[out4nowt]

I've maxed out with 20,000 characters on my diary, so here is part 2. Part 1 is on page 4.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=12601.45

May Week 1

-So, the situation on 1st May is this:- Potatoes, Lettuces, Garlic, Rhubarb, Gooseberries, Blackcurrants, Rasps, Strawberries, Cabbages, Caulis, Broc, Sprouts, Broad Beans, Peas, Onions, Spring Onions, Carrots, Beetroot, Parsnip, Swede, Radish are all growing away nicely on the plot. I have Tomatoes, French Beans, Leeks, Lettuces and Cucumber in at home. There are Cabbage, Sprouts, Purple Broc and Calabrese in the cold frame but they are struggling (some are withering for no apparent reason). Kids sunflowers are yet to appear. Quick visit this afternoon until it started raining. Noticed everything has "jumped up" a bit with the recent rain including lots of weeds! Swedes are just through. Fitted cabbage collars. Noticed some flea beetle on cabbages.
-Started to riddle all the soil in another raised bed. More strings added to bean and pea support. Half a row of Flyaway Carrots seeds planted in place of a failed row of Rocket F1 Carrots next to my Challots.
- More riddling today. Got some Cabbage, Calabrese, Sprout & Leek plants. Kids started Pumpkins in pots at home plus I started a couple of Butternut squash. Only 1 Cucumber seed out of 6 has germinated. Leeks through at home plus 9 out of 10 Red Alert Toms.
-1 Row summer Cabbage planted out in the wind. Red alert Tomatoes re-potted.
-Finished riddling second raised bed. Had a taste of fresh Radish, straight from the ground, washed in the water bin, very nice. Gave a large bunch to a pal who came to visit and shared one or two with other allotment folk. Watered up.

May Week 2

-Planted another row of 12 Summer Cabbage in the wind. Some of the boys' sunflowers are through.
-Mole has appeared
-Planted 12 sprouts & 12 calabrese over 3 rows of 8 in each row.
-Did a bit of weeding, then a neighbour gave me 3 courgette plants, so after some consultation, I planted 2 of them on compost filled pits. F1 Defender & Zucchim plus a yellow soleil still to plant somewhere.
-Weeding this evening. Loaded a dalek with muck.
-Pumpkins are through.

May Week 3

-Lots of rain today, once it stopped, straight down there and did lots of raking. Planted 35 sweetcorn plants in a block, then 16 annabelle dwarf french bean plants alongside a row of tendercrop dfbs. Flyaway Carrots are through as well as various short rows in raised bed.
-Bought a Mantis off Ebay this morning. Transplanted 12 Langedijk 4 Cabbages. Cleared half a row of Radish and re-planted with Parsnips. Planted Yellow Soliel Courgette in raised bed.
-Quick visit today. Made a note of where I had planted everything (about time really). Noticed everything had jumped up with the rain.
-Windy today. Banked up 7 rows of Potatoes.
-My new Mantis was delivered today! Great! Did a bit of "tillin". Planted a row of 12 Purple Sprouting Broc. Noticed 2 to 3 inch pea pods have formed. Planted out 3 Red Alert Tomatoes at home and some Ormskirk Savoy Cabbage seeds in pots.
-Quick visit this evening after the rain.

May Week 4

-Tillin' with the Mantis today plus half a row of spring onions put in. More strings put up for my peas and beans. The boys helped with a stone picking session. We got loads picked so I treated them to a Radish each! Got some free horse muck and loaded a Dalek full with it.
-Weeding... about 3 hours worth!
-Very hot today. Planted some Iceburg lettuce seeds in raised bed, transplanted some lettuce plants into raised bed and half a row of spring onion seeds in with my parsnips to fill the huge gap there. Radishes for tea tonight!
-Lots of rain overnight and everything has jumped up again. Savoy cabbage seedlings are through plus 2 Butternut Squash.
-Transplanted a row of Calabrese and half a row of Savoy cabbages. Noticed large pods on my first lot of peas and pods on my broad beans. DFBs are through today. My Rocket potatoes have open flowers. Mole is active. Planted a cucumber and 6 Red Alert tomatoes in raised bed. Parsnips are through.
-Furtled my Rocket potatoes and they are about half the size of a hens egg. Planted Pumpkins. Watered a bit.
-Watered up. Weeds everywhere!

