Folk from other plots have been really kind. In total we've been given over 90kg of potatoes, 40 onions, carrier bags full of various sized beet roots, broad beans, runner beans, cucumbers, lettuce, grapes, apples, spring onions, cabbages, cauliflowers, black kale, and the biggest squash I've ever seen.
Oh, plus two wood pigeons and a load of scaffolding poles to make bean supports.
Deep in the thickets we found we'd inherited redcurrant and blackcurrant bushes (one of each, both laden with fruit), quite a few gooseberry bushes and a few salvageable raspberry canes.
Of what we planted ourselves we are now harvesting French beans, runner beans, beetroot, perpetual spinach, Swiss chard and the first kale leaves. We've picked five cucumbers from the greenhouse plus loads of tomatoes.
Found a shared tarmac path between us and our neighbour.
Also unearthed a patio between the shed and greenhouse.
Other plot holders complain about wood pigeons stripping cabbages and kale etc. The arch measures 3m x 3.5m and for crop rotation is light enough for two people to lift and move.
Difficult to see on the pic but it's covered in a butterfly/bird-proof mesh
Double compost bins are made and start on the digging. The ground is full of bindweed roots plus an unimaginable amount of broken glass and shrapnel in the form of rusty nails, hinges, screws etc..
The tree had to go so I could park on the plot. To date I've made 8 trips to the tip.
After twelve months on the allotment waiting list we were finally offered a plot. Unfortunately when we went to view it we were told that if we turned the offer down our names would be put right to the back of the list. So we took it..
Plot five occupies 260 square metres, just over 6m wide it's 42m long.
Enough rotten bamboo canes to fill two 1-ton builders bags. Would like to burn them really but site rules only allow fires from November to February and after 16.00 at that.
The big pane is a very heavy double glazed patio unit. There's a couple of Belfast sinks under there too (home to a family of rats). In total there were 20 window units strewn across the plot, most of them full of greenish brown water.
Looks like an outside loo. Full of crud and junk and well used by the rats.
At least there's a greenhouse, just needed a bit of attention to get the door and window working
before starting on the inside..
