Saturday 31 May 2014

Feeling the fear

I was reading one of Leanne's posts the other day where she mentioned being scared of her allotment.  When I read her words I suddenly remembered when I first took on my plot.  It was very overgrown, as most allotments are when they're handed over to a new person, and some of the weeds were head-high.  I was only given half of the plot; the top half with the fruit - raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries - was destined for someone else.  My bit was a shed with a storage area and rhubarb patch behind it, an asparagus bed and two areas of about three square metres for growing things.  On an early visit to the plot I happened to mention to some long-time allotmenteers that it was a shame the plot had been divided into two.  A couple of days later The Lady With The Clipboard rang and offered me the second half.  I said yes without hesitation - not only were there the mature fruit bushes, but it also gave me a lot more space for vegetables.  That night I hardly slept at all.  I was honestly terrified at this vast, scary, out-of-control space.  I couldn't really remember the top area clearly, but I did remember it was even weedier than the bottom bit and I remembered thinking that I didn't envy the person who had to clear it.  That person was now me and I had no idea how I would do it.

Well, gradually it was cleared, somehow, although the edges have never been neat, and somehow things were planted and thrived, and I got through a whole couple of years without being evicted for gross weediness.


And that brings us up to last Friday.  I hadn't been to the plot for maybe five or six days.  Not that long right?  But it had somehow gone from slightly weedy to absolutely insane.  The edges of everything were two foot high seeding grasses.  The asparagus had disappeared into a bed of every type of weed imaginable.  The weed-proof membrane was about a foot off the ground, being pushed up into the air by grass and goodness knows what else.


And that's before we even get started on the wildlife.

My plot neighbour greeted me with the news that there was a badger hole with a bees' nest at the bottom of it.  Que?


He wasn't wrong.  The badgers had dug down about two feet, in two places, so that the hole was "U"-shaped and in the bottom of the hole were several dopey-looking bumble bees.



Let's move on.  I rushed around randomly seizing handfuls of weeds while the eldest and the littlest squabbled over the hoe.  Here's what I found in the compost bin when I went to throw the weeds in.


More ants than you could shake a stick at.  Yes, the white patches are ants' eggs.  EEK.  We found about a dozen more nests dotted about the plot. It seems we have an invasion.

And that's when it suddenly came flooding back.  The fear.  This huge space, wildly out of control, doing its own thing, growing everything except food.  Absolutely everything is rampaging away, there are slugs galloping over everything, at home as well as the plot.  The allotment next to mine appears to have been abandoned.  It was being tended until the end of the last growing season, but it hasn't been touched this year.  The spinach is seven feet tall.  Literally.



Other plots on the site have been neglected as well, not many, but a few.


For a moment I felt like throwing in the towel.  It just seems so unlikely that it will ever come together.  But in the past two years I've learned that this moment will pass.  I'll put in some time, do some weeding, replace the cucumbers that I clearly planted out too early and pick my own body weight in blackcurrants and gooseberries, despite the fact that they're surrounded by weeds.

I'm reading this book in the hope that it will inspire me and somehow magically transform my plot in just two and a half hours a week.  I'm feeling the fear but doing it anyway.

At home things are only marginally less scary.  There are ants and slugs and weeds, and while I was eating breakfast this morning the boys suddenly all started yelling, "THERE'S A MOUSE, THERE'S A MOUSE, THERE IS, THERE'S A MOUSE THERE".  There was.  Outside fortunately.  Jumping all over the pots on the patio.  And I nearly put my hand on a huge spider the night before when I was about to open a drawer.  All this wildlife stuff is all very well but I'm starting to feel a bit beleaguered.  It's everywhere.  Top floor flats have a lot going for them, they really do.  I used to live in one and there were no mice and hardly any spiders and it was a red letter day when a snail made it all the way up three floors.

Next week I'll try and get my act together and put in some weeding time.


Today I'm simply holding my nerve.  Just.

39 comments:

  1. I love how everyone stores their canes..
    Hang in there.

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    1. Neat isn't it? Mine are in a huge mess behind the shed and are disappearing into nettles and grass and goodness knows what else.

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  2. Oh no, but you'll get there, we have rampaging snails and slugs here so many, over night they completely distroyed all my summer bedding plants that were waiting to be planted out la sigh the sweetpeas are only just hanging in there too.
    Clare xx

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  3. Oh my.. my heart is with you.. when we moved into the farm sold to us by my husband's cousin - his wife had a big nice garden out by the apple tree. I had had a garden at our last house so I waited for spring and planted my new garden. The weeds took over in no time and I couldn't handle it. So.. we let it go to seed. Now I want some raised gardens and hubby has the lumber but not the inclination to build them. Oh well.. but I understand. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  4. It sounds like you need a nice cup of tea and that book. That will help you to make a plan and if it doesn't, at least you had a nice cup of tea. ;-)

    Hope the garden comes together and soon there will be asparagus and spinach and berries all in a row.

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  5. Oh I very much feel your pain...

