..read more

New allotment, week one huge bay tree to remove, covers half the allotment, next to that is a 20ft Cherry tree ..read more

This week I signed the contract on this lovely overgrown abandoned plot! I've read Dowding's advice: clear perennial weeds, cardboard and cover beds to smother annuals. I'm an allotment cyclist so large bags of compost/ woodchip/ horse manure will have to wait till I can invest in a bicycle trailer. But...  What advice would you give to a first time allotment holder (who has time for 5-6 hours of attendance per week)?  ..read more

Hello, my name is Ed and this is my first time having an allotment!  To start, I'll tell you a little bit about myself. I live in Cottingham on the outskirts of Hull in East Yorkshire, and that is where my new allotment site is. I have grown up in Cottingham, and over the years my Grandad, my Great Uncle and my Mum and Dad have all had an allotment at some point on the same site, so I have grown up reasonably green fingered! Today, I picked up the key to my very own! Nothing very productive other than that happened today, other than having an explore and dig in the mud with my 6 year old ..read more

I sometimes boast that I receive no negative feedback or complaints, however, this changed recently! I received this neg feedback. Sadly my trug was not fishished well. Rough, frayed edges to wood, clearly not sanded. Contacted company with my genuine complaint and was treated brusqely. Such a shame as good customer service is also part of a good business! My genuine emailed response to the customer, (that she perceived as 'brusque') was as follows: - Dear Mrs T********e, obviously you will disagree, but to my wife and I, service and quality is absolutely paramount. We believe we do achieve bo ..read more

I sometimes boast that I receive no negative feedback or complaints, however, this changed recently! I received this neg feedback. Sadly my trug was not fishished well. Rough, frayed edges to wood, clearly not sanded. Contacted company with my genuine complaint and was treated brusqely. Such a shame as good customer service is also part of a good business! My genuine emailed response to the customer, (that she perceived as 'brusque') was as follows: - Dear Mrs T********e, obviously you will disagree, but to my wife and I, service and quality is absolutely paramount. We believe we do achieve bo ..read more

Well the wet and cold weather coupled with working has delayed the start of our own growing but finally we have our usual windowsill filled with promise! We have leeks x 2, sprouts, tomatoes and chillies x 2 ..read more

This growing season has been so difficult up to now. The damp chilly weather has meant rust on the garlic, poor growth even in the greenhouse and huge volumes of slugs and snails!  One thing that has romped away is the raspberries, with my early summer varieties producing already. The strawberries too are producing a great crop but I'm having to harvest them at only semi-ripe stage to try and outwit the snails and slugs.  My potatoes, stalwarts as ever are looking good and I hope that the the healthy looking foliage is indicative of the tuber growth beneath the soil. This year I'm gr ..read more

This growing season has been so difficult up to now. The damp chilly weather has meant rust on the garlic, poor growth even in the greenhouse and huge volumes of slugs and snails!  One thing that has romped away is the raspberries, with my early summer varieties producing already. The strawberries too are producing a great crop but I'm having to harvest them at only semi-ripe stage to try and outwit the snails and slugs.  My potatoes, stalwarts as ever are looking good and I hope that the the healthy looking foliage is indicative of the tuber growth beneath the soil. This year I'm gr ..read more

Well the wet and cold weather coupled with working has delayed the start of our own growing but finally we have our usual windowsill filled with promise! We have leeks x 2, sprouts, tomatoes and chillies x 2 ..read more