After 14 months on the waiting list we finally have an allotment (pictured). I was surprised at how quickly it came about; when we lived in Surrey we were on the waiting list for seven years with no joy.
A proactive man at the council emailed and suggested that if we transferred our names from the waiting list for plots closest to our flat to a waiting list for plots in the next town, weβd be waiting months instead of years.
Given that Little B had just arrived and we realised we probably wouldnβt be walking to an allotment anyway it didnβt seem to matter if it was a drive away, so we took him up on the offer and low and behold weβve now got a littleΒ patch of green we can call our own (pictured).
Iβve already become allotment proud: the rule book says you have to clearly mark your plot so BB and I made a wooden sign decorated with ladybirds from Hobbycraft, which is guarded by our bearded gnome Daisy (donβt ask).
Itβs pretty overgrown, but under all the weeds itβs clear the previous owner lavished lots of love on it. Itβs also pretty uneven, so one of our first tasks has been to level out a little patch and lay a square of turf for a picnic rug/pushchair/paddling pool/white wine spritzer (before and after, pictured).
With no gardening experience excepting a tiny patio we once had for six months, itβs going to be a case of trial and error. Iβm already sensing thereβs going to be more error than trial, as itβs been two weeks since we laid the turf and it hasnβt rained once.Β The grass isΒ already more yellow than green.
Misery Guts is having to stop off on his way home from work every evening to water the grass, which, you guessed it, is resulting in more grumbling than normal for a weekday night.
Luckily Aldi emailed this week and asked if weβd like to try out their latest Specialbuys range, which is focussing on gardening and maintenance and includes a lawnmower (Β£59.99), a petrol hedge trimmer (Β£69.99) and a walk-in greenhouse (Β£27.99).
Weβve got our hands on a self-watering plant pot and self-watering trough (both Β£3.99) and a 100l water butt set (Β£18.99 β all pictured).
They went into stores yesterday and ours will be making their way to the allotment this weekend. The pots have reservoirs in the bottom which you fill through a tube which will definitely make watering easier in the height of summer. As for the water butt, which features an easy-to-use tap and fits around both round and square pipes, goodness knows when weβll get a chance to try this out.
Thereβs not a cloud in the sky and itβs been scorchio for days. Iβm not complaining, but a little shower would be quite niceβ¦
We will soon haveΒ a dedicated spot on the blog all about our big allotment challenge,Β charting our journey from the sowing of theΒ first seed toΒ our first harvest and everything inbetween – watch this space!
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