[Eblana]

I have finally gotten up to my plot for the second time this year and the sight that met me was completely soul destroying.  The plot was flooded earlier in the year and I had just managed to get up once before we were locked down, because my plot is more than 2k from my house I wasn’t allowed go to it, thankfully they have now opened up allotments no matter how far from home they are.

I sat down and cried when I saw the condition the plot was in.  I can’t tell the paths from the raised beds, the weeds are about four foot tall, I have lost my grape vine in the PT to drought,  I have lost all my Lily’s to lily beetle and my dahlias and delphiniums are all gone as well and there is a hard pan on the top of all the beds where the flooding has dried hard like concrete. I did manage to get the poly tunnel pulled back into some sort of shape.  Hopefully my OH will strim the paths for me at the weekend and I will start to work on the beds.  I am basically having to start from scratch after eight years of hard work.  So sad.

[Yorkie]

I can feel your heartbreak from here, Eblana 

You might find that there's more there within the weeds than you first thought. 

[Plot 1 Problems]

I really feel sorry for you, we all know how much work it takes to keep a plot and to have that all undone through no fault of your own is heart breaking. Best wishes to you in getting it back to tip top shape.

[Blackpool rocket]

That's absolutely soul destroying and puts all my little gripes into perspective. That represents such a lot of hard work. Keep at it though and you will be rewarded. Perhaps get one small patch cleared first and get something going.
Best of luck with it.

[Goosegirl]

Eblana. My heart so goes out to you at this time. Not trying to nick your post but when I retired I kept up with my gardening. Owing to various health reasons, and as we're hoping to move house in the next couple of months, it looks like a jungle and I'm sure I heard a lion or a dinosaur roar last night.

Well, you're doing better than me because at least you're going to your plot whereas I can't face looking at what was once a beautiful garden, so good for you! Yesterday I pulled out loads of goose-grass (a.k.a. cleavers or "Sticky Treacle") so feel I've done something to get me outside from this awful lock-down.

My OH often says "There's nothing that can't be mended" so you go for it girl. 

[mrs bouquet]

Yes, Soul Destroying is the word along with my sympathies.   I think Blackpool Rocket's idea seems good, rather than being overwhelmed by the size of the project.    Good luck, and you will soon be able to send us a new 'photo.     Good Luck,   Mrs Bouquet

[New shoot]

More commiserations from me.  It must be horrible to see it that way after all your work

I think starting with a small path is a good idea as well.  Maybe plant some flowers, just so you have some colour and cheeriness to greet you each time.

[GraciesGran]

I'd offer to come and helping not sure if would be allowed.  A small patch to start with seems the best idea with lots of tea and biscuits.  Look forward too seeing the 'after' photos.

[Eblana]

My OH had just arrived home with a van load of heavy duty cardboard, we are going to go up tomorrow and Sunday, we will cover all the beds that have nothing in them with the cardboard weighted down with bricks, he is going to strim the paths.  I will start trying to clear the beds that have permanent stuff like fruit in them and I will possibly do lasagna/no dig on the other beds and see how I get on.

[al78]

Very sorry to hear of your plot. Did you manage to get anything planted out (like potatoes) before lockdown? If so, it might be worth carefully cutting the weeds down and look for anything that might have survived. When I was knocked off my bike in May 2015 and in hospital for many weeks, my allotment was covered with weeds when I was finally able to get there, but the potatoes had produced a crop, and also some carrot seed I had sown had produced some baby carrots amongst the weeds.

[snowdrops]

Oh what a blow for you, I’m sure you’ll find that as soon as you make a start it’ll all come away quite easily. Covering with cardboard will be great & if you mulch over the top even better. Good luck.

[Growster...]

It's a rotten time you're in Eblana.

Any chance of maybe a few pots of veg, a growbag maybe?

Plenty of time for a few toms and a bit of salad, even just a short row?

Anything to keep your spirits up, eh?

[Eblana]

Feeling a lot better today.  My dearest OH has half killed himself trying to get it sorted for me.  He strimmed the entire two plots for me on Saturday and then we went around some of the beds and dug out any perennial weeds we found in them.  Then yesterday he went around the paths with the lawnmower and rotavated the beds we had dug the perennial weeds out of (I will probably have a lot of weeding to do over next couple of months as they grow back but will increase planting distance so that I can hoe easily). While he was doing this I hand weeded some of the beds with permanent planting.  I got a call on Saturday from the secretary of our local Dahlia Society to say that his members had been growing Dahlias for shows which are now cancelled and that if I let him know what I want he will arrange getting them to me.  I managed to find all my Gladiolus in the midst of the weeds, I have Annual flowers ready to go in and I have lots of veg started in modules.  It was windy over the weekend but I will go up tomorrow if it is calm and sow carrots and beetroot and some peas and beans.  Thanks everyone for their kind words last week when I was at a real low point it really helped.

[snowdrops]

Can you can get large quantities of well rotted mulch & some cardboard,cover over the rotavated beds & that will cut down n the weeding . So pleased you feel better (even if hubby doesn’t  )

[Aunt Sally]

What a transformation, Eblana.  Well done you