Veg gardening event at the Treasurer's House

Venue: Treasurer's House (in North Yorkshire)

A call to action for anyone who wants to grow their own vegetables but doesn't have the space and/or know how. Join us in the garden for tips on how to be environmentally friendly and 'waste not'; what to plant and when with practical demonstrations on growing organically; creative containers for small spaces; gardeners' tea in the tearoom and garden games for the young and young at heart! And more!

Booking Not Needed
Access to the garden, gallery and tearooms is free. Normal house admission charges apply.
Property open daily (excluding Fridays).

Were there any break ins on Scarcroft Last Night?

Last night, around 10pm,  I rang the police after hearing what sounded like someone trying to kick their way into a shed.  I could also hear a number of male voices.  However, from my house, because of the trees I couldn't exactly see where they were on the site.  The police came in 5-10 minutes (impressive I thought) but the people had scarpered by then.  When the police looked round they couldn't see any damage to any sheds, but of course they couldn't inspect the whole site.  If your shed was broken into last night please can you let the committee know either by e-mail or by popping into the shop this weekend.  I hate the idea of having call the police out over nothing as they may be less likely to come another time.

Thanks

Caroline

Plant sale at Bishopthorpe Road shops car park

There will be a plant sale in the car park on Bishopthorpe Road on Saturday morning, May 29th from 10.30am.  The stall will be selling all organically raised, herbs, flowering perennials and annuals.  They are all hardy and cheap.

See you there.

Shed notices available in the shop

North Yorkshire Police have provided some signs for us to put up on our sheds.  Laminated copies will be available free in the Shop from this Saturday to anyone who wants one for their shed.

Call for people who want to sell their produce

Dear All
I live in Southbank in York, and am trying to form a group of people to set up a Country Market producers group (used to be called WI markets) in York, some of you may know there is a very small group in Heslington already. Anybody who would like to sell food/plants that they have grown or made and/or hand crafted items in a very small producers group should get in touch with me. My initial thought is to get a stall a couple of days a week at Newgate Market in York centre. Using the Country Markets scheme is a very cheap and simple way to form a co-op, and bring very locally produced goods to market.

The whole idea of the scheme is to sell small amounts or occasional surplus produce so don't be shy about getting in touch even if you can only produce 3 crates of greengages on 2 market days a year......I also would love to hear from people who could bake every week, bring plants along, weave viking costumes etc. It would also be wonderful to hear from any businesses that would like to source locally made/grown items.

Please get in touch with

Inga Brereton
ingabrereton@yahoo.co.uk
641579

ParkActive

As well as planting the tree(s) which will be paid for by the money raised by the Scarecrow trail, there’ll be a host of FREE activities, including Forest Schools (childrens’ activities), worm charming, games, science surveys and a chance to find out about ParkActive, the Friends’ volunteering scheme. For allotment holders, this is also a chance to do what is possibly the most quick and satisfying weeding you’ll ever do – Himalayan balsam. It’s so easy to pull up, you can clear large areas in minutes. For more information, find the Friends in their marquee in Butcher Terrace Field (near Millennium Bridge) on the 31st, or see http://www.rowntreepark.org.uk/

Cath Mortimer (Hospital Field)

Scarcroft Scarecrow Trail

Follow the Scarcroft Scarecrow Trail

Sunday 30th and Monday 31st May

The local Green Streets teams are organising a Scarecrow Trail in the Scarcroft area on 30-31st May. Scarecrows will be in various local shops, churches and front gardens. Children from Scarcroft School allotment club have also made some for their plot. A trail (£1 each) to guide you around will be available next week, from local shops (Pextons, Cycle Heaven, Sainsbury’s  and hopefully our allotment shop), and there will be prizes for completed trails. All proceeds to go towards tree planting in Rowntree Park (Butcher Terrace Field)

For more information about Green Streets visit http://greenstreets.climatetalk.org.uk/

Cath Mortimer (Hospital Field)

We're on bishyroad.net

Have you been to http://www.bishyroad.net/ yet?  It is a great website set up by Andy Shrimpton of Cycle Heaven to promote the Bishopthorpe Road area and all the shops and community organisations around it.  Each organisation has its own square which when you click on it takes you through to more information about that shop or group.  Now we have our own square too. Nice one Andy, it's such a simple site but it's interesting, informative and frankly really great.  So if you haven't visited it yet take a look by clicking on this link http://www.bishyroad.net/ and make sure you check out the Scarcroft and District Allotment square while you are there.

Grandma's Little Helper

Little Audrey Beth Dart from St Alban's enjoying helping grandma (Tina Funnell) out on the plot, this Easter.

Frost Damage to Potatoes

Any of you who have not been down to their plots during the week could be in for a bit of a shock come the weekend. During a recent walk round Hospital Fields several plots were noted to have suffered frost damage to potatoes. This will give the potatoes quite a severe check and although no lasting damage will have occurred it will mean you will not be eating new potatoes quite as early as expected.

