Meet Doug.
He is approximately 8x7 yards, needs some digging over, some manure and a bit of weed clearance but otherwise is all set to go. He already has some strawberry plants at the back and a couple of raspberry plants at the front. The rest is up to us. This is where the hard work and the fun begin.
When I went down this morning, I met some of the other plot-holders, all lovely people ready to share knowledge, plants and home-made vittels (this could get very messy!) :)
We applied for two allotment plots a few years back. The waiting lists were each in the hundreds so we expected a long wait.In the meantime, we managed to get some practise in with Nigel the Garden. Nigel is painfully small but we tried very hard to utilise the space as best we could. We made mistakes but still managed to get small crops of various different fruit and veg.Then a week ago we got the call for which we had been waiting so long.
Bournemouth East Allotments had a quarter plot for us and would we like to come and see it? Bit of a no-brainer really.
The following day we found out that it was probably one of the best vacant plots going - it was being given up by a plot-holder who was moving to a bigger plot, not one which had been neglected. Our fears of it being too hard to even get started had been dispelled.
We're under no illusion that it will be hard work but it's going to be fun too!
Meet Doug.