Got the plot

Welcome to this new blog. It's a gloriously sunny Saturday 29th Sept in Stoke-on-Trent, and I now have a whole lotta plot! Yes, I've taken on my first allotment. Here she is...

Click the picture to see the big version.

She's No.42, on a large independently-run non-Council allotments site on a south-east facing hillside set high above Stoke-on-Trent. Well drained, nice soil, a few docks and thistles up at the top. But nothing to do with Stoke City Council, which is kind of reassuring. I signed on the dotted line and got it at 10.30am today. The rent should be about £30 a year. Not perfect, but it's a start and at least "I'm on the site".

Over the next two months I'll get the plot cleaned off and start to prepare for next Springtime. Sadly I can't do anything today, and the weather on Sunday is forecast to be foul. Expect more photos Monday when I go up to have a prod and do some measuring and mapping. Then an update about some hearty manly digging, later next week. Probably followed by various remedies for back ache.

As you can see from the photo above, she's a rather unloved plot. A bit daunting for a beginner. But I have a copy of the book Allotment Gardening For Dummies, and I'm not a politically correct hippie who fears using chemicals (although I hope they won't be needed).

At the top there's a rather nice seating area under an abundantly fruiting apple tree, which is where I get to sit and have a rest...

Click the picture to see the big version.

I spoke with some of the '10am Saturday' chaps, including the Secretary and the Communications guy who runs a very sharp website and monthly newsletter, and it all looks like a good mix.

Now it's armchair pipe-dreams until Monday, when I go up again and have a proper prod at it — and reel back in horror! I might have to scrump a few apples to calm my nerves...