June Week 1

-Quick visit to pull a few weeds. Noticed birds have been at my DFBs and strawberries. The boys and I tried a pod full of peas and one of beans!
-Mole active again.
- Planted a Cucumber & a short row of 5 Celeriac plants given by neighbour. Bought a sprayer, long canes for my Toms and fruit netting. Noticed Broad Beans have 6 inch pods.
-Planted half row of Beetroot.
- Lots of rain last night.

June Week 2

- Bit of weeding and wild tatty removal. Transplanted some Calabrese and planted some spare DFBs into the odd gap in a row. Mole has been very active, I think he is going to get it soon! I couldn't resist another furtle today and my Rocket potatoes are about the size of a hens egg. Looking forward to lifting some at the end of this week.
- Lifted some Rocket potatoes, cut an Iceburg Lettuce and pulled a few Spring Onions. Had all for tea. Picked a Strawberry, delicious! Great! Planted some more Savoy Cabbages. Shimmed some weeds. Fitted a new catch to gate.
- 1 row Spring Onions, 1 of Chanteney Red Cored 2 carrots, 1 row leeks transplanted. Butternut Squash planted on compost pocket.

June Week 3

- Quick visit today in the pouring rain. Everything benefitting from the wet weather. Found a mole lying dead near my compost dalek. Don't know why he died, looked uninjured.
- Lifted full row of Rocket potatoes. Ate lots of peas with the boys.

June Week 4

-Planted a row of 12 epsb, a row of peas (Kelveden Wonder) and half row of Swedes (Best of all). Pulled a Beetroot.
- Spring Onions and Carrots through. Courgettes have appeared. Had some Nicola potatoes, Ruby Queen Beetroot, Iceburg Lettuce & Spring onions with dinner, great. Used to hosepipe.
- Potatoes, Beetroot, Peas and Broad Beans with dinner tonight. Planted 3 half rows of Leeks.
- Rain today.
- Peas and Swedes are through. Calabrese & Cabbage looks like it will be ready for the weekend. Courgettes nearly big enough. Shimmed a few weeds. Beetroot and Lettuce are blowing. Pulled first onion and a few baby carrots.

July Week 1

- Sprayed maincrop potatoes with Dithane. Dug up last of Rocket Potatoes.
- Cut a couple of Courgettes. First batch of Little Gem Lettuce is getting past its best now. Caterpillar eggs on my cabbages! Calabrese is getting large.
- Lifted some Pentland Javelin, cut some Calabrese, more Courgettes, Little Gem & some Boltardy Beetroot. Noticed one row of Calabrese has blown and one plant was even in flower. Picked caterpillars off my cabbages. Staked Pumpkins to train them as they are taking off now. Rasps have some large fruits.
- Tatties, beans, peas, cabbage, Calabrese and rasps for dinner tonight.
- Pickled some Shallots!

July Week 2

- Did a bit of weeding. Pulled up some Broccoli that had gone to flower. Put weed fabric under a courgette and a cucumber (should have done it earlier). planted half a row of "GIANT" turnips given by a neighbour. Chopped some bits off Pumpkin plants. Cabbage, calabrese, peas, broad beans, courgettes & first swede for dinner tonight.
- Lots of Tomatoes now.

July Week 3

- Just picking and eating this week. Lots of rain. French Beans ready.

July Week 4

- Pickled some more shallots and made courgette chutney. Stashed some gooseberries and calabrese in the freezer.
- Trimmed Pumpkins & put up more support for Sunflowers. Noticed my onions are massive now.
- EPSB ready now, seems too early to me.
- Put fabric under Pumpkins. Took all shallots up for drying. Knocked the tops on a row of onions. Took up a load of blown Lettuce. Tops off Nicola potatoes. Scooped the bottom of my daleks and put it in on top. Planted some leeks. Sweetcorn about 3ft tall. Sunflowers about 7ft tall. Harvested loads of beetroot, cabbage, tatties, spring onions, onions, lettuce, courgettes, indoor tomatoes, etc for friends. Tried first outdoor cucumber.

