New Member Saying Hello

Discussion in 'New Members Introduction' started by Gillykat, Jul 23, 2014.

  1. Gillykat

    Gillykat Gardener

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    Helloooo everyone :new:

    I'm Gill, 46 years young, married to Neil and owned by two thoroughly spoilt cats called Chilli and Lily. We live in a first-floor flat in a rural town in Northumberland and have been here for ten years come October (where has the time gone?) :noidea:

    I've been a lifelong lover of gardening and growing stuff ~ mostly flowers and houseplants...no vegetables yet ~ ever since my dad gave me a small plot of my own in the back garden when I was around 3 years old. I loved to grow hardy annuals like nasturtiums, candytuft, nigella and Virginia stock and even now I still like to have a few of these in my containers.

    Unfortunately I don't have a 'proper' garden of my own as we live in a flat but I do have a few containers in the courtyard we share with the rest of the neighbours. There was nothing here when we first moved in as nobody seemed bothered about growing stuff but I cannot be without plants and my hands in compost so asked the lady downstairs if she minded me putting a few pots against the wall...and over the years I've kind-of gradually added more and more :snork: I've currently got around 20 in various sizes but have my eye on the bare back wall for a bit of trellis and clematis or other types of climber. Nobody's complained about my flowers....it would be rather petty really, wouldn't it? Flowers don't harm anyone yet give so much delight :)

    I have just applied for an allotment...hopefully at the site just five minutes' walk from where I live...so fingers crossed :fingers crossed: There's a few overgrown plots available according to the council website and I ticked the box for not minding a neglected plot as I don't mind a challenge so hopefully that will go in my favour ;) Neil and I have often talked about trying for an allotment but kept putting it off as we thought we might be moving away but those plans have all fell through so we have decided to stay put. I recently had a small dog from a friend on trial with us (I've been lost without a dog since my whippet died in 2008) but unfortunately had to return her as the cats really didn't like her and were very stressed by her presence. So for the past couple of months I've been twiddling my thumbs and at a bit of a loose end....until a customer in our shop happened to mention his allotment and we got talking and it set me thinking. After a couple of weeks I found out how to apply for one locally and quickly printed out the form, filled it in and stuck it in the post ASAP before I bottled out :whistle:

    Anyway....I'm rambling on AS USUAL :redface:...off to explore the rest of the site :biggrin:
     
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    • ARMANDII

      ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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      Welcome to Gardeners Corner, Gillykat:thumbsup::snork::cat-kittyandsmiley:
       
    • Lolimac

      Lolimac Guest

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      Welcome to GC Gill :dbgrtmb: there's lots of great advice and information here enjoy having a good browse around.Sorry to hear about your dog:doggieshmooze:..
      Good luck with the lottie application :fingers crossed::spinning:
       
    • Sheal

      Sheal Total Gardener

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      Welcome to Gardeners Corner Gill. :) Good luck with the allotment!
       
    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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      Hello and welcome to the forum Gill :)
       
    • Fern4

      Fern4 Total Gardener

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      Hiya....welcome to GC :sign0016: :spinning:
       
    • Hairy Gardener

      Hairy Gardener Official Ass. (as given by Shiney)

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      Hello and welcome, you will like it here :spinning:
       
    • Ellen

      Ellen Total Gardener

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    • Gillykat

      Gillykat Gardener

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      Neil and I have just got back from a mooch around the allotments and there's quite a few (half a dozen or so that we saw) that are empty, not as badly overgrown as I'd feared and, best of all, have some good fencing around them :blue thumb: Had a chat with a guy who's had one up there for 4 years and it seems the council are clearing a lot of the middle neglected area that was really bad (6ft+ weeds, bricks, junk etc) and putting some decent fencing up so I'm feeling quietly optimistic......in a kind-of bouncing off the ceiling with excitement sort of way :hapfeet::hapydancsmil::yay::yahoo: Even the plots that are a little overgrown with buttercup, nettles, etc aren't as bad as I'd originally feared and even Neil was pretty impressed and says that even the WORST plot will be easily sorted :blue thumb: He works as security on an opencast site and says he can get all manner of stuff which he can salvage from there (legally with permission from his boss as it'll just be scrapped otherwise) which would be ideal for an allotment (railway sleepers, barbed wire to keep toerags out ;) , wood to build a shed etc.

      So fingers crossed :smile:
       
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      • Loofah

        Loofah Admin Staff Member

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        Watch out @Kristen you have competition for longest posts! :snork:

        Welcome to the clubhouse
         
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        • wiseowl

          wiseowl FRIENDLY ADMIN Staff Member

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          Good morning GillyKat and a warm welcome to Gardeners Corner:smile:

          [​IMG]
           
        • Gillykat

          Gillykat Gardener

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          "busted" I'm just a natural gasbag.

          I was forever getting told off by my supervisor for talking too much to the customers years ago when I worked in a supermarket :heehee: That was over 20 years ago and if anything I'm MORE of a chatterbox now as age has made me less shy about talking to strangers :whistle: No point in being a shy bairn when you work in a shop :snork:
           
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          • Sheal

            Sheal Total Gardener

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            You chatter away Gillykat, it's not a problem. :) When the humour and sarcasm get going here you have to develop a thick skin. :heehee:
             
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            • ARMANDII

              ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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              Banter, Sheal, Banter:heehee::lunapic 130165696578242 5:
               
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              • Fat Controller

                Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                Welcome aboard @Gillykat :sign0016: - you'll love it here, really friendly wee forum with plenty of chatter no matter what time of year.

                Fingers crossed you get your allotment :fingers crossed:
                 
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