[eeyore]

Hi everybody as we are wildly excited by getting our first ever allotment we thought we would share some pics as work on turning it from a bare patch of earth into a (hopefully) flourishing vegetable bonanza progresses

This is how it was when we got it



Its actually the patch on the right , with the pallet on it, as i'd had a long day and rather foolishly photographed the patch next door.

and these are how it is now after  3 days of hard graft





thats my beautiful fiancee "mrs eeyore" in the second picture.

I work in rights of way and the raised beds are made out of 3" section recycled plastic, used for our sign posting - these are all bits which have been either incorrectly machined or have been vandalised out on site and were thus destined for landfil , so i'm quite pleased to have recycled them a second time.

the only downsides were that they were flipping heavy, and very hard meaning i had to pre drill all the holes to nail them together.  Fortunately i had the 24V dewalt SDS+ rechargeable hammer drill to hand, without which i dont think i'd have managed.

the plan is to use the long bed down one side for short rows of succesive salad - put fruit in the furthest back bed and use the other three for other veg (too many to list - just did 40 odd notes with marshals)

I'm now absolutely zonkered - just in time to go back to work tommorow.

the next challenge is to dig them over and incorporate a load of soil , sand and compost to raise the level - thats a job for next weekend , so we'll be back then with more piccys.

[Etherelda]

looking good! Those beds look sturdy. Lucky acquisition. Its such a good feeling when it starts to take shape.

[spongebob]

congrats for getting allotment and for getting snow not snowed here for years

 :evil: im still on the waiting list for a allotment :roll:so had to dig up my lawn

nice work

[millymolymandy]

Well done    it's very satisfying work, keep us posted on progress.

[woodburner]

Is it a trick of the light or perspective, or are those plots on the small side?

Looks like a good start but I think you'll be wanting more space before the season is half way through.  

[eeyore]

the plot is 15 fot by 22.5 ft - I've never had an allotment before so i dont know if thats small or not - on the tother hand i'm not sure we could cope with anything larger - and the rent is pretty reasonable too.

[crowndale]

To compare size I have a half plot of 15' X 90' so it is on the small side by traditional measures but as you said if thats what you can manage then its the perfect size!

[woodburner]

the plot is 15 fot by 22.5 ft - I've never had an allotment before so i dont know if thats small or not - on the tother hand i'm not sure we could cope with anything larger - and the rent is pretty reasonable too.

Thanks for that I'm so glad it's not my eyes or brain going squiffy after all.

It's just over 1 rod. A full size lottie is 10 rods, though plots are commonly smaller.
As long as they let anyone who can manage more, have more as they show they can maintain what they already have, I think it's a good idea. It's a nice size to learn the basics on, without breaking your back, and being small it allows more peope to try GYO rather than locking up 5 to 10 rods for what can be over two years per tenant before someone who is not getting anywhere gives up (or is evicted) and lets someone else have it.

[Snowy Howells]

I've just acquired a 'half plot' of 32' x 16', so only a little bigger than yours. Doesn't look that good yet though!   I feel it's a manageble size to start off with and I have my name down for a full size plot if one becomes available   Love the way you've done your beds!

[eeyore]

I've just acquired a 'half plot' of 32' x 16', so only a little bigger than yours. Doesn't look that good yet though!   I feel it's a manageble size to start off with and I have my name down for a full size plot if one becomes available   Love the way you've done your beds!

cheers snowy - you can buy that plastic from ecodeck but it isnt cheap - i was just lucky in having accumulated a load of knackered bits for skipping at just the right time.

next task (apart from digging and planting) is to source some old double glazed windows and build a cold frame out of shorter lengths.

i'm not bothered abou the size of our plot - me and mrs eeyore both work full time , plus i am also a freelance photographer and woodturner so we dont want something thats going to tie up all our waking hours, may be when we are retired (in about 30 years time ) we would want a bigger one but at the mo ours is just the right size.

[eeyore]

another weekends hard graft sees  four of the raised beds dug over and  1225 L of compost incorporated - only the long thin bed to do now (plus running a rotovator over the other four to break up the clods)

no pictures as i forgot to take the camera

and i was right our mini allotment is all i could cope with - if we had a ten pole one i'd be dead on my feet