    "The fear. This huge space, wildly out of control, doing its own thing, growing everything except food. Absolutely everything is rampaging away..." I couldn't have said it better. I am really guilty of moving on to a new project before the last one is finished, too. So that makes for more mess. Not sure it will help in the compost, but I've had great success getting rid of ant hills with used coffee grounds. I saved my grounds for a few days, put an inch thick layer on the hill and they vacated. Good luck! One row at a time ;)

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    1. Thanks for the tips. And your right, one row at a time is the way to go.

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    2. I really appreciate that you show pictures of an unkempt allotment. It is most intimidating to see only the perfect gardens on blogs. Thanks for being real!

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  6. Hi I have just found your lovely Blog, I would love some space for a veggie garden but we don't seem to have allotment in Australia. Good luck but it should be very rewarding when it's all done.

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  7. I do understand your feelings - years ago we took on an allotment covered in enormous blackberry brambles - bit at a time and with lots of old carpet and cardboard we managed to tame it sufficiently to grow some veggies and of course there were always blackberries for pies and puddings! I think the answer is to deal with one thing at a time and not to even think of ever finishing it so that you have a neat and productive patch or you will be overwhelmed. Maybe those who do have neat tidy plots use loads of chemicals and fertilizers and so on and don't forget that we must share with the wild life and never expect to have it all our own way. If we can harvest enough for our needs then maybe that's enough. I read an interesting article recently which said that plants (the ones we want) often survive better if surrounded, not covered!, with weeds as they too work on a share principle. At least with an allotment you don't have to look out of your sitting room onto it so it doesn't really matter if it is a bit unkempt. Nature will win so pick your battles carefully! Good luck and I am sure all will be well if you take it bit at a time.

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  8. It can be so daunting and scary can't it... but oh so worth it when you're eating all that fresh produce :o) x

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  9. Thank you for the lovely comments you have left on my blog I am having great fun over a cup of tea enjoying reading your posts. I know your area a bit as my husband is from Berkely and we still have family living there we often visit Purton and I love spending time walking the canal banks and overlooking the river it's very diffent from Suffolk. X having major typo issues today and some reason it won't let me correct. I did mean Berkeley. Thank your for your lovely comments on my blog. Having a allotment does seem a big struggle but I'm told repeatedly it will be worth it in the end. I know South Gloucestershire a bit as my husband is originally from Berkelely

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  10. Don't give up - it will be worth it in the end !
    Here's to a week of happy weeding,
    Kate x

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  11. Garden is a series of high and low points and we all feel the fear at times. Each of our five plots were head high in weeds including bramble and docks and all sorts of debris. Eventually tou get there by eating the elephant bit by bit. Then there is the staying in top os it all,

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  12. Keep up the momentum, you will get there in the end! It took us years to sort out an old garden we had which was a metre deep in weeds and a third of an acre in size. As Sue says above so brilliantly, you will get there by eating the elephant. Just remember to take lots of pictures as you do this to look back on when you sit in your beautifully tidy shed with no spiders! xx

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  13. Little and often is the way to go. If you turn your back for five minutes at this time of year, everything gets out of hand, especially when we've had rain like we just have. Tackle a bit at a time, it spurs you on when you see one area completely done, and don't lose sight of what you're doing it all for. Just think of the harvests, it's all worth it in the end. Good luck with it all and do let us know if you find any worthwhile tips in the book you're reading.

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  14. A post that I can certainly empathise with. I'm lucky with the amount of time that I can spend plotting and sympathise with others, like yourself who are limited.
    I like the pictures, especially the first and last ones. Happy plotting! Flighty xx

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  15. Wow - badgers and bumblebees! Creating homes for wildlife - isn't that what we are supposed to be doing? You're doing great at it! :)

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  16. I love to see your alloment, so tidy, so neat. Abandoned land sometime make me so sad and worried. Live on the urban area with the limited land makes me have to think 'smart'. Side by side to my homegarden is my nextdoor garden. He have never care about his garden, abandoned land. It became so messy with very high grass and other weeds, also a very nice home for so many bugs and unexpected visitors (snake, rat, snail, slug, etc). Some big trees were planted near my house wall, and some twigs are on my gardens area. Eveyday I find about a pail of fallen leaves from his trees. And when the wind was coming, Oh no... That's really annoying. I think that is a 'dangerous' garden.

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  17. I would be in the same boat, CJ. I love the idea of a garden, but I'm not good at managing much growing stuff. Obviously, the climate here has something to do with it, but I just don't have the love for it that some people do. It doesn't move me that much, I guess. You do seem to have it, though. I am always in awe of your allotment plot, you're doing something right. I understand about the wildlife. We have cockroaches here. They live in the trees and all over the ground, and come into the house through the doors and up the bathtub drains. Where I come from, having cockroaches in your home is horrifying, a sign of being dirty and slovenly. But here, it's just part of life. Not to mention the ants, bees and houseflies every day. And the lizards, they come right under front door and climb up the wall in the foyer. I can't even keep up.

