mixed feelings........need encouragement!

they taste quite nice, the woodies i mean. well i suppose they would would`nt they, full to the brim with cabbages. :roll:

my jack russel (tess) has caught a few but this time of year there are loads of them ,bring on september when the shooting season starts or is it october

Quite amazed that your dog catches snails! No need to shoot them though, just pick them off and stomp on them
(John being obtuse on purpose)

I know how you feel, we got 2 allotments side by side in June and they were totally full of nettles, weeds, thistles, brambles. We cleared about a 12x 25ft section by hand and got some beans and tomatoes in and the cucumbers are doing ok. Yesterday on our day off we hired a bush cutter trimmer and worked 6 hours clearing and clearing the rubbish we only did one and a half allotments as the moter burnt out  :oops: so we have to finish it by hand over the next few weeks  Very hard work and tiring but well worth it. Good luck with yours

Hi,
We got our plot this time last year and it was a mess!!!!!

Black plastic and weed killer were used to the extreme.  As stuff died we hired a weed burning/flame thrower and this worked very well.  Not only did it kill the tops, but also burned the seeds.

This year, the plot everyone had as a weed-fest is Covent Garden in the making.  Everyone comments as they walk past how well we have tamed the plot.

It has been extremely hardwork to get where we have - make no mistake.  But eating freshly picked produce is second to nothing on this earth. Broadbean, runners bean, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, radish, Spring Onion, Courgette have been picked and relished this year so far.

The graft is worth it.  We have had a few failures this year, but all in all it has been great.  Even with a watering ban we are still doing Okay.  A water Butt is essential if you live in the South East - but wherever you live patience and listening to the locals are the best advice I can offer.

If at first you don't succeed - there is always next year.  Learn from your mistakes, keep records and best of all enjoy being outside.

thank you all for the replies.  really great encouragment!

after I have dug in some manure in the autum, what would you all say are good things to start planting with, bearing in mind i've never done this before!  I plan to build four square rasied beds, a fruti cage, and two long beds.............for now!