Allotment tales

Did you want pics of the nursery or raisin toast Terri?
This is Neils back door

Were you able to read the whole story?
More at Neils back door

Neils back yard

The shade house where he grows alot of mini Broms. He had three large shade structures I think. I should have taken way more photos, but I had my hands full by now.

He had lots of these fantastic logs all planted with Broms, and also alot of orchids in the garden and shade houses. The yard was mostlt palms and some Vireya rhododendrons and of course, bromeliads everywhere!

WoW! It looks like a fantastic collection, they are all gorgeous! I never knew there were so many varieties, and different coloured foliage,love the varigated ones too.
I read the first post, sounds like you had a great laugh with your mate! Thanks for posting them here Sue, G' on ya!

Raisin toast please. LOL!!

Looks like Neil has a hard time even getting out that door. Great adventure yu had that trip and came back with more than bargained for, always a good day.
I prefer my raisin toast with cinnamon, got any??? LOL
Such vivid colors in all of the brom pics you posted, makes me want to move to a more tropical area.

Raining again today!
I went to check out the lottie in my lunch break, It took 6 minutes to walk from work. (sad I timed it) LOL!!
Thought I would take you on a quick tour of the place, seeing as I didn't actually DO anything there today.
The blue door at the end of the path is the entrance to the allotments.

Through the door, the notice board and meeting hut.

There is a main path going down the centre with the allotments either side of it.
1st plot, onions planted. This is Tony's (he has 2 plots)

nice tulips!

The plot next to mine, I haven't met my neighbour yet.

my plot.

Tony's plot, next to mine.

next one along.

This one belongs to the guy who gave the strawberry plants.

next!

this one is a bit of a mess, LOL!

I didn't go any further today.

Back to my plot........I still have a lot of work to do!

Sat in the shed, here's the view!
Hopefully I will be able to get something done this week, depends on the weather!

Some nice spring flowers on the way out. ...............................................

Looks like everyone has been busy in their plots. Your neighbor really has put in quite a bit of plants. I love the tulips with the fringe - just like the ones I have had.
How much more work do you have before planting? Looks like you have most all cleared and ready to go to me?

Hi Tezza, what do you do with all your greenwaste? Where are the troughs that you get your water from? Could you not stick a piece of gutter on your little shed roof with a barrel to catch the rain water?
The pathway to the blue door is gorgeous! How many plots are there? (you probly already said in the thread, but I'll ask again, being lazy and all!)
Is the black plastic and carpet to slow the weeds, or warm the soil or what?
It looks so lovely there and the soil in the one next to Tonys looks amazing! The strawberry mans one looks good too, with quite an assortment of stuff by the look.
Keep it coming Terri, and how nice to be able to nip down there for a cuppa! In your meeting hut, is there tea making facilities, or do you have to take your own from work?
Sue

I believe Terri totes her own tea to the plot from what I have surmised.
Those are cute litte broms Sue, they kinda look like they are in dirt, are they? I thought broms lived on just air alone, perhaps that is why mine died off LOL!

Hi candee and Sue, Thanks for being interested!
It's nice to go there, peaceful, away from the usual London trafffic noises!
The hut is open at the weekends to buy plants and for the AGM meeting once a year!!
There are no tea or coffee making facilities or toilets! 40 plots altogether, 20 on each side of the main path.
It is hard to see the size of my plot on the photos. There is still quite a way to go to get to the compost bin and beyond that infront of the shed, all needs clearing. The grass is really thick and in a mound infront of the shed.
There are no waste facilities, either compost it , burn it after 8pm or take your weeds home!!
I think the plastic is still covering those plots over the winter, I haven't seen anything done on them this year.
Hope it's not raining again tomorrow, I'll pop down there at lunchtime with my picnic lunch!!
My first pot marigold on the plot, it was a bit windy and it wouldn't keep still!
Pretty broms Sue, looking forward to seeing them open.

Thanks for that terri. Even with all the hard work you have to put in, and no tea and pee, it's still worth it isn't it?
Hey Candee, yes, most broms need soil! Some dont, but most do.
Sue

LOL,

LoL!! Yes it's still worth it or will be worth it when I get some flowers and crops growing!!
My SIL is coming to stay for the weekend and she is going to come to the lottie with me on saturday to help!! Yay.. it will be great to get some more done. These past two weeks have been dreadful weather conditions, but according to the weather forcast it's going to be nice on Saturday.

Have you planted all your new broms Sue? lets see where you put them!!

