Vegetable Plot

I had an allotment and started it back in 2001, this was when allotments weren't trendy and plenty could be found, no long waiting lists in those days.  When I met my husband to be, I didn't want to tell him I had an allotment as I thought that would put him off me straight away, so I kept it quiet until one day a friend of mine came into our local pub and wanted to know, where he could put the large wooden packing crate I wanted for a compost, as he didn't know which allotment was mine!  I thought husband to be was going to fall of his stool laughing! But instead he didn't run for the hills. He rolled up his sleeves and became my assistant gardener.  We had the allotment for 10 years and spent all our time up there, weekends and evening relaxing amongst the rows of veg, sunning ourselves, having picnics and listening to the radio.

When we bought our first house it started to be come a chore, as we had plenty of gardening to do at home, we decided to hand it in and stick with growing in our own back garden.  I do miss it when the sun is out but when I come home on a summers evening and sit with a glass of wine and don't wish I am there queuing for the hose, digging up the bind weed that grew overnight and digging over the allotment by hand when the Rotavator refused to spark into life.  We now have three raised beds in the back garden which we grow just what we need.  It is so nice to be able to run in from the garden for a wee and not to have to wee in an bucket hanging onto the shed door so I don't fall in and get my bum stuck!

That said we are on our local allotment list I did this before we gave the old allotment as it was closer and we are now 4th on the list! Ummm what to do ..........husband doesn't seem too keen, but I said ' no harm in looking' maybe we could just grown onions? This one is only a short walk away so I will keep you updated.

Some pictures of our old allotment and our scare crow Gloria!

 

I love the windmills you buy at the seaside and always came home with one from a visit to the beach

 

I took great care of my shed and was so sad to leave it, how silly is that?  I made silver bells out of foil and hung them along the window.  I also had cockell sells, but no pretty maids, unless you could call Gloria a pretty maid!

This was the year we planted 12 tomatoes plants.  We got sick of them!  We had four bowls on the kitchen window sill of tomatoes in different ripening stages.  We made green tomato chutney and gave it away to friend and family.  No one but no one ever said it was nice or even mentioned that they ate it, so I thought I wonder and opened a jar.  Ha ha it was horrid!

 

I had three climbers on my shed, one clematis and two honeysuckles.  I bought one of them as a 21st birthday present to myself, but sadly there was no moving it.  I have taken numerous cutting without success!  Mr Titchmarsh please comment on my blog! 

 

 

 

Rhubarb! Rhubarb!  I took this home and it wasn't happy last year and thought I lost it, but maybe it is coming back, two leaves have appeared this year so fingers crossed! 

 

This is our glorious Gloria. 

Other allotmenteers added accessories to her, like the bra!  Ha ha she even had a baby that appeared over night!  But sadly no man on the scene, well not one we saw at the allotment!