August Week 1

- Current overview, I have lots of large onions, new & maincrop potatoes, DFBs, Garlic, Lettuce, Spring Onions, Beetroot, Carrots, Parsnips, Celeriac, Sweetcorn just forming cobs, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Courgettes, Ridge Cucs, Pumpkins, Leeks, no sprouts or Butternut Squash yet, Broccoli, Cabbage, Caulis, Swedes, no Gooseberries or Blackcurrants. Strawbs, BB and first peas finished now. Started to take down pea and Broad Bean support. Tied up sunflowers. Weeds everywhere.

- DFBs picked and frozen.

August Week 2

- Pea& Bean support down, area rotavated and replanted with Broccoli (Marathon) plus a few EPSB transplanted. Carrots, cabbage, swede & Nicola tatties for dinner. Pumpkins are size of a normal football. Chopped tops off all tatties. Latest planting of peas are podded up now.
- Pulled up all 300+ onions and laid out to dry. Did a bit of digging. Pulled up loads of wasted Broccoli & caulis. Planted some Spring Onions & Autumn King Carrots. Pickled some Beetroot.

August Week 3

- Peas for dinner. Dug up a load of Pentland Javlin. Noticed a Butternut Squash about the size of a pear.

August Week 4

- Did a bit of digging and used the Mantis to turn over several areas that have become vacant. Dug up a Parsnip, great! Used the hose to blast off caterpillars from my brassicas. Sweetcorn nearly ready. Carrots and Spring Onions are through. Started building support for Rasps. Fitted tap. Caterpillars are causing probs still.
- Lots of Toms have fruit split.

September Week 1

- Maris Piper & Sweetcorn for tea tonight, great!
- Dug out my compost daleks. Built a support for my Rasps. Killed loads of Caterpillars. Took all my onions home. Pulled up a Defender F1 Courgette that was done.
- Purple Broc, Swede, first lot of Brussels Sprouts, last of the Summer Cabbages, Carrots & Maris Piper for Sunday dinner. New, stronger hinges fitted to my B&Q shed. Ridge Cucumber finished and pulled up.

September Week 2

- Tied a few Rasps to new supports and transplanted a few Leeks.
- Planted out 9 Savoy Cabbages under netting. What a carry on. I'm going to give this netting some thought!!! Changed my hose-pipe around to give better access to neglected areas of the plot.
- Spring Cabbage, Carrots, Swede & Sprouts for dinner today.

September Week 3

- Sweetcorn is great. Last of Nicola, Pentland Javelin, Osprey, Vivaldi & Estima lifted. Leeks transplanted. Bit of tillin'. Tidy up.

September Week 4

Leeks ready.

October Week 1

All potatoes lifted and bagged. First Savoys ready. Sweetcorn about finished.

October Week 2

- Savoy Cabbage, Purple Broc, Sprouts, Swede & Carrots with dinner today. Rats have moved in under the shed which is handy for them as they are stripping what's left of the Sweetcorn.

October Week 3

Didn't get much done.

October Week 4

- Cleared Sweetcorn and spread compost from dalek. Tidied up cold frame. Removed tomato plants, courgettes and pumpkins.
- Got some rat bait.

November Week 4

- Not been doing much over last few weeks. Calabrese (Marathon) now ready. Had some for dinner today along with sprouts, savoy, psb. Rats are taking lots of poison still.
- More rat poison deployed. Harvested beetroot. Brought more potatoes home. Leaves and grass cuttings in compost.

December Week 2

- Short visit today. Filled in the rat hole under my shed to see if they open it or if the poison has done for them. Stripped dead leaves from brassicas and turned compost. My puppy had a good time! Need to get on with some digging soon.... Back again afternoon. Pruned fruit bushes. Very small amount of digging along back fence.

December Week 4

- Snow covering everything at the moment. Managed to harvest a good load of Calabrese & Sprouts for Christmas dinner plus potatoes from the garage stores. There are still a few small Savoy Cabbages, Purle Broc, Calabrese, Parsnips, Leeks, Beetroot, etc. Need to do some digging soon!

[mickwood]

OK, we'll give it a go (although think it's gonna get covered in our blog)...but this is from Day 1! New Lotty!!

