Saturday, February 25, 2012

2012 Allotment Diary - Me: 9 hrs He: 6hrs

The weather has been nice and dry of late, so I was determined to get up the allotment early today and finish shifting the big pile of shredded wood.

Sunshine was forecast so it was on with the sunblock and hat and covered top to toe - who needs a scarecrow when you see me out in the sun!

Silly me forgot to take any before photos - I was eager to get working!
This area beside the track and alongside the pig hut which is our shed.  It had a pile of 'stuff' dumped next to it which we have now cleared, and I've laid some membrane and put a deep layer of the wood chips.  Since the photo was taken I have swept it straight. I am hoping that it will deter people dumping anything else there.

Alongside the water tanks, plastic 'bit's used to end up[ here and stinging nettles from next door's plot which they never cut or pull up - it's a bit of a dumping ground their side but at least this looks tidy now.

We have cleared piles of stuff from here over the years - junk that we inherited with the plot, water barrels, lumps of wood, metal 'posts' corrugated iron sheets.  We cleared the last lot today, so I have membraned that and covered it.   Mr Lottie dug a deep edge for me - so I just need to sweep the wood chips back and put a wooden border along it to keep them all neatly in place.

Deep wood bark on top of membrane so it'll be nice and easy 'allotment side' for me to get to my water tanks - and hopefully no more stings from next doors nettles, fingers crossed.

Nearly finished for today.  We have sacks of rubbish to take up the tip in the week - they are all neatly in the shed.  I think Mr Lottie will take them with him when/if he gets a game of golf in next week.

I did rake up as much as I could, but at this point I had been doing heavy work for over three hours and could hardly stand - so next week I will sweep it, and if the weather is good enough will run the mower over it - if I can get it started after being in the shed all winter.
O.K. I'm on my way, just wanted one last look!

All done for today - tomorrow is Sunday, a day of rest with my family - off out to lunch.

Look left - all clear - there wasn't a soul up there in the whole field!
Down the track, unhook the gate, and off we go.
TTFN

4 comments:

  1. Looking good! As an extra deterrant you could put pots with flowers in, people are less likely to dump in a pretty spot! I love seeing the hours put in ratio too.

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  2. Allotment sites can tend to look like junkyards depending on the plot holders. You've done an excellent job with your clean-up job and fingers crossed that your tidiness will rub off on your neighbour as well :)

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  3. Good idea Kiwi Bird - but they would pinch the pots.

    As soon as I got there today, I saw that someone had already taken quite a bit off the pile of wood cuttings, and made a mess on the lawn where they had just thrown it - and not only that, they had 'borrowed' someone's wheelbarrow and left it propped up on the outside of our shed where stuff gets dumped!!!!!! I wouldn't mind but there is a mountain of the stuff for free right inside the gate! They just didn't want to walk 100yds to get it!

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