Been reading this today but I don't like it. It's about spending the minimum time at the plot yet it goes on and one about digging and creating fine tilths. Cuh

I borrowed it from the library, but in reality its nonsense, we all know it takes more than 1/2 hour a day to keep a plot in decent condition, nice enough book - should be classed as fiction

I don't think I liked the book as the author had no real interest in her subject I felt. You should write from the heart or not bother

I reckon I'll write my own. Page 1 will be gathering materials. Go to Tesco and nick some baskets. these can be used to keep rabbits/pigeons off your veggies and double up as handy sieves


Collected Pearls of Lotty Wisdom by Wardy - a book written in half an hour

Chapter two - will be about planting leeks in concrete. You know it makes sense

Where's the fun in a half hour allotment anyway - is part of the point just to get away from it all, where it's quiet, grow stuff and genereally pootle about

I quite agree Reedos. I love the loneliness or the companionship of my lotty - either is fine by me. Yesterday I had a sparrowhawk and a cat for company

I spend hours on my plot doing not very much at all I love sitting and daydreaming over a cuppa tea or glass of wine. Planning what to put where and when. Absolute bliss. I have lots of chairs

Like the sound of your book Wards, and Chapter 3 is.................?

I really must try to get to the plot soon

oooh Chapter 3 I shall go to me plot, contemplate and get back to yous

Skip raiding

now theres a subject , can you believe I went to the skip last weekend and in the general waste there was a a wonderful old rocking chair, all it need was a bit of tlc, tried to smile sweetly at the chappy inthe office but he wouldn't let me have it, well nothing ventured nothing gained and all that

Having spent 1hr ish at plot tonight, wishing I could stay for another 3 hrs I wonder if this book is practical at all All I managed was watering the lettuces and weeding some of the onion bed....

Anyone of you tried to do it that way yet? Since I'm a bit short of time at the mo it sounds tempting but I can't see how it works?

I spent an hour tonight and all I managed was to create an elaborate cats cradle tangled mess for my sweet peas to climb up - why didn't I just go to the pound shop and buy some net

Oh.... I used pea netting last year for sweet peas and things.... remember the fat babies , anyone? but was really hellish taking it down at end of season

Yeah I found that too, Dom. All ripped into little bits (but that's cos I got mad with it and just ended up yanking it down by brute force )

My quick visits to the plot are a minimum of 2 hours - I started off saying I'd be about an hour... now I get home when I get home 2hrs solid digging is about all I can cope with at one time anyway - I'm a wimp

I've got a book out the library called The Allotment by Andi Cleveley which I'm finding quite useful, though he does use phrases like being a visualist and a generalist and suchlike which to me doesn't sit easy with the subject, somehow.

Loobs if you manage 2 hours of digging you ain't a wimp! And having done that you deserve to be able to take a break, and sow something in it!! Well that's what I do anyway !!

I also have these books ... not a patch on JL's book - my bible ...

Veggie growing has becom very fashionable ... and there are several I could name who seem to have jumped on the band waggon to write 'something' to profit from genuine enthuiasm, but sadly they will not get the information they should from these books ...

Would be better off to buy the Expert book rather than these !!!

Read Bob Flowerdew's books ... now he has something to write about !!

I spotted some JL on eBay so will probably bid if I see any again (and if I remember ) Bob Flowerdew seems to make sense to me as well when I read his columns in magazines. Ta!