[Yorkie]

£260 per year 

Wow.

[Nest]

I know, but when you consider that it is exercise, stress buster, entertainment for the family and produces healthy food too it's not so bad... (and £5 a week sounds so much better than £260 a year    )
Jx

[Yorkie]

True 

I may have missed it, but how big is the plot anyway?

[tosca100]

Some people would happily spend more than a fiver on a pack of fags evey day, there is surely more benefit having a lottie for that.

[Yorkie]

Oh I agree, Tosca.

And I am not in the least bit criticising Nest or anyone else who chooses to spend money on that.  It's the landowner I get cross at.  I know it's a question of supply and demand, but compared to parish or council allotments, that is going to be 10x or more the amount that others pay    They are just exploitative.

[Nest]

Hi Yorkie, it's 11m x 8m so not huge.  He has put in a functional loo, running water and a summer house though.  Plus the kids get to play with the chickens, collect the eggs etc. I guess it is a business for him but that is fair enough.  The demand must be there because he rented out all 7 plots within a couple of weeks.  I must take a new pic actually it is a lot more interesting to look at now.
Jx

[sarajane]

Hi Nest.  I'm from Chester too.  Have you got your name down on the council list.  I'm aware that there is a long waiting list here but it makes me sooo cross.  I'm on the large Hoole site and there are numerous plots that look like they are abandoned.  Some, about 6 or 7 have not had a spade put into the soil at all this year.

If you want somewhere cheaper (I pay £37 per year) put your name down and e.mail Dave Chapman the allotments officer and complain that there are plots that are obviously not being used.  I'm sure there are other sites in the area which may be closer to where you live that have plots that are not being used  -  the council is just not managing whether they are being used to their full potential.

[Nest]

Hi Sarah Jane, thank you.  I did not have my name down for a council allotment because quite frankly it scared the living daylights out of me.  Before I took this one on I did not have any spare time to commit to one - the first question I asked my landlord at the lottie was 'will you get annoyed if I don't get around to growing anything?' to which he replied 'no, just come up here and drink wine if you want.'  Which suited me fine ;-)  As it has worked out I have 'found' time to be up there and now get cranky if I can't get out every few days.  I may put my name down for one of the Saughall ones as I don't think I could give it up now - however If the plot has been left untended I think I would rather stay where I am , even with freshly tilled soil it has been a hard process setting it all up from scratch.
Jx

[sarajane]

Hi.  Sounds like a luvly set up and I have to say when you have worked hard on a plot and managed to get the soil just right I would be reluctant to start again.

Is.nt it amazing how you find time to do the lottie,  Once started its quite adictive  -  you can always find time for it - specially if you have permission for a bottle of wine  -  or 2.  Like you say £5.00 a week is far cheaper than a gym etc and much more beneficial and enjoyable.  Good Luck

[shokkyy]

Back to the original topic, my garden is very sheltered as it's surrounded on all four sides by big trees. But the winds today have been so high that a lot of the plants have been completely flattened. Hopefully they'll stand back up again, but a couple of the squash have been blown around so much that their stems have been damaged and I don't know if they'll survive that.

[Nest]

EEk, I need to get my mesh up! It has been quite still here the last week and I have been getting a little relaxed about it all.  Good luck with your flat veg
Jx

[simonwatson]

Back to the original topic, my garden is very sheltered as it's surrounded on all four sides by big trees. But the winds today have been so high that a lot of the plants have been completely flattened. Hopefully they'll stand back up again, but a couple of the squash have been blown around so much that their stems have been damaged and I don't know if they'll survive that.

This happened to some of mine a few weeks back. It seems that so long as the damage is lengthwise along the vine, it doesn't really do too much harm. The capillaries run along the length of the vines and the centres are hollow and without function. Only damage perpendicular to the vine seems to do any real harm.