WELCOME TO MY BLOG

First published on Tuesday 18th July 2017

WELL HELLO THERE!

My name is Annie and I am a vegetable growing addict…there I have said it! Seriously though, I have always enjoyed pottering around the garden, but pruning shrubs and producing the perfect lawn always seemed a bit of a faff to me; whereas the organised chaos of cottage planting, with a few spuds, carrots and runner beans thrown in, was my kind of paradise.  For many years though, I hankered after an allotment, but never quite convinced myself I would be able to manage one as a single parent, whilst also keeping down a day job and studying with the OU. So,the idea just remained a thing of envy and not really a serious ambition. Then in 2013 as luck would have it, some lovely friends of mine Tim and Liz, who did have an allotment, gave me the opportunity to take on half of their plot!

Well it is amazing what you can achieve in just one year when you put your mind to it! It was a massive learning curve, but I discovered I could grow successfully, a huge crop of butternut squash and my experimental sweetcorn plants developed loads of cobs…well who’d have thought? My addiction had begun.

WHEN ONE INDULGENCE NEGATES ANOTHER!I bought a convertible! My pride and joy…. but uh oh…. virtually no boot meant no carriage for tools to and from the lottie! Now here was a dilemma. I had no shed on the plot to leave the tools in and the cream leather seats were not exactly crying out for a muddy wheelbarrow as company.  As winter came on, I slowly withdrew my regular visits and began to consider throwing in the trowel (did you see what I did there! Haha).

LIGHT BULB MOMENT (2014/2015)At home, I had a plum tree that I had planted as a tiny sapling back on 2002, but had had such a heavy crop this year that it had begun to lean at a precarious angle. 

As the winter drew on and the ground became more and more sodden, it finally collapsed onto my lovely summerhouse. Sadly, it had to go!

My poor garden…. It was now looking pretty dreadful, and I needed a plan!

WHY DON’T I BRING THE ALLOTMENT HOME WITH ME?

… and that folks, was exactly what I did, and this is my journey!