honkjazz - The Allotment! Part 1

On Saturday 26th January, 2008 Herbert and I set foot on our allotment for the first time ever. We were very happy and excited. We were also completely flummoxed as to how we should go about fixing it. Because it needs fixing. As you can see from this photo, it's covered in couch grass and various large shrubs and plants have set up camp. There's also a lot of carpet and other rubbish left over. So throughout our first day we whistle through our teeth a lot, throw all of the rubbish into the back of my car and get down to the recycling centre. The queues there make us cheat a bit and walk the moss-heavy carpets from the recycling shop car-park, past all of the waiting cars and over to the tip bit. Got some filthy looks but I think they were just jealous because they didn't think of such a crafty idea.
Herbert eats a hamburger with mustard and onions from the chuck-wagon and says it's well nice.
Then we pop into the recycling centre and buy some tools. We get a pickaxe, two forks, a sledgehammer and some shears for £12. We dillydally over a water butt (which is a very silly thing to say) and decide to leave it. I buy a Hohner Hip II electric piano which is in pieces for £10. I can't resist a lonely toy.

After removing all of the rubbish we start wandering around aimlessly, pulling up the dead, yellow couch grass and digging up the shrubs. There's so much to tackle that it's hard to know where to start. Eventually we decide to concentrate on the boundaries so as I clear the weeds away from the small fences, Herbert re-stakes them back into the ground. A few cups of tea and some sandwiches later we feel pretty pleased with our work.

Look, there I am, working and feeling pretty pleased about it!

The plot will face the elements as the wind and rain come sweeping down from Dartmoor which is a few miles to the North of us. The heavy clay soil will hold onto the couch grass roots for dear life. The local rabbits will feast upon our produce. Our backs are already bad. We have no shed. We have no money. We have no experience.

Let the battle commence.