It ' s a jungle out there....

We've been trying to get hold of an allotment for YEARS! We're surrounded by fields here. You'd think that somone would have a piece of spare land we could use. Our local authority says that once there are 6 (I think that's correct) people on a waiting list they have to source more land. Maybe they do. What seems to happen is that as the waiting list gets longer the council writes to people to check that they are still interested and ask for written confirmation of their interest. I'm guessing this doesn't happen - so it takes forever and nothing seems to happen. Meanwhile, I'm told that allotments change hands between families and that as long as the rents are paid noone checks up on who is actually paying it. So, I suppose it comes down to who you know and I obviously don't know the 'right' people. Such is life!!

Desperate times demand desperate measures or whatever that saying is so.... we've adopted part of a previously uncultivated field. At least, it hasn't been cultivated since at least the second world war! A while then.

Part of this field is being used for other purposes but there is a strip down one side which we can have. The drawback is it's not going to be easy. (I/we must be abolsutely insane. I mean I like a challenge but flippin heck.) You just have to look at the pictures to see that.

_dsc2149

trailer anyone?

The strip I'm talking about goes beyond that hawthorn bush you can see at the back. I don't like the idea of taking it out - but at least leaving the work until late summer means that we won't be disturbing any nesting birds. We're only going to tidy up the perimeter leaving the trees and bushes as they are. _dsc2150

The field stretches away behind this bush and borders onto horse paddock.

I'm sooooo excited. I know that it looks daunting and impossible and .... and.... but if we do a bit at a time, I'm sure we can get to do something with it. My daughter loves growing stuff and my son's always ready for a bit of demolition (and eating) - a great project through the summer holidays.

In the meantime we can enjoy the blackberries, apples and plums that are growing there. So, we will have a kind of harvest to enjoy - even if it's not one we planted.