Allotment 45: What we found on day one

Sleeves were rolled up...

When we took over we found that the allotment had been planted early in the season and then just abandoned to grow madly, but rampant vegetation was perhaps the least of the challenges. There were huge heaps of rubbish, glittering piles of glass, rusty scaffold poles everywhere, rotting mountains of wood and weed-covered mounds of compost and manure. Bindweed was flourishing. Against the side of the brick-built shed (a great bonus) leaned a teetering wooden structure that was about to collapse. Brick foundations lurked beneath couch grass. It had been a long time since the hedge had been trimmed.

Fortunately, some areas were still covered by sheets of black plastic, which gave us a weed-free start.

The list of tasks was long, and we began by concentrating on digging (and attcking as much bindweed as possible) and clearing rubbish.

The old wooden shed desperately needed a new roof and repairs, but there wasn't time to even think about that.

I decided to move the heaps of compost/manure from beside the gate, take down the vastly-long scaffold-pole bean supports (that threatened to scalp anyone who ventured too near), demolish any brick foundations I came across, dismantle the dangerous lean-to, move the rhubarb jungle, take as much rubbish as possible to the dump and get rid of most of the glass... Phew!

Last updated: 6th October 2011

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