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Post by smilesbetter on Feb 16, 2015 15:28:25 GMT
I have been growing a bunch of different chilli plants and a few other random things under a grow light in my flat, they are quite big now and one (the Bulgarian carrot chilli plant) has produced loads of flowers. I had thought nothing of it but only realised today that I will obviously have to try help pollinate the flowers as there are no bees living in my flat (the cheek of them!).
I have also got everything I need to set up a lettuce raft hydroponic system for growing lettuce, spinach, and other tasty least greens. I've also now got a big wooden pallet which I am going to turn into a vertical ebb and flow style hydroponic planter soon, I just need to get a couple more things for it first.
I'm really into Aquaponics rather than hydroponics, but I am going to see how the hydroponics go and figure out the best aquaponics setup (without the fish or plants at first) and then give that a try too. Just a miniature version of course, I have to wait till I get a house with a garden (the word garden autocorrected to "german" at first haha, interesting) before I set up a full size one. But I will! I aim to be pretty much self sufficient fruit, veg, honey, eggs and fish wise one day (will still need to buy meat I suppose haha, although I'll work on that!).
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Post by smilesbetter on Feb 16, 2015 15:29:34 GMT
If I don't get one then I'll want a jolly good excuse why not!!!!!!  I may even write a very snotty letter to the local paper saying it's a disgrace...an OUTRAGE even....that some allotments are a dumping ground for junk when there are genuine garden lovers crying out for somewhere to indulge their green fingers  I'd get a meeting with whoevers job it is to allocate allotments set up, because after two letters, leaving your details with them twice and not even getting a call back, they have some explaining to do. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 15:41:44 GMT
They've got till Friday to call me.....else Gilly will be on the warpath!!!!!  |
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Post by tonib on Feb 16, 2015 17:11:22 GMT
Fingers crossed for you @gillykat & for the hapless council employees who will be on the end of your wrath if you don't hear anything!  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2015 13:58:37 GMT
Couldn't wait  You know me....once I decide I want something I want it, like, YESTERDAY!!!!!  Shy bairns get nowt and all that Just rang up the council number once more and.......drum roll.......a real live person answered I had a lovely chat with her and she took my details and phone number and said she would get the guy in charge of allotments to call me tomorrow as he's out of the office today. She said he would have a chat and then probably take me up to the allotments there and then! I sneakily kept her talking and EMPHASIZED how I lived in an upstairs flat and loved gardening and used to be a gardener who went around turning people's neglected jungles into floral paradise and how I was prepared for a bit of hard work and aching back She said that the allotment rent year was from January to December and they had had a few folks give up their plots and some of them weren't necessarily a jungle but would just need a little bit of a tidy up to get back into order. So fingers crossed that I DO get that call tomorrow and hopefully even get to arrange a time to go up to see the vacant plots  Only niggle is that I don't have the cash for the rent (£45 per year....bargain!!!) until next Friday, 27th, when I get paid but hopefully THAT won't put the allocation guy off Not when I shall be sitting at the council office doors on the dot of 9am on 27th to hand over my rent |
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Post by lotsofcats on Feb 17, 2015 14:05:49 GMT
Good luck - I can see you really want that allotment. What are you planning on growing?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2015 14:49:37 GMT
Anything and everything! Naah seriously....this year (assuming that I get an allotment!) I'll probably do a few plots of potatoes because they're easy to grow, we both like them AND they break the soil up lovely I also like turnip and cabbage and will definitely have a few lines of lettuce. If I can get hold of a greenhouse ~ even one of those cheap plastic ones from Wilkinsons ~ it'll do for the summer and I could possibly have some tomatoes as nothing beats a warm tomato plucked straight from the plant The rest of the plot I shall probably fill up with flowers to attract bees, butterflies and hoverflies etc - I love the old cottage garden effect - and I'll just take my time over the summer weeding & digging over small patches and working out where to put raised beds etc and paths so that by the autumn I should have a better feel for what I want to do in 2016 I still plan to have my pots and containers in the courtyard outside my flat but by having an allotment and a greenhouse (and eventually a polytunnel) I will have the space to get hanging baskets planted up and growing on under shelter so that come May/June I can get them hung up in the courtyard. I can also start off trays of seeds and plant up containers under shelter so that, again, they can be transferred to the courtyard to replace, for example, my tired spring display of daffodils and tulips etc. THAT has been the most frustrating thing about living in a one bedroomed flat...I only have two windows to grow stuff on and one of them is the living room south-facing one which the cats use!  I think it'll probably be 60% flowers and 40% vegetables (or 70/30 ) as I just LOVE flowers so much. Last year when I originally applied for one Neil said he was looking forward to having a shed He's pretty good at building stuff so my greenhouse and polytunnel may end up being handmade instead of bought but who cares....at least I know it'll be strong! And I think it'll be me doing 90% of the gardening work.....Neil will probably be chilling out with a glass of wine in a deckchair You are also allowed livestock and a few folks have chickens and ducks but I don't have any plans for those.....not yet anyway |