Mick and Claire's (Doodle) Lotty Diary

26th March Received the keys to a new allotment after almost 2 years on the list!
1st April After days of clearing enough debris from the bombsite called our lotty we managed to create 3 beds, islands in the refuse. Managed to plant - Potatoes (red duke of york and king edwards) Garlic, Broad Beans, Red Onions and White Onions plus some more onions and broad beans given to us by an old guy on the lotty then some Strawberries given to us from our neighbour who also has a lotty!
Off to Peru for 3 weeks!! ooh eck hope things are gonna be ok!?
9th MayGet back home so big clean up begins! Skip arrives and we begin to fill it!
11th May Clean up coming to the end. Bought some Chillies, toms, peppers and a melon seedlings
12th MarchDug over and rotovated an area appprox 10mX5m. Claire planted brussel seedlings given to us by Al, the guy in the next plot. Sowed Sweetcon in Ricky's Paper pots  Built the greenhouse frame, still awaiting the glass and need to build a base.
13th May Ground prepared so lets start planting! Planted 4 raspberry bushes, 1 cherry tree, 1 apple tree, 1 fig tree, 2 blackcurrant and 1 redcurrant bushes, 1 tayberry bush and a thornless blackberry bush. Picked up some free toms from a neighbour
15th Mayplanting continues, in goes Peas, Dwarf french beans, beetroot, purple sprouting broccoli, cabbage then in our 'box' section (we recycled a pigeon nest box thing...basically give us a section 3mX3m split into individual segments. So in that we put Mint, lettuce, camomile, dwarf curry plant, thyme. We also sowed butternut squash, radish, spinach and lettuce.
16th May New fence built from the fence taken down that split the plot originally.
17th May Planted roses (2 climbers and 2 ramblers) along the fence to hide it somewhat. Planted Honeysuckle for the Bees!
18th May Picked up the greenhouse glass. Ordered a bee hive to be delivered later this week. Sowed Sweet Basil, sage, Lemon Balm, Runner beans, Oregano, Hyssop, Lemon Grass, Bell peppers
25th May Planted the toms into the ground in the greenhouse, planted Leeks out.
26th May Heard a rumour Dwarf Marigiolds can help with aphids, so planted some between the toms in the greenhouse! Took sweetcorn out of GH and planted in a block...hopefully it'll survive!
29th May Spaghetti Squash and  Cucumber sown in greenhouse
31st May Planted out seedlings from the greenhouse - radish, wild rocket, runner beans  and spinach. Thinned out Sweet basil.
1st June Bee hive completed and placed in the allotment, Bees made at home
8th JuneQuick check of the bees, they're doing well! Not spotted the queen but I'm pretty sure I saw eggs! I saw honey, drawn comb, workers and drones and I think some pollen.
11th JuneFrench beans and Peas not doing so well, so dug them up and re-arranged them. Now have 1 line of french Beans and added the peas germinating in the greenhouse to the ones in the bed. Took down the netting and replaced it with canes and zig zagged string between them. Planted out 3 butternut squash plants along the fence. Roses have started to bloom. Pallet compost bin made.
Up to 29th June Things are growing well, a few of the plants were losing their green colour so added some Fish blood as a top dressing and watered in - much better now! Runner beans have finally started their way up the cane wigwam and we have those lovely red buds! Squash was transplanted outside, some next o the peas in partial shade, and some in between the sweetcorn. Those in the full sun got well and truly scorched....dead So have planted some new ones in the sweetcorn and have provided partial shade, while planting some along the fence in a new, unused, area along with some sunflowers. I've sown seeds between the bee hive and the compost bin - foxglove, poppy, sweetpeas and wild flowers just to add some interest, hide the compost bin and provide necter for the bees - who are doing really well! Added a new super to the hive so hopefully we'll get some honey!! I've also popped in a lavender hedge which will keep the beehive a little out of sight. Tomatoes and peppers and melon have all started to get fed once a week along with the 4 cucumber plants I've popped into the greenhouse. Radishes, lettuces and beetroot have all started to get harvested so we're backfilling with new sowings as and when we pick. Hopefully the potatoes will soon be available to harvest!

