[nicnewbie]

Hi all.

Just been offered a half plot, and had a little nosy around this afternoon. This time of year it's definitely not looking its best, the recent rain is not helping!

Forgot to take a photo and not sure of dimensions but there's a lot of grass, some overgrown plants and a lot of junk! At the far end of the plot there's the front door from a house and some giant water containers, cube-shaped if that helps imagine them! The middle line separating the plots is missing too but I had a good guess of where the boundaries are.

But one of the biggest issues at first glance is that there's a very boggy, algae-infested pond. I know that some allotmenters like a pond but this one is set down into the ground and looks pretty dangerous with the slippery grass surrounding it. I have a child and a dog so the pond would HAVE to go. Does anyone have advice on clearing things as quickly as possible?

Not sure if this is the place for it, but is it possible to have some before and after photos of rough-looking plots to make sure I don't give up hope?

Thanks everyone 

[Subversive_plot]

Try to gauge how big the pond is. How deep is it (measure water depth at several spots with a folding rule, average them)? Horizontal dimensions? Simple math gives you cubic yards of volume, an estimate of how much clean soil you may need to buy to fill the hole.

Buy fill soil only from a reputable source that can confirm it is uncontaminated by hazardous materials.

[Ali T]

My plot didnt have a pond on it, but it did have two wobbly sheds full of rubbish and chemicals, including a chemical toilet (yeuk) a builders dumpy bag full of rubble and plastic bags, old carpet, sheets of broken glass from old glazing....and then there were the waist high weeds .....you get the drift!
Its a full plot, so was very daunting but I just focused on clearing one section at a time and kept taking pictures of my progress (VERY good to look back on to see how much you have achieved)  Here are some before and after shots of my lovely Plot 13....

[snowdrops]

Sorry to say but sounds quite normal for how plots are handed on. As said clear a bit at a time, stack all rubbish at the front of your plot and if possible get council/committee to remove. Water tanks sound like IBC tanks which can be fab, particularly if no running water on site. Get council or committee to mark out boundaries so you don’t upset any neighbours as that’s not the way to make friends  . Start a gardeners diary on here & lots of photos so you can see your progress, ask council /committee what time scale are they expecting before it’s under cultivation etc. Good luck it’s an addictive hobby 

[Aunt Sally]

You’ve done a grand job, Ali T