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Post by caz2golden on Feb 17, 2015 20:25:11 GMT
Anything and everything! Naah seriously....this year (assuming that I get an allotment!) I'll probably do a few plots of potatoes because they're easy to grow, we both like them AND they break the soil up lovely I also like turnip and cabbage and will definitely have a few lines of lettuce. If I can get hold of a greenhouse ~ even one of those cheap plastic ones from Wilkinsons ~ it'll do for the summer and I could possibly have some tomatoes as nothing beats a warm tomato plucked straight from the plant The rest of the plot I shall probably fill up with flowers to attract bees, butterflies and hoverflies etc - I love the old cottage garden effect - and I'll just take my time over the summer weeding & digging over small patches and working out where to put raised beds etc and paths so that by the autumn I should have a better feel for what I want to do in 2016 I still plan to have my pots and containers in the courtyard outside my flat but by having an allotment and a greenhouse (and eventually a polytunnel) I will have the space to get hanging baskets planted up and growing on under shelter so that come May/June I can get them hung up in the courtyard. I can also start off trays of seeds and plant up containers under shelter so that, again, they can be transferred to the courtyard to replace, for example, my tired spring display of daffodils and tulips etc. THAT has been the most frustrating thing about living in a one bedroomed flat...I only have two windows to grow stuff on and one of them is the living room south-facing one which the cats use! I think it'll probably be 60% flowers and 40% vegetables (or 70/30 ) as I just LOVE flowers so much. Last year when I originally applied for one Neil said he was looking forward to having a shed He's pretty good at building stuff so my greenhouse and polytunnel may end up being handmade instead of bought but who cares....at least I know it'll be strong! And I think it'll be me doing 90% of the gardening work.....Neil will probably be chilling out with a glass of wine in a deckchair You are also allowed livestock and a few folks have chickens and ducks but I don't have any plans for those.....not yet anyway You might be interested in this then www.facebook.com/HeinzKetchupUK?sk=app_300380653443730 |
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Post by cazypops on Feb 17, 2015 21:24:22 GMT
Wow! I hope you get that call @gillykat. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. |
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Post by spider on Feb 17, 2015 23:04:47 GMT
i love ur plans i really hope u get ur allotment u have a lovely vision of how its going to be
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Post by lotsofcats on Feb 18, 2015 9:25:32 GMT
You've got that all planned out then. I can't wait to have daily updates on your fruit, flowers and veg.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2015 11:57:13 GMT
Still waiting for that phone call!!!! *tappingfeetimpatiently*  |
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Post by lotsofcats on Feb 18, 2015 14:02:44 GMT
Still waiting for that phone call!!!! *tappingfeetimpatiently* Give them a ring if you don't hear anything soon. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2015 17:52:32 GMT
Pah....not a peep from my phone today  I had better get a call tomorrow or Friday at the very latest because I WANT MY ALLOTMENT!!!!! If the council are going to put an article in the local paper asking for new tenants for their empty allotments then the least they can do is pick up the phone and return a call |
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Post by smilesbetter on Feb 18, 2015 19:42:14 GMT
£45 a year?! Wow! I want one haha, what a bargain.
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I may even write a very snotty letter to the local paper saying it's a disgrace...an OUTRAGE even....that some allotments are a dumping ground for junk when there are genuine garden lovers crying out for somewhere to indulge their green fingers 
You know me....once I decide I want something I want it, like, YESTERDAY!!!!! 
Only niggle is that I don't have the cash for the rent (£45 per year....bargain!!!) until next Friday, 27th, when I get paid but hopefully THAT won't put the allocation guy off 
I had better get a call tomorrow or Friday at the very latest because I WANT MY ALLOTMENT!!!!! If the council are going to put an article in the local paper asking for new tenants for their empty allotments then the least they can do is pick up the phone and return a call 