We all seem to have an obsession with getting all our potatoes in as early as possible when the same results can be obtained by later plantings. Infact by keeping a few early variety sets back and planting in succession during May and June it is possible to extend the 'new potato season' considerably. It doesn't matter if the sets shrivel up a little, go green and start showing leaves at the ends of shoots, as long as they are kept in full light (in a greenhouse is OK provided they are not in direct sun all the time) they will be fine and you will be able to enjoy delicious tasting new potatoes throughout the summer. If your stuck for land you can plant after your spring greens or early peas have finished.

We still have some early varieties left in the shop suitable for successional planting and now they are even better value at half price, so come along and give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Mike Oldfield

Break ins on Scarcroft

This week there have been a number of break ins on Scarcroft including the Association Shop.  Luckily nothing of value was taken as nothing of value is kept in there.  Please check your sheds to make sure they are secure and don't leave any valuables in your sheds.

A note on strimmers

Dear All

I would like to suggest allotment holders resist using strimmers during the nesting season.
On Monday, there was someone strimming the hedge on his allotment and a distressed thrush nearby.

Thank you

Di Hennell

Free Bike Hod

Would you like an easy way to transport your tools by bike to your plot? A generous ex Hob Moor plotholder has offered us his 'Bike Hod' trailer. A Bike Hod is a bag which you attach to your bike and use to carry stuff about. He used to use his to carry his tools to and from his plot. He is now giving it away and would love it to go to an allotmenteer who would benefit from it. He says it's well used from many muddy trips, but completely intact.

If you would like this Bike Hod please contact Caroline on the allotment e-mail address scarcroftallotments@live.co.uk  and we will put you in touch with him. If you want more information please look at this website http://www.bikehod.com/bike-hod/index.html

Committee Meeting 14th of April

Apologies for the delay in getting the summary to you all.  The meeting was held in the Golden Ball as usual.


Scarcroft & District Allotment and Amateur Gardener’s Association Summary
Wednesday 17h April 2010 at the Golden Ball
Present: Graham Sanderson, Mike Oldfield, Linda James, Laura Potts, Chris Adams, Sara Robin, Malcolm Hainsworth, Claire Pickard, Caroline Bush, Tom Walters
1. Apologies: Chris Whittaker, Heather Dawe, Tina Funnell

2. Minutes of meeting on 20th January and matters arising
• We are still endeavouring to get the cctv position changed

3. Election of Officers
• Chair: Graham Sanderson re-elected
• Secretary: Heather Dawe will replace Linda James
• Treasurer: Mike Oldfield re-elected
• Shop Manager: Tom Walters re-elected.  Mike Oldfield will share responsibilities

4. Matters from Scarcroft, Hob Moor and Hospital Fields
Scarcroft
• Waiting list and skips discussed
Hob Moor
• Waiting list discussed
Hospital Fields
• Waiting list, bees and chickens discussed

5. Treasurers Report
• What is and isn’t selling well
• Insurance and electricity costs
• Potential for a water supply for the shop. After handling chemicals volunteers will need to wash their hands.

6. Blog and Membership Update
• Update on numbers of new and renewed members and what sites they are from
• Update on addition of fixed pages to blog

7. Potential and upcoming Spring and Summer Events
• Spring Event – a social evening at the Golden Ball on 30 April, 7.30pm – 8pm.
• Moth and bat night
• Seed and plant swap – agreed to hold this Sunday 9 May
• Summer event TBC


9. Any Other Business
• No update on tool marking
• Suggested getting volunteers for special projects
• Rota to include more people in shop. Date of Next Meeting - 1 June 2010, 7pm at the Golden Ball

Seedling Swap

Place:  Outside the Association shop on the Scarcroft Site
Time:  11.30-1pm. (not 11 o'clock start as it said on the first e-mail)
Date:  Sunday 9th May 2010

How to do it:

• bring along any spare seedlings you have, with full name (species and variety - i.e. tomato (cordon): moneymaker or pumpkin: jack frost ), and perhaps even a picture from the seed catalogue
• you can make labels by cutting up yoghurt pots - but a stock of labels will be provided too
• use clean pots so diseases aren't passed on
• make sure seedlings are hardened off ready for transplantation (so give yourself at least a few days to get them ready)
• be on hand, if you can, to swap information too, about why you grow this variety, and any other cultural tips you can pass on to your swap-friends

Don't worry if you don't have any seedlings to swap.  If you've nothing to swap, come along anyway and make a donation (whatever you think appropriate) for seedlings you want.  All proceeds will go to the Association.

This is the first time we have tried this event so please support it and come along.

Laura Potts and Linda James will be on hand to help out.

Council Allotment Newsletter Spring/Summer

Some of our members do not have a plot and some of you garden a plot with people who are not on the tenancy agreement.  These people will not have received a copy of the council's allotment newsletter so I have reproduced it here for you.  It's not a terribly high res version so if you can't read it let, first click on each page to make it bigger but if you still can't read that let me know on scarcroftallotments@live.co.uk and I will email you a copy.  As usual it contains lots of interesting information about what is going on across all the council's sites.

Caroline