[lisa80]

2010 first full growing season
january
we mamaged to get the plot rotivated (i know cheating!)we were given some raspberry canes which we put straight in and move last seasons strawberry plants to a better location .thats about it as plot is far too wet to do anything else

febuary
I have started some tomato seeds off in a propergator in the house along with some aubergine seed and some outdoor cucumber .Tomatos will go into green house but cucumber will go down the plot when we finally get some warmer weather :)potato tubers all bought ready for chitting and some stuttgard oion sets also.the potatos we bought were home guard and rocket (earlies) and maris piper and cara (main)
march
have just repotted toms and put in some sweet pepper seeds (propergator)chillies have just come up and aubergines are doing well.
If dry weather continues will start organising my green house .

[DD.]

You're way early with those outdoor cues, Lisa. I won't be sowing mine for another 2 months.

Remember - you won't be able to put them out until the frosts have passed and the weather warmed up. I had some killed in June 2008 by frosts, so you're looking at another 4 months for safety.

[lisa80]

about my luck, it did say feb on the instructions though :(i have got a green house i can put them in until then have never grown them before will update on sucess or disaster

[goodegg]

march 1st today i moved small wooden compost bin next to little green house then started to make big compost bin 9feet by twelve feet for burnies grass cuttings rototilled old plot then let chickens out to play they were all around my feet and one a leg horn come to sit by me as i was sitting watching them on the edge of rafters that i used for big compost bin a very enjoyable day got one little melon up so far didnt know if they would be any good as they were old seed.

[goodegg]

march 2 put up polly tunnel not to impressed

[goodegg]

march 2nd cleared little greenhouse

[harry]

11th  March  2010
Potted some peppers and tomatoes
Put together cold frame
Had some strawberry plants given to me
14th March 2010
More digging only 1 1/2 beds to dig over and then start planting next weekend
Janet tidied the asparagus beds

[PennyS]

I've come to this a bit late but... from what I can remember (I can't find all my notes)!

2009
August - hurrah got a plot!- got my plot, cleared some.  Sowed some late crops: started off with beetroot, turnip, carrots.
Made compost bins, erected "Frankenshed".
August: planted some potatoes for Christmas (Maris Peer).
Sept/Oct/Dec/Jan/Feb - lots of digging and clearing the plot where weather permitted, also erected rabbit proof fence all around.

