I filled out an application form 5 years ago and have thought nothing of it since. I got a letter through the door yesterday offering me a plot.

Any reason I shouldn’t take it? It’s just down the road from my house (which has a concrete back garden so it doesn’t lend it self to growing). I’ve not seen the plot yet so i’m not sure what condition it’s in, maybe i’ll be lucky and it’ll have a shed.

Suggestions on what to grow?

Can/should I keep chickens?

Pictures of current plots will be helpful in my planning.

Do it, they’re ace. Just dug the first boiling of new potatoes out of ours and also got carrots and a boiling of peas. Can’t beat the taste of homegrown stuff

Do it. Got mine last week.
From this;

To this;

My allotment thread

Do it. I’d like to get one at some point soon, as soon as we move I’m going to put my name down. My Mum and sister share one and it’s amazing how much stuff they grow, seems like they’re harvesting all year round.

Nice to not only eat homegrown, but seasonal also.

Can/should I keep chickens?

Depends on the rules of the allotments. My Wife has one and they are not allowed there.

I’m allowed chickens in mine, I have said it before but I love my allotment.
Any excuse for my pic

We have one and I have just finished building a shed on it. I was goign to post up a picture of the shed along with a “Grrrrr! Look at me, I am MAN!” thread, but my hands hurt too much last night to do it.

Allotments are awesome. We’ve just had our first strawberries come through, with other soft fruit on the way. It’s hard work, but a great place to be when the weather is nice or when you jst need to switch off and dig.

Chickens? Check your allotment rules. We aren’t allowed any animals, which is a shame as I wanted to keep bees up there.

Do you like gardening? How valuable is your spare time? If the answers are ‘yes’ and ‘I have plenty of it’ then go ahead. Plenty of my friends love theirs, especially those with nippers.

One thing to to consider is that they are hard work so if time is a premium then it might not be for you especially if it’s a full size plot.
We have one Mrs Eruptron does most of the work but it is very rewarding if you stick to it.
On what to grow stick to what you like. It’s easy to start growing masses of things then get a freezer full of SPROUTS 🙄
we mainly stick to spuds, peas, onions and garlic. Sunflowers,sweetpeas and other flowers for cutting. Cucumber,chilli tomatoes in the greenhouse.
If you’ve waited 5yrs then give it a go 😉

There are lengthy waiting lists for allotments here in Edinburgh and I believe sometimes you can end up with one that’s not that close to where you live. I’m just about to head out and help a friend of mine on her allotment. I like this arrangement as it means I get to sample the produce and only have to graft when the weather is good.