i've volunteered to see if we can get a local group going
for talking about gardening, mini-seed-swaps, etc. pretty
much just going to be informal as i don't want to get into
prepared speeches and presentations.

each gardener has to start out someplace, so if i can help
a few people out each month i'll consider it worth the time
spent. if nobody shows up it just means i've spent a few
hours sitting and reading at the library or talking to people
i used to see more often.

songbird

"songbird" <songbird@anthive.com> wrote in message
news:bbg1gi-r5a.ln1@anthive.com...
> i've volunteered to see if we can get a local group going
> for talking about gardening, mini-seed-swaps, etc. pretty
> much just going to be informal as i don't want to get into
> prepared speeches and presentations.
>
> each gardener has to start out someplace, so if i can help
> a few people out each month i'll consider it worth the time
> spent. if nobody shows up it just means i've spent a few
> hours sitting and reading at the library or talking to people
> i used to see more often.
>
>
> songbird

Best of luck with this. In the dim and distant past the local councils used
to have allotments rented out to tenants, with a hefty waiting list. There
was often a large communal shed where the bulk purchases were stored until
collection and where the tea was brewed. Weekends there was always someone
around to chat with and gain knowledge from but apart from the "one man"
that run the shed and purchases nothing was regular and if you wanted to see
someone you just kept turning up until he appeared, never too long as if
your allotment was left unattended too long the council tended to reallocate
it.

My point was we turned up for one thing and helped out with other things. I
think your seed exchange could be the "reason" for turning up and good
conversation the reason for staying on, also the offer of produce, self
picked, for the offer of a little manual labour might also we good.

Mike

Bloke Down The Pub wrote:
> "songbird" <songbird@anthive.com> wrote in message
> news:bbg1gi-r5a.ln1@anthive.com...
>> i've volunteered to see if we can get a local group going
>> for talking about gardening, mini-seed-swaps, etc. pretty
>> much just going to be informal as i don't want to get into
>> prepared speeches and presentations.
>>
>> each gardener has to start out someplace, so if i can help
>> a few people out each month i'll consider it worth the time
>> spent. if nobody shows up it just means i've spent a few
>> hours sitting and reading at the library or talking to people
>> i used to see more often.
>
> Best of luck with this. In the dim and distant past the local councils used
> to have allotments rented out to tenants, with a hefty waiting list. There
> was often a large communal shed where the bulk purchases were stored until
> collection and where the tea was brewed. Weekends there was always someone
> around to chat with and gain knowledge from but apart from the "one man"
> that run the shed and purchases nothing was regular and if you wanted to see
> someone you just kept turning up until he appeared, never too long as if
> your allotment was left unattended too long the council tended to reallocate
> it.
>
> My point was we turned up for one thing and helped out with other things. I
> think your seed exchange could be the "reason" for turning up and good
> conversation the reason for staying on, also the offer of produce, self
> picked, for the offer of a little manual labour might also we good.

it went ok, there were five of us the first meeting. :)

i did give away some peas, beans, cosmos, onions and garlic. by
far the most interest is about the garlic. even if out of normal
season spring planting happens it should survive. by the end of
the summer i can have much better sized cloves to plant for people
who want it for next year - it is just a way of getting a toe in.

everyone has deer problems. i just fence because nothing else is
as reliable. outside the fences i take my chances and usually do
ok, with some damage here or there (mostly from the deer trampling
plants on the way through to eat other things).

i took most of my bean collection thinking if nobody showed up
i could take advantage of having a nice big table to organize and
work on winnowing out some things and consolidating others. but
people showed up so i didn't get any of that done.

songbird

"songbird" <songbird@anthive.com> wrote in message
news:7m0pgi-ku1.ln1@anthive.com...
> Bloke Down The Pub wrote:
>> "songbird" <songbird@anthive.com> wrote in message
>> news:bbg1gi-r5a.ln1@anthive.com...
>>> i've volunteered to see if we can get a local group going
>>> for talking about gardening, mini-seed-swaps, etc. pretty
>>> much just going to be informal as i don't want to get into
>>> prepared speeches and presentations.
>>>
>>> each gardener has to start out someplace, so if i can help
>>> a few people out each month i'll consider it worth the time
>>> spent. if nobody shows up it just means i've spent a few
>>> hours sitting and reading at the library or talking to people
>>> i used to see more often.
>>
>> Best of luck with this. In the dim and distant past the local councils
>> used
>> to have allotments rented out to tenants, with a hefty waiting list.
>> There
>> was often a large communal shed where the bulk purchases were stored
>> until
>> collection and where the tea was brewed. Weekends there was always
>> someone
>> around to chat with and gain knowledge from but apart from the "one man"
>> that run the shed and purchases nothing was regular and if you wanted to
>> see
>> someone you just kept turning up until he appeared, never too long as if
>> your allotment was left unattended too long the council tended to
>> reallocate
>> it.
>>
>> My point was we turned up for one thing and helped out with other things.
>> I
>> think your seed exchange could be the "reason" for turning up and good
>> conversation the reason for staying on, also the offer of produce, self
>> picked, for the offer of a little manual labour might also we good.
>
> it went ok, there were five of us the first meeting. :)
>
> i did give away some peas, beans, cosmos, onions and garlic. by
> far the most interest is about the garlic. even if out of normal
> season spring planting happens it should survive. by the end of
> the summer i can have much better sized cloves to plant for people
> who want it for next year - it is just a way of getting a toe in.
>
> everyone has deer problems. i just fence because nothing else is
> as reliable. outside the fences i take my chances and usually do
> ok, with some damage here or there (mostly from the deer trampling
> plants on the way through to eat other things).
>
> i took most of my bean collection thinking if nobody showed up
> i could take advantage of having a nice big table to organize and
> work on winnowing out some things and consolidating others. but
> people showed up so i didn't get any of that done.
>
>
> songbird

As they used to say on the A-Team I love it when a plan comes together. 5
is not a bad showing for a first night, with no previous expectations
hopefully this will grow from here on now that they know what to expect.

Mike

Bloke Down The Pub wrote:
....
> As they used to say on the A-Team I love it when a plan comes together. 5
> is not a bad showing for a first night, with no previous expectations
> hopefully this will grow from here on now that they know what to expect.

we'll see how it goes. for me libraries are great places to be
anyways so if nobody shows up i sit and read for a while or can
work on a project. it won't be wasted time. :)

songbird