2010
January - all covered in snow! Sat in the warm surrounded by seed catalgogues, dreaming ...
Feb: started chitting all the potatoes.
end Feb: sowed Leeks "Pandora", some broad beans "Medes" and Cabbage "Stonehead" in roottrainers and paper pots, in the plastic greenhouse, also sowed tomato "Orange Bourgoin" and "Marmande Super" also Aubergine "Bambino" in the heated propagator.
March
9th: Planted out the garlic that was put into pots of compost in January and left outside - lovely healthy roots!
14th: Dug the pea/bean bed and prepared the bean trench with lots of rotting stuff and manure at the bottom
16th: Onions (Stuttgarter and Red Baron) into compost in the "cold frame" (plastic greenhouse insulated with bubblewrap). Leeks "Bandit" sown in a DD Stylee.
21st: Dug the rest of my carrot bed
Dug/weeded the asparagus bed in preparation.
Finished digging the onion bed and planted out all my onions (Stuttgarter/Red Baron) and shallots
Sowed some peas (Waverex) and broad beans (Medes)
Sowed my parsnips (Tender and True) and carrots (Parmex) - under fleece while I sort out getting some enviromesh.
28th: Dug over (all couch grass and stones) where the First Earlies are going, and put in Pentland Javelin and Maris Bard.  
Removed the couch grass that was trying to strangle the rhubarb.  Put in some more donated raspberry canes (don't know which variety) and gooseberry cuttings.
Back home, sowed more cabbage and cauli for the cold frame, potted up some toms and aubergines and did a second sowing of toms and aubergines in the propagator.
31st March: planted 26 x Backlim asparagus.  Sowed some more Broad Beans (Bunyard?) direct, also planted 10 more Shallots.
April
4th April: put down a path-cum-sitting area around the shed for the kids, made a frame for the carrot netting and fly-proofed (hopefully) the carrots sown so far and the onion sets so they're bird-proofed.  Carried on digging the potato area (full of couch grass and stones so it takes forever). Almost half the potato area is now dug, plenty to do!!
9th April: into pots and root trainers at home, sowed more cabbages (Lagerweis, Lagerrot, Stonehead), caulis (Igloo, Candid Charm), Kale, PSB Rudolph and late PSB,  plus more broad beans to replace the first lot (of which only 3 came up), moved brassica seedlings and my leeks out of the plastic greenhouse, I figure they should survive outside by now, and no frost is forecast for the next few days.
10th: dug a big bit of the potato patch, also where the beetroot and salsify are going tomorrow.  I can see first signs of broad beans poking through, the onion sets are looking good and I think there are first signs of carrots too! Spring is definitely here.
11th: dug the rest of the potato patch (ooh my back).  Planted Marforna, Maris Peer, Saxon(2nd Earlies), King Edwards and Maris Piper (Maincrops).  There's some space for the Pink Fir Apples but I forgot to take them with me...
Sowed another row of peas, some salsify and a first sowing of Boltardy beetroot.  
Time for a hot bath.  I don't think I can move any more!
The kids came down to "help" for a bit (short attention span) - they did the sowing and they also sowed some flowers (poppies and wildflower mix) around the shed.
13th: put in the Pink Fir Apples.  The soil's looking quite dry so watered around the newly sown stuff.  The first peas are poking through now (yay) and the asparagus is looking good. We sowed a few more flower seeds round the shed.
17th: Quick visit: dug the remainder of the carrot bed ready for installing another frame tomorrow. This bit hasn't been covered, and it was a nightmare. Really deep roots.
18th: Reconfigured the carrot frame.  The onions and shallots that were underneath it have done really well and I hope being birdproofed for a bit will have given them a head start.  Sowed Parmex and Rothild carrots.  Another part row of Boltard beetroot.
Dug new beds for the children's own patches, and helped them sow beetroot, peas, carrots (Resistafly) and salad mix.
Sowed some more Salsify.  
Had to do some watering as it's not rained for some time.  Found mole runs are around and in my asparagus bed, I hope they won't destroy too much of it.  So disheartening.
19th: potted up some more toms and aubergines.  Sowed some flowers in modules/trays with youngest.  Latest brassica sowings are starting to come through!
23rd: Sowed some more flowers with the kids: everlasting sweet peas, cornflowers straight onto the plot.  Asters and nasturtiums in trays.
26th: first earlies are showing through, not all of them but most, also signs of beetroot and I think I can see the parsnips.  I need to weed the parsnip bed! Repotted some of the toms and aubergines at home, also sowed Runner Beans (Wisley Magic) and Climbing French (Cobra) into pots, on the windowsill.
28th: Salsify seedlings and beetroot seedlings are coming through strongly. I dug another patch of the brassica area - I reckon I have one more solid day of digging to finish the brassica area and the sweetcorn/squash area.
May
1st: Finished digging the brassica bed (hooray) - the last bit was horrendous, absolutely full of couch grass roots. Gave myself such neckache from bending over that I came back after 4 hours despite the fact that there's still a lot of the sweetcorn bed to do.
Nice to see the salsify seedlings are up, ditto more of the carrots.  Earthed up the first earlies although there are so many stones in that bed (despite the fact that Iv'e removed enough to lay a small road) that I felt I was stoning them up rather than earthing them.  I'l have to fleece them tomorrow, frost is forecast.
2nd: Spent an hour or so weeding.  After the rain it was nice and easy.  Earthed up some more potatoes as there are first signs of leaves on most rows. Only a few maincrops still to show now.   Found my parsnips (very uneven germination, lots of gaps!).
At home sowed some courgette (Defender & Summer Ball), squash (Crown Prince & Butternut), Pumpkin (Connecticut Field), cucumber (Long Green Maraicher) into modules in the propagator and made some paper pots to drop them in to once they're up.
3rd: Started on the last patch of digging.  It's full of stones, couch and some very ugly looking mallow plants that have been covered up since August and are all white and still have enormous roots.  More like excavating than digging!  
Have now done half of the last patch.  I reckon about 4 hours' worth to do now and then it's ALL DUG!!!!!
Sowed another short row of beetroot and some more Parmex carrots in the gaps between the parsnips.
4th: managed to grab half an hour with oldest, and we sowed a couple of half rows of carrots: Parmex, Chantenay Red Cored.  Plus some kale into the new seed bed, and more salsify and beetroot. 

