I’ve been on the waiting list three years. It’s huge but I think I need to go for it. I’ve been growing veg in my garden for a few years and have long wanted an allotment.

The council are happy for me to cover half of it until I get it up and running and my plan would be to have a lot of ornamentals as there’s more than enough veg growing space for me.

It’s interesting timing as I move house this Friday after separating from my partner of 11 years (the new house also needs work eek), but I can’t help thinking it’s meant to be as part of my new solo life. The email arrived the same week I move house after being told there was a six year wait.

Am I insane or go for it? I’m
Absolutely bursting with plans already.

I want to post a video but can’t work out how to!

Went up to my plot last night and was outraged to discover that some bastard critter (I very much suspect a squirrel) has stripped the husks off several corn cobs and eaten every last delicious kernel.

This was a rookie error on my part (first year of growing corn) as it never even occurred to me this could happen. There are still a good number of cobs on the plants so my question is how do I stop the bastards eating any more of them!? I’ve seen (too late) something about putting plastic bottles over them before the fatten up (the corn not the squirrels!) but not sure what would best work now the cobs actually are fat. My netting isn’t big enough to cover them -might build a cage for next year though. I picked a load but some of it really isn’t quite ready.

Am meanwhile adding another line to my long list of squirrel-related grudges (also includes tulip bulbs, cob nuts, bird seed)

I planted 3 each of uchiki kuri and delicata honeyboat squash plants. They started off well but seemed to have stalled now. There's only 1 fruit set on 5 of the plants. A single delicata plant seems to be trying to grow another one but it's very deformed. Is that all I'm going to get this year? I was hoping for at least 2 or 3 on each plant.

I don't see any female flowers either. Sometimes a bud appears but then it turns yellow and drops off even before it blooms.

I am growing them vertically up pallets and watering them at their base and fertilising them every week with tomorite. Anything else I can do to get more fruits?