OK, my adventure starts a couple of years ago. I had no job, money was tight and home life was a bit grim. So in an effort to get my arse into gear, get some excercise and make something good happen I started a home veg plot, this worked well but I soon realised that there would not be enough room to grow enough veg to feed a family of 4. So what did I do, I went and put my name down for an allotment!!!.
But no ordinary allotment, this was a secret allotment that know one knew about. this was my space. But then I saw it, and it was massive and wild!!!!!
So I ran........................................... then called for reenforcements, contacted the council to strim and then rotivate the plot for me. 2 months later they ploughed it!!!! it was like the surface of the moon!!!!!!
Then I realized it was too big for me to conquer in secret and the Mrs would know I was upto something. So as things were still dodgy on the home front I put it to the back of my mind. Then 4 months later I braved it and spilled my secret, the response was positive. Brownie points for me.
I then went backed to the plot and the weeds presented me with a monster. I grabbed the plot by the horns, marked out the basic area's (shed,greenhouse compost area, path and veg plots). Then I bought a heavy duty strimmer and got to work. After a couple of days the weeds where down to about 2" high, but i couldn't cut any smaller and the ground surface was too lumpy for a lawn mower.
I then thought of a plan, money was still tight so I decided to build a shed from pallets. I managed to source about 10 to get my shed under way when I had a stroke of luck (about time). Another allotment holder was packing it in after not touching his plot for over a year, shed and green house for sale. After 24 hours deal was done and shed and greenhouse purchased along with paving slabs, garden tools, timber and the remains of what was a wooden swinging garden bench for £100!!
A week later, shed was dismatled, as was the greenhouse and everything moved. after a few weeks of laying foundations and replacing broken glass I now had a shed and greenhouse up and ready. I then used some large timber beams and the pallets I had, to create a large decking area in front of my shed with the seat of the wooden swing bench on top as a place of rest and relaxation.
It was now the summer and 8 months after I had got the plot, and I still had nothing planted. I went to dig my first plot and it was like concrete (we in Norfolk had some very sunny weeks that year and it baked everything). I decided it was too late in the year to start much so shifted my attention to my veg patch back home (which supplied us with spuds, carrots, beans, courgettes and salad crops).
The year moved on (2009) and I could eventually dig 3 plots, planted winter potatoes in one and overwinter garlic and onions in the other two. I also bought some weed suppresent and tarp, and covered 2/3'ds of the rest of the plot.