The new allotment

[Decaff]

Went over today to get the gate keys and turns out the chap had given us the wrong info, which is why we couldn't work it out the day we climbed over the gate!

Plot is basically just grass and not been dug before which is fine as we can lay it out how we wish. Been to B&Q for basic tools, fork, hoe, spade and some secateurs to cut back the huge bramble hedge that had been planted to one side of the plot, this has sent out lots of suckers which appear all over the place coming through the grass. No shed or greenhouse but the water supply is positioned at the top of our plot so no heavy lifting of water will be needed.

Mr D has cut back a chunk of the Brambles and we broke the first sods tonight. Soil is very heavy and stoney so a lot of work to be done before we can plant anything. Robins were surrounding us and tons of worms as we dug our first row.

On the lookout for a shed and greenhouse now! As we are storing the tools in Mr D's car

Got a box with 10 seed packs called "Allotment Collection" from B&Q for £5 which has carrots, courgettes, onions, cabbage, beetroot, runner beans, leeks, broccoli, Swede and peas inside and a pack of butternut squash and pumpkin seeds, a small propagator for the window sill, a bag of compost, small pots and seed trays.

Feeling very happy with our world today, sorry for the ramble but still rather excited!

[Arzosah]

It's *very* exciting! Are you going to do raised beds for the first year, to let you get a crop of some sort, while you sort out the soil in the rest of it?

And ... somebody actually *planted* a bramble hedge? Horrors ... they grow *so* fast.

Good luck!

[Decaff]

We are indeed, raised beds to start with as we want to get crops this year, the ground is very very stoney so will need lots of work.

Yup, a huge bramble hedge all along one side I'm hoping it won't cause any problems with the lady who planted it but it's really overgrown into what is now our plot and shoots are all over the place right across the whole plot, we were told to just cut it back if it was intruding too far across by the allotment manager, and it really is rather big. We started to cut it back today and a lot of it is dead so fingers crossed we don't upset the plotter next door when she comes back.

We're going to need lots of luck xx

[Arzosah]

So, you could lay flattened cardboard boxes on parts of the allotment that you haven't touched - even thought they're not weighted to the ground very heavily, they'll exclude light and weaken the weeds etc underneath.

And you're saving all your wubbish for a compost bin, aren't you?

I used to let gardens I've had run wild, but now I look at a productive permaculture-type plot and think it looks like heaven on earth

[Lanky Yankee]

Exciting times. I was able to source a shed and green house cheap off Facebook. Loads of people getting rid of them. Also talk to your allotment association, they usually know where to source stuff too.

[Decaff]

So, you could lay flattened cardboard boxes on parts of the allotment that you haven't touched - even thought they're not weighted to the ground very heavily, they'll exclude light and weaken the weeds etc underneath.

And you're saving all your wubbish for a compost bin, aren't you?

I used to let gardens I've had run wild, but now I look at a productive permaculture-type plot and think it looks like heaven on earth

Ooh yes, we're going to do that, fabulous idea so we can dig and plant a bed at a time without being buried by the grass growing!

Yup, food peelings saved, egg shells saved, well this week's worth as we didn't know till this week we had it.

The smell of the earth as we dug was amazing, I wanted to rub my face with it, the smell of damp earth after the rain is a childhood memory!

[Decaff]

Exciting times. I was able to source a shed and green house cheap off Facebook. Loads of people getting rid of them. Also talk to your allotment association, they usually know where to source stuff too.

A friend just told me they took their greenhouse to the tip two weeks ago what bad timing! I'm sure something will come up as greenhouses are extremely expensive

[Hamradioop]

It's *very* exciting! Are you going to do raised beds for the first year, to let you get a crop of some sort, while you sort out the soil in the rest of it?

And ... somebody actually *planted* a bramble hedge? Horrors ... they grow *so* fast.

Good luck!

At some point in the past you've probably reached out to this plant and plucked a plump dark berry from it. But did you know the tender spring greenery makes for a slightly fruity, super medicinal, spring forage?bramble leaves

I'm talking about bramble- the rough and ready rogue of the plant world. Popped straight in the mouth the leaves are a bit bitter but a decent handful infused in hot water for 5 minutes, perhaps with a drizzle of local honey, yields a fruity herbal tea that is packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.
taken from http://www.downtoearthbushcraft.com/wil ... eaves.html

A super foraging resource.

[Decaff]

I have indeed plucked more than a few berries, 18kg one year and made into jelly, only just finished eating a couple of weeks ago and used the last in jam tarts!

I didnt know that about the leaves though so thank you!

[Decaff]

We cleared back the remainder of the Bramble hedge today, cutting out the dead growth's and trimming back the new growth so that it's not encroaching so far into our Lottie (I name things, mad I know but that's me ). I hope the bramble planter isn't going to be cross that we did that, it wouldn't be a great start!

We also dug out the first raised bed, tomorrow I will break up the clods and remove the ton of bramble roots and rake it over.

Met the guy who has two plots opposite us, very friendly and offered the use of his shed to store our tools in which was great! He's a builder and is going to look out for wood and "helpful" things for us to use! he said the badgers will eat any corn that you grow no matter how well you think it's protected and the foxes will come and sit watching you dig!

Only hmmm moment was a woman neighbour who used to have a plot there and came over to see how we were getting on but then proceeded to plan out the autumn bonfire "we're" having so she can throw on some spuds and how she can't wait to get all her free vegetables... She'll bring her chair next time so she can sit and chat to us... it's going to be fun eh

Loved every minute out in the fresh air, think I'm going to ache tomorrow after all that digging.

Edited a few spellings as my tablet changes things...