I joined the Newton Park Horticultural Society (established 1939) and became 2007 member number 247 for the grand sum of £2-.
They have a proper building on the allotment site over the road to mine which is open for trading on Sunday mornings for a couple of hours.
I found that I know the membership secretary, Brian, who lives across the road to me and is usually to be seen chomping on a fair sized cigar!
He signed me up, took my money and showed me round. I chatted with a few folk and bought some much needed gloves.
I was talking with someone about garden tools, which they don’t sell, and mentioned that I didn’t have a fork or spade. One of the other guys overheard this and said to stay put for a few minutes then wandered off. He returned with a fork in his hand and insisted that I could borrow it for as long as I needed it. What a nice gesture!
Equally so is that Cally, one of my bookshop colleagues, has said that I can have her spade as she never uses it.
I have a hoe and a rake, but will treat myself to both a good quality hand fork and trowel.
On the way home I detoured to have a look at my plot ( click on Plot 124 at top of the page) but it was wet and windy so making a start would have to wait for another day.
I received the promised paperwork from the council showing plots that are available, and which I went to look at on Thursday.
None had been worked for years and were very overgrown. After chatting with a couple of the guys working their own plots I decided on which I liked best and thought that I’d go back on Sunday for another look.
When I got home Friday lunch-time there was an email waiting for me saying that there was a half-plot available on the other site, which is on my side of the road and even closer to home being less than five minutes walk.
I’d only got through the gate, re-locked it and walked a few yards when I met and started chatting with John, a longtime allotmenteer.
It’s much better with the available plot being next to the site road, close to a water tap, and, although it looks like a jungle, was worked until last year.
When I got home I immediately emailed the council saying yes please Plot 124 will do me nicely, and sent off my application form. Today I got an email saying that an agreement in in the post.
to get itchy green fingers now!
A guy from the council’s allotment department phoned me on Friday and said that he would send me details, including a map, of plots that are available on a site that is just a few minutes walk away.
I’ve been reading some allotment blogs including Angelfeet’s Bless the Weather one and looking at all sorts of related webpages.
I shall also treat myself to a copy of Allotment Gardening by Susan Berger which has been recommended to me as a good book to help get me started.
I’m not making any promises but I hope to be able to do a regular entry, with photos, every week charting my progress.
Happy digging!
