Thursday 8 March 2012

Skip to it...

As you may know when we took over the allotment a big chunk of the land about 1/6 of it was covered in carpet and the weeds rather than being surpressed had grown straight through it.

I rang the town council to see if there was somewhere I could dispose of it, however they said they were getting a skip soon and that is all they could say. They told me to put all the rubbish off the plot to one side and then they would ring me when the skip had been delivered.

Well I got a phone call today and they said a skip had been delivered at the other allotment site yesterday and I needed to transfer the rubbish myself.

Well, it's a good job I acted immediately because it seems that all of the other allotment holders had been waiting for the skip to arrive too...


It was certainly releaving to have rid of all the carpet and all of the rotten bamboo canes, plastic bags and rotten timber that had covered the allotment for the past year. The allotment is looking a tidier place today. I just can't wait to get up there and start sorting out that soft fruit bed. That is my task for the day so wish me luck!

Martin

12 comments:

  1. This allotment idea is new to me since I live in the US where no such things exists. I really enjoy your posts and pictures. One thing that I really like is your little building/shed and the fact you are going to make a seating area outside it. Your talk of hanging out there seems sort of odd in a good way. It is sort of like the garden is more than food, more than work. You have expressed how happy you are, but hearing about the planned cookouts makes it clear how you feel.

    Well, these are all my reactions to your efforts expressed in your blog. This is one of my favorite blogs!

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    1. Hi Linda!

      Thankyou for all of your kind comments about our blog and allotment. I am so glad when people say they enjoy reading the blog because it makes it all worthwhile for us.

      Allotments in the UK have become quite trendy and a summer cook-out with friends and beers seems to be the in thing to do too. It's definately got Amy interested more anyway. I'm happy with just the veg, but we're both happy with our approach!

      Thanks again,

      Martin

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  2. That's one of the problems with using carpets to supress weeds, at least you've managed to get it up before it really starts to rot down, otherwise you'd be digging it up for years.

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  3. Hehe, the skips at our site always fill up in a single afternoon too - I wish we got them more often!

    The new plot looks fab - you definitely picked the right one! - and I see you've made great progress already! How exciting!

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    1. Hi Nome!

      We think we picked the right plot too. We are so glad we made this choice!!

      Martin

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  4. Good luck with the rest of it Martin. It's great to get all organised and get rid of all the junk.

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    1. This is our experience too! We don't have a skip at our site, just a white 'trade waste' bin on wheels. It fills up immediately it's emptied, and often with green waste which could be composted. The council removes it over the winter, so that when it reappears unannounced in Spring there's a mad rush to fill it with all the hard rubbish that's been building up.

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  5. Wow you are lucky getting a free skip.

    When I took over my third of an acre plot years ago - there were 40 yest 40 carpets on it, most of them the weeds had grown through and some were foam backed. We had old metal junk - like cupboards, various metal object including rotted old builders wheel barrows with holes in.

    There were kitchen cupboards, rusty broken tools, wire, corrugate iron sheeting, nylon lengths of frayed string - and so much more and we had to dispose of it all ourselves.

    Can't wait to see your next photos of the plot

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    1. Sounds like fun... :0/

      Next photos of the plot (apart from the robins) will be on Sunday! :0)

      Martin

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  6. Thank you for visiting my blog Martin and your lovely comments about my soil. I would like to say that when I got my plot a number of years ago, I had to take a pickaxe to the soil - literally!!! To put in spuds I had to use the pickaxe to just make a hole and put some manure in and the spud.

    Since then I have put skips full of pig manure until the pig farm closed, and now it's well rotted home and horse manure compost. It's paid off - mind you I have had to give up two thirds of my plot so the new owners have all the benefit.

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    1. I've been reading your blog for quite some time Lottie and you have never failed to impress me. You have put so much work in to your allotment and it is a shame you have had to give up 2/3 of it.

      Your soil did look fantastic in those pictures and I hope mine looks nice as good in the coming years...

      Martin :0)

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