The little ones along the front are new

And another view. I will take some better pics later. Its daylight now! Waaahoooo!
Have fun with your SIL Terri!
And Candee, don't be afraid to give it another go, they are really not that difficult. Warmth, shade, and water in the tank. Thats usually enough for Broms! Your tree sounded lovely.
Sue

I found a photo of another that I musta tried years ago that was in a pot, I barely remember it except I know it was here as the photos don't lie LOL! Will give it another try, no fear here.
Yours look fabulous, but I must ask about that log tunnel to the rear left and what appears to be a little stone rodent exiting? What is that? Or are my eyes really deceiving me in my old age?

This message was edited May 2, 2008 7:09 AM

I've fooled many with that one Candee, well spotted! Its a resin figurine of a Native Australian Bilby. It is weathering quite well as it is in the shade and keeps dry also.
So Terri, did you get to the Lottie today? Do tell!

Terri, That is very interesting. I have heard of them for years, but was never quite sure what they were..what was on that property 40 years ago, can you guess? I wondered if they were old buildings or houses that were torn down or something. It seems like a property in London citty limits that size would be built on, not rented out for such a handsome sum (LOL!) that would barely pay the taxes. Or does the government own it and lease it out? I have always wondered, after hearing about them, now that I see a photo, I just have more questions :)

I was also wondering about the houses in the background of the picture of yours..How old would you estimate they are?

I'm just curious what those people think about all the crazy gardener people almost in their back yards, if those are single family dwellings or what. What kinds of people live in them (broadly speaking). Would they be young couples, old people, families, poor, rich or what?

Will all those veggie farmers make fun of you for growing flowers, or will you have veggies, too. :))

Suzy

Hi Sue, Your broms look very happy in their new home! Love the way you grouped them, very nice. Thanks for showing me!
SIL and I had quite a productive day at the lottie on Saturday. We got the rest of the beds up to the compost bin cleared. Planted in loads of onions and some cabbages! Had a really nice day, loads of laughs and it was lovely warm and sunny. Trina, somehow broke my rake!!!!! I walked along to see if I could borrow one from someone, luckily I found someone who was willing to lend me his for a while. Guess what?!! Trina stepped on it and broke it in half LOL!!!!
I owe him a rake now.

Hi Candee, I was fooled by that Bilby once too!

Hi Suzy, Sorry so long to reply.
I have found out that the land used to be owned by a squire 100 years ago! There is a big house which was owned by him and the allotments were his kitchen gardens. Amaizing to discover that they have been allotments ever since. The soil must be very good! I will take a photo of the big house next time I go. The other houses have been built around the allotments over the years. I don't know who lives in them! I think some are converted into flats. Next time I go, if I see anyone, I'll ask more! Thanks for the interest.

You can't see the onions! but the cabbages are in.

This is very interesting to me. I had never heard of an allotment until 7 or 8 years ago when I met some Londoners. I could barely undertand them, and had no idea what the were talking about. LOL! Then we were on vacation in San Francisco a couple years ago, and they have a fenced in allotment gardens, too.

Thanks for the information on them...I see pics like that and the background story is as interesting to me as the main one.

Suzy

Hi Tez. Glad you got some stuff achieved. Geeze your SIL sounds like a clutz. LOL
Don't bring her with you if you ever come and visit me! I need my rake and I reckon I use it every day. (Actually, I have a number of them conveniently leaning on trees and against walls for quick access) I was given some cabbage, brocolli and cauli seedlings yesterday from a fellow student, but have yet to put them in. Hopefully I will get a spare 10 minutes before i have to leave for work tomorrow.
As for the rest of the garden, it is slowing right down! YAY! Theres still a few things flowering and it never really stops, but the weeds do for a while.
Catch you later aligator.
Sue

Suzy, thanks for asking the question, I am fascinated to hear the history as well. Kitchen gardens for the mansion, imagine!
Glad you didn't borrow a tractor, could have been a disaster! I shouldn't say anything as there have been a few times I have fallen over my own feet. and believe I have some "shovel incidents" of my own.
The allotment is looking great and you got lots of veggies in already.
Our gardens are really coming into bloom now and Steve put a bit of fertilizer on his garden yesterday eve, so all is coming along here as well.
We tried the brocolli and cauliflower one year, but the bugs got it before we could!
Candee

Hey Candee, yes we get the white cabbage butterflies and caterpillars attacking our brassicas too, so planting them now, while its cold, is avoiding the breeding cycle. Smart eh? We get sooo many chewing bugs here, that in Late summer to Autumn, its not worth planting any edible crops at all!