Getting along with your allotment neighbours

[antipodes]

Those of you who know that I had lots of troubles when I first got my allotment will be surprised to hear this. for the story, I garden in a French allotment association and last year was my first year. All the others mostly are retired people and generally men who obviously have lots of time on their hands. SOme of them, esp the plot manager did not like my way of gardening, I covered areas of the plot with cardboard etc and this was frowned upon. I had lots of pressure to plan the whole plot quickly and I worked like a slave to try and get the plot to conform to their expectations. Well that manager has been given the boot.
Yesterday two of my neighbours came and chatted with me and I was surprised to hear that many of the other plotholders had defended me saying that the old blokes can't expect everyone to have the same ideas as them about how to garden, which I was not aware of.
Since last year I have been keeping myself to myself, just going down, digging and going home, of course being civil, saying hello to people I pass etc. And last night I got the impression that lots of the others think that I have been totally put off of my neighbours by a few bad eggs and so they came to talk to me to say if you need advice, just ask, why didn't you say you needed wood etc, we would have helped you, why don't you participate in the association activities etc. I thought it was incredibly kind of them (even though one of them is an "old boy" who thinks that my plot is a bit of a joke, which he said quite frankly but also admitted that if I am happy with it and I get some things growing, who gives a toss? he kept saying why do you do things in little squares?? just do big long rows!!).
Now I feel quite bad that I have obviously put down as a bit of a snob but really it is a combination of wanting to stay out of arguments and because I am always in a terrible hurry down there because my family don't quite agree with me having the allotment.
Still now I suppose I can feel a bit more friendly towards my neighbours, they were very kind, although they obviously feel that I don't know my arse from my elbow (I just don't have the time or the material often, rather than lack of know how) they warned me that I have aphids on my broad beans and told me to kill them with...vinegar!!
phew - got that off my chest anyway!
Does anyone else have strange relationships with the other plotholders?

[antipodes]

[Crystalmoon]

Hi there, sorry to hear you have had such a bad time starting your lottie. Im on a tiny site with about 8 other people. There are 2 old boys that at first thought I was 'just another girlie who will bring her kids here to make a mess' & that I was doing things in an insane way (I have a raised bed & lots of small individual beds, am using fleece cloches & Cds on strings to scare the birds...all alien activities to the old timers!). But as time is going on & they have seen that I am making a real committment they are softening towards me & one of them gave me some main crop potatoes & also rotovated a stubborn area of my plot for me. Yesterday when I went down there someone had left me some rhubarb to plant. So things are getting better with my lottie neighbours but Im having terrible problems with rowdy kids on the estate near my allotment. Thay have thrown water bombs at me whilst Im working & damaged my fleece cloches. When I arrived at my plot yesterday I could see large holes ripped in the sides of my poly tunnels covering my strawberries & when I checked there were large stones & rocks inside the tunnels  :'(
This is really getting me down now & as my site is the nearest to a public footpath I think I will be the target for thess yobs for some time  >:( 

[lorna]

Antipodes Glad to see things are improving for you, you must feel so much better when you are at the allotment with a friendly group

Crystalmoon, I get so angry when I hear about the yobs who make life difficult for you. I can imagine how you feel, I have had the rope on my rope and post fence cut more than once, that is in my garden, they are so brazen. I have now bought some wire rope, waiting for son to sort it for me, but at least there is no serious damage.
I do hope things improve for you.

[Old bird]

Antipodes are your neighbours French, English or a mix?

Never easy being a woman on a male dominated allotment site.  Although the doubters on my site have been overtaken by women all doing their own thing and their sites are mainly better managed than the blokes sites now!!

Deep beds are becoming more and more the norm here and there are a few cloth caps that still stick with traditional methods but a lot of them are sidling over and saying that we are getting better produce and they can see that the beds are much easier to manage than their huge great long rows of whatever!!   They are, they say, going to try our methods but as yet not much sign of it!

What is up with your family not giving you backing and support?
I think they need sorting out too!

Good luck you sound like you are winning!  Does it matter that they think you are a snob?  Most people think I am - but they learn!

Old Bird

;D

[betula]

Glad to know things are improving on the allotment Antipodes.

