6 May 2024 Newsletter

At last we are beginning to get some warmth and hopefully our growing season is about to explode! Top tasks for May are
– Harvesting asparagus, baby globe artichokes and turnips, fresh ‘green’ garlic and oriental salad leaves.
– Harden off seedlings and start planting them out.
– Plant your last seed potatoes.
– Protect tender plants against sudden late frosts. Keep an eye on the weather and be ready with cloches, fleece and even newspapers.
– Weed regularly and thoroughly and keep young plants well watered.
– Net fruit bushes to protect them from the birds.

In other news please remember to keep your boundary clear so it’s possible to walk down the paths easily.

We may potentially have a fence painting party on May 18th as we’ve built 50 panels but they need protection before we erect them around the ponds/water.

Open Day 2nd June. We are joining the National Garden Scheme and will be selling plants on the day. Please donate any spares you may have. We hope that some people will be at the allotment as normal, please don’t feel you can’t come and tend to your plot that day, you absolutely can! Volunteers to support the event would be very helpful too.

Harvest Festival, a new fundraising venture on 21st Sept to showcase the bounty we grow and to raise essential funds for the site to help try and keep it shipshape. We have some big projects coming up including a new roof for the wheelbarrow shed so again, please volunteer to help man the stalls.

We have lots of new members who have been very busy cracking on with their plots, it’s very inspiring, great work! At the moment we haven’t any empty plots and we anticipate a waiting list forming after the open day.

We are also creating a cut and come again flowerbed right next to the new seating area, please enjoy them and cut yourself a bunch or two, oh and give them a water if you think they look thirsty!

Finally, please make sure you always lock the gate behind you when arriving and leaving the site, it’s very important we protect ourselves, and our collective belongings from going missing.

Right, time to get out there, see you at the plot.

Lucinda