that someone will turn up and use weed killer next to my vegetables.
This is my one!

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