You have done well to stick it out.A lot of people would have given up. :)

It is sad your family do not approve,however we are all entitled to do our own thing within reason.Tell your family it makes you happy to do this.I am sure they will want you to be happy. ;D

[antipodes]

thanks for all the kind comments! It was nice to hear the old fellow say "well it looks a lot better than it has done" (the kind of comment where you smile and say think you then think to yourself, hang on a minute...) You can all have a look on me blog, I just put some new pics up, you can check out my neighbours very neat gardens!!

Well I am the only gardening enthusiast in the family, although the kids each have a flower bed and they watch their own personal artichoke plants like a hawk. But they are not really very understanding about the endless pots of veg seedlings all over the house (I live in a flat), the need to sometimes rush down the allotment to dig something up or frantically weed. And composting organic stuff seems yukky and pointless to them. If I put in too much time, they start moaning that I am not giving enough time to them  :-[

but it is true that I have a full time job, two kids, who also have activities like music and sport, I take piano lessons and cook all my meals from scratch to provide cheap healthy meals (one of the reasons I have the plot in fact!), so I can also appreciate why they think they never see me!! I do try to put in 2 or 3 hours on the plot per weekend but it is not really enough so I do tend to pop down before or after work sometimes, especially during picking season. I find you tend to get carried away!!

But I am pleased if I start getting on better with my neighbours, maybe I can get them to keep their eyes peeled for wood or sticks for stakes and that kind of lark. They talked a bit about people not doing things to get something in return, maybe they thought I was scared of then having to do loads of favours for others just because they gave me a plank or a caggabe plant? which is not true of course.

[Old bird]

Antipodes

I wasn't criticising your children - but it sounds like they occasionally like getting down there too!

I think you are doing a really good job in educating them about "yukky stuff and compost"  they will understand and probably be a little bit knowledgeable when they in turn may get themselves an allotment when they have a family.

It is surprising because my son has never been interested in helping me with allotment or anything.  He now lives in central Bristol in a flat.  But he understands the mechanics of it and he also now appreciates the organically and fresh produce that I load him up with when he returns to his flat after a visit home.

So some things go in - without our intention of converting them - and eventually they may surprise us!  Cooking all your meals from scratch is another major plus as they are learning about what makes a meal great!  Not just down the chippy or whatever you have "en France"!!

I am surprised that they are protecting their own artichoke plants!  Do they enjoy eating them?  I have mixed success with mine - some people loving them and others can't be bothered.  I think they are fab looking plants and have stuck 3 large plants on corners - so should have a decent crop this year.

Good luck & keep going!

Old Bird

[antipodes]

Yes my kids do love artichokes! I suppose they are such fun to eat!! And the Britanny region is famous for its artichokes too so they are eaten a lot here.
My neighbour's plant last year looks like mine this year! she had about 6 or 8 good fruit on it! I have 2 plants on the go because they do take up a lot of room hee hee I am lucky because here in France people do still cook a lot and the children do eat healthier food than in UK (well from what I have seen anyway), lot so many chips and burgers and fizzy drinks here, the kids' school meals are a starter of salad (grated carrot, beetroot, radishes, tomatoes) or something liek paté or sardines etc then proper cooked lunch, meat or fish with a veg (can be anything from rice to pasta to puree of courgette, green beans, broccoli etc), a dairy product or cheese and fruit. Chips are a rarity, about once a month. Obviously you still get some podgy kids but a really really overweight child here really stands out from the crowd.
My daughter (7) actually fights us for the last portion of spinach or brussel sprouts She sometimes makes us laugh by saying "I think I must be a vegetarian"  ;D ;D
Actually it is more the OH who is the non gardener, he doesn't see the attraction.

[Mr Smith]

I think Antipodes is doing a sterling job having a lotty in France, problem it's in  France :), personally I have had enough minor problems on my lotty with the (I've been gardening on here for twenty five years brigade) but eventually they do come round even the English  :)

[elvis2003]

antipodes,just a quick reply,for what its worth,as i just saw your post and its late*  keep up the good work,you doing great,with love from rachel xxxx

[saddad]

I agree keep up the good work.... it's now very late, I've just got up 'cos I can't sleep, if you think that's bad try being on an allotment committee!!
;D

[manicscousers]

I agree keep up the good work.... it's now very late, I've just got up 'cos I can't sleep, if you think that's bad try being on an allotment committee!!
;D

I was up at 4.35 but stayed upstairs reading, this plant sale's playing on my mind, and we're on the committee  ::)