[HugglescoteGrower]

OK, so I fancy myself as a bit of a story teller, and I thought I would use a thread here to record my allotment experiences. Hopefully one or two people will look in from time to time and maybe comment on what I am doing, what I'm not doing and perhaps what I could be doing differently. If someone finds my inane drivel slightly interesting then please let me know.

It may help someone just starting out, though in truth I still put myself firmly into that category.

My story begins in the very early spring of 2008. Our local Wilkinson has cleared out all of the Christmas ranges, and the gardening section is starting to appear. I always get itchy fingers at this time of year, though our garden is very small, the soil poor, and attempts to tame it usually destroyed by my little dog, who will one day make it to australia.

Still, it's several sunny days past Christmas which means I am itching to start growing something, despite that fact that it is still much too early, my greenhouse has turned more into a shed, and my garden is a bomb site with no real vegetable garden, or space to create one.

As the year grows older the planting season comes, and goes. My garden is still a bomb site, my greenhouse still a shed.

Our allotments lie in a quadrangle of land, backing on each side to housing, so the metal gate to the car park is pretty much all anyone sees of the allotments, unless you are one of the residents who overlooks the site.

I have lived within a stones throw of this site for all of my 43 years, but only ever once have I ventured in when, as a child I was "dared" to run the gauntlet of crossing the allotmnents, ignoring all the "keep out" signs, which I swear used to say "little children may be eaten". I remember the experience vividly, depite it being half a lifetime ago.

And here, thirty plus years later, I was about to cross this threshold for only the second time in my life. One summer sunday morning I found myself opening that gate, and courage well and truly plucked up I strode boldly into this forbidding world of gnarled old "lifers" to see what was what. Fresh meat for the grinder.

My first surprise was, after only a dozen steps or so to run into an old school friend, probably one of those involved in the "dare" all those years ago. She recognised me instantly, I have to admit it took me a while longer to place her. This was something of a shock, as I was sure that everyone who worked an allotment was at least 70, had been doing it all their life (yes, I know, if they had been doing it all their life they must have started young, but I hadn't worked that bit out at this point), and so meeting someone of my own age was, frankly disorientating. Apparently there were several people from our school year on the allotments that I might know. And I thought I was coming to this too young!

I was soon chatting, and getting my first insight into what went on "down the allotments". I was pointed towards a reliably mature gentleman who was the secretary, and who I was told would take my name.

Adopting my best sunday manners I approached the seretary and made my enquiry. As I had expected there was a waiting list, but an uncultivated part of the site was to be made available soon, and that should see all those currently waiting accommodated. I left my name and phone number and with my first foray into the world of allotments complete I wandered home, to wait .....

and wait .....

and wait .....

and wait .....

[HugglescoteGrower]

OK, so I stole that last bit from "Casablanca", but you get the point.

Summer, as is the way of things turned to autumn which soon became winter and thoughts of my potential allotment faded from my mind. Christmas came and went and soon that itchy finger feeling returned as gardening supplies started to reappear. January passed into February and I started to wonder whether I should contact the allotment secretary again, just to reconfirm my interest in a plot.

Until one evening I return home from work to find a message. Jim had called, and left a number for me to phone him back. Who the blood and stomach pills was Jim? I knew of one Jim, with whom I used to placy cricket, but this was not his number. Still, I made the call. Jim, of course was the allotment secretary, calling to find out if I was still interested. He was apparently calling everyone on the waiting list, as the new plots should soon be available. I was number four on ths list, and so would be getting one soon.

And so a flurry of planning began. I had no idea of the size of my plot, but internet research suggested a likely size of ten yards by thirty. I started thinking what I should grow, reading up on crop rotation, I even cleared out the green house, ready for it's relocation to the allotment.

Precise plans of what I would grow, when they needed to be sown and what I needed to buy were drawn up. All that was put down on paper. I would have, without doubt the smartest allotment in the county. This was going to be brilliant.

[joyfull]

and?

[HugglescoteGrower]

and?

and so I waited for that next call,

and waited ....

and waited ....

and waited ....

[Pompey Spud]

The tension is killing me........