News
Newly dug and raked earth looks wonderful — full of promise for the coming growing season. It offers a chance, repeated every spring, to try something new, rearrange the plot’s layout and relish the growth of permanent plants like fruit canes, bushes and trees. And perhaps this year there’ll be more sun!
Our whole site is also looking good. Virtually all plots are being tended and congratulations are due to all new and existing plotholders who have worked hard to bring into production plots that had been previously neglected.
The bays in the compost area in the NE corner had a tidy-up a few weeks ago by volunteers. Items which didn’t belong there — such as tree branches — were taken out and bonfired. Metal and plastic items were taken to the wheelie bin. QR Organic Compost Activator was watered on top of the full bays and they were covered with a permeable membrane. ‘Closed’ notices were put onto those bays and other notices were put up giving guidance on how the area can be best used, for example:
THIS IS A COMPOSTING AREA
- The covered bays are now full.
- If a bay isn’t covered, you can put vegetative material on top.
- But, burn diseased and blighted material on your own plot (at dusk),
- When all bays arc full, compost waste on your own plot.
- Plastic, glass, etc must go into the whee1ic bin.
- The car park bays arc closed, nothing is to be put there.
Thank you
Please take account of them when you are disposing of waste from your own plot. If the area is properly used by everyone, the NE corner offers a chance to reduce the amount we send to landfill, work with nature in maintaining the cycle of growth and decay and, in time, return to our own plots compost to enrich our soil for new plants. You can’t get greener than that!
22 April 2009 |
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We will be having another summer Social Event this year, on Sunday 14 June, from 12 noon. Past events have been very enjoyable occasions for plotholders and their families and friends to meet, talk, eat, admire plots and perhaps commiserate. As before, there will be a barbeque, lovely food and sales of seedlings and plants. Further details will be given nearer the date but, in the meantime, please prepare a few extra seedlings and plants which you could donate for sale. And if you are clearing out your shed, please keep aside anything gardening related. If you don’t want it, someone else probably will. It may be possible to store items beforehand in the garage — ask a committee member.
22 April 2009 |
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Events
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Two committee members attended an Allotment Site User Group meeting on 25 March. Administration of sites is now within the Parks and Open Spaces Department, headed by David Allister. The meeting’s main purposes were: to give information about the council’s intentions to reduce waiting lists; maintain stricter control over under-used plots; make more half plots; remap all sites; improve communication and the addressing of major concerns such as maintenance and safety; complete the new water system installations, which for us will hopefully mean that the toilet is connected to mains drainage in the summer.
22 April 2009 |
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Even when times were less straightened than today, gardeners have always been paramount at reusing and recycling. Now, more than ever, we need to turn items we already have to new uses. Reusing doesn’t only mean using CDs as bird scarer’s and drinks bottles as mini-plant protectors. Here are a few other ideas for turning something unwanted into something useful.
- Straight-sided juice cartons, with tops cut off and holes made in the base, are good for starting off seeds like beans which need a deep root run.
- Activated-yoghurt bottles (Yakult, Actimel) make cane toppers, both to avoid a poke in the eye and to support netting. Also good for soaking seeds for a day or two before planting.
- Large diameter drainpipe (10cm) sawn into pieces about 2-3ft long and stood on end, make holders in which to store bamboo canes.
- The cut-off shoulders of wire coat-hangers (from dry cleaning) make pegs for anchoring netting and fleece.
- The net bags which contained oranges can be stretched over a plant pot, with a central cane for support, to protect seedlings or a growing plant.
- Ready-meal plastic trays have several uses - pots of seedlings can soak up water from below; two deep transparent ones with one resting on the other and a few holes punched into the upper one make mini-greenhouses for pots of seedlings; the larger transparent ones, with a few holes, can be inverted over newly sown seeds on the ground to protect them till they germinate.
- Some garden centre seedlings come as 8-pot or 12-pot groups. Take off the carrying handles and cut them up to make plant labels.
If you have any good ideas for reusing junk, send them to the editor and they’ll be included in the next newsletter.
22 April 2009 |
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Advice
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Although there are no prohibitions on bonfires, they are best lit in the late afternoon or early evening.
- Please take account of the wind strength and direction so neighbours experience minimum disruption.
- Always keep water nearby, either a bucket or hosepipe, and check the fire is completely extinguished before you leave it.
- If you have too much to burn, take it to the concrete base at the NE corner and stack it, taking care there is nothing (such as metal or plastic) which is not flammable. However, bonfires here are to be lit only when a committee member is present.
22 April 2009 |
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Advice
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Please lock the gates behind you whenever you enter the site, even if you are working close to the gate. Fortunately, we’ve never had any major damage done by intruders but, if it was obvious to passers-by that the gate was sometimes left open, it may give ideas to those with anti-social intentions. The council is also concerned with the increase in professional ‘fly-tipping’ in the borough and considers our car park to be a prime site, being so close to the A316. We hope to get more secure fencing installed to that corner this year.
22 April 2009 |
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Advice
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In a London-wide competition to gain government funding for its boroughs’ local parks, Crane Park is one of ten to receive £400,000 each. FORCE (Friends of the River Crane Environment) said that the money will be used to open up parts currently inaccessible, improve footpaths, cycle paths and picnic areas, install more benches, signs and information areas, develop further the nature reserve on the island, deal with graffiti and rubbish and extend the park from Hounslow Heath towards Twickenham.
22 April 2009 |
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The National Trust says it is to create 1,000 new allotments over the next three years on Trust-managed properties, such as farmland and unused areas of country house gardens. And, even across the pond, the Obamas are going to have some of the White House lawn ploughed up to make a vegetable garden where food will be grown for the family and staff. It will be about the size of a 4 rod plot (100 m2) and will include salads, vegetables to cook plus companion planting. You can see more on the White House website or The New York Times website.
22 April 2009 |
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Whilst it is a formal requirement that we hold an Annual General Meeting, it is by no means a formal occasion. We invite you all to attend — especially new members — to air your views and exchange ideas. We want to hear from you as this helps us to present a comprehensive picture to the Council of our members’ views, so do come along and have your say.
The agenda will include breif reports from the chair and treasurer, notes of last year’s AGM, election of a new committee and, most important of all, views from the allotment members.
The AGM will be held on Sunday 23rd of November at 3pm at the Winchester Hall, next door to the Turks Head pub, Winchester Road, St Margarets.
11 October 2008 |
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Events
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During the Autumn, we hope to have a big blitz on the NE corner. This is intended to be an area for composting, with bays built of pallets and posts. As the bays fill up, they will be kept damp and covered and, eventually, rotted down compost will be available.
However, this can’t happen unless only compostable material is deposited. therefore, please, please don’t put branches, thick twigs, woody stuff like cabbage stalks, etc. Burn infected material like blighted tomato plants as the blight spores aren’t killed by the composting process.
The work of a few volunteers over the summer has been appreciated but it is now necessary to have some paid help in order to get further work done. However volunteer help is always welcome though — perhaps during the winter when there is less to do on the plot. We will discuss this further at the AGM.
10 October 2008 |
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