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  18. Oh dear. You know what, though ? You'll get it done - and the wildlife will stay where it ought to - in the wild. I promise :o)

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  19. There are so many things in life that leave us fearful but are well worth it in the end. There are always obstacles to overcome (ants, and bees) but you will and when you do you will feel so wonderful.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  20. It can be hard on the allotment sometimes but the rewards of bringing home all your produce is so good too! The children must be learning so much too! I hope you have a easier week in it this week with less wildlife too! Sarah x

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  21. But it makes for a great blog post! Things are pretty exciting on your side of the pond.

    It will all come back together. Just keep weeding.... :)

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  22. I kind of thought an allotment would be great but after reading Leanne's post, and yours, I don't think I would have the energy or perseverance it needs. The work you do is quite unbelievable. I think these past two weeks, plants have been having growth spurts. I don't seem not witness the actual growing but one day there is nothing and the next day, the weeds are knee high. Magic. A small patch at the time would be my strategy for getting on top. I hope that badger did not stay? Our cat Pippin brought a still very much alive mouse into my bedroom on Friday night. I don't usually squeal but the thing was hopping and I truly thought it would end up in my bed. Have a lovely week CJ. x

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  23. I don't feel so bad about our garden now! I need to keep up with the weeding too. For June it seems manageable, by July I usually lose hope! Your allotment looks lovely.

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  24. Good luck with the weeding! It's the same here - slugs and weeds taking over. I used to feel really guilty about the weeds on our allotment. Most of the other plots around were neat and tidy, and I was terrified in case seeds from my plot were blowing about and contaminating clean soil. But then most of the other plot holders used round up at the first sign of weed growth and thought I was just strange and a bit naive in not doing the same.

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  25. My goodness, what a lot to sort out. It is such a shame that the surrounding plots are not being cared for as it spreads weeds for everyone else and makes it so much harder for the next person to care for. I hope that you can get things dealt with and that peace will once again reign supreme on your plot - with no badgers or ants and the bees in their right and proper place pollenating, and not living in a badger hole! xx

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  26. Oh sister you are preaching to the choir!! Its a war out there. *whipsers* The insects and weeds are taking over...I fear we may be doomed.....

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  27. Just had to comment as I nearly put a massive spider on my face the other day!!! It was on my towel and I went to dry my face and OMG, I was too scared to go into the bathroom for quite a while.... That is the downside of leaving the windows open for hours now that the weather is a bit warmer.

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  28. Thanks for this post. I feel like I'm being dragged along by my garden, trying to learn and tidy and remember things and pick up tools and things piecemeal. It's a relief to see a few posts that aren't all about perfection.

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  29. I was waiting to get to the badger photos.

    I know what you means about the weeds. I left a little patch of nettles on a rather unkempt bit of the plot. I'm sure someone told me they were good for butterflies or even making a liquid plant food. They were only a few inches high then so they weren't going to be a problem. Without me noticing they're head high now.

    All you need now are some foxes and you could do your own Springwatch Programme!

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  30. I know you don't want to hear this but you put a big smile on my face because I can just imagine your face when seeing some of this wildlife! All of your hard work is worth it! That first shot sums it all up for me! My goodness is that just a beautiful photo!! You keep at it...your fears are exactly what I feel on a daily basis with my garden as I am running in my pajamas every morning after the squirrels so they don't walk off with my plants! I pretty much look like a crazed lunatic!! Here is to the ups and downs of gardening! Wishing you all the best pal! Nicole xo

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  31. You hold that nerve CJ, you're my gardening hero. I love the photos of little man in his garden boots pushing the wheel barrow. Your levelheadedness will conquer the allotment, just as you described at the pace it can. You are so optimistic and forward moving, I have no doubt in you and your clan. :) Happy Gardening.

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  32. Wow, is David Attenborough holding court at your allotment? There is a lot going on there, I almost can't believe it! You will manage it, of course you will! Just like when we become mothers for the first time, this is all so overwhelming, we know so little, we want to run off! But persevere and you'll get through these first few tricky times, then you'll reap the rewards! Chrissie x

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  33. Nature is so wonderful and so very intimidating all at once. I'm sure you'll get a hold of things. And hopefully the over abundance of animals will at least keep the boys busy. Do you think this is linked to all that rain you had this winter? I'm betting so.

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  34. Hang in there! I'm sure you'll make this space beautiful, like you always do! I can't imagine how daunting it is, but things have a way of working out. Just relax and do what you can:) That's what I try to tell myself, too, but it's always easier said than done, right?

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  35. I think you're doing an amazing job with your plot. It's certainly more than I could manage. I saw a mouse in our garden but I figure as long as it's outside that's OK!

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  36. I wonder if the abandoment/neglect of the other plots near yours has contributed to the fast growth of unwanted things in your own plot? Not very helpful, I know, but perhaps it will make you feel better and less out of control. Less like it's all your fault! In my own tiny garden I can see that, after 5 or 6 days, everything has gone a little crazy. All it takes at this time of year is a little rain, a little sun, and suddenly it's hello weeds!! Hang in there. You can totally do this. xx

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