Tuesday 28 June 2011

Hedgehog News

Thank you to Sara for this lovely photo of a Hedgehog which she spotted out on the Scarcroft allotments.


As Sara pointed out, this photo shows why it's not always a good idea to have a fence that goes right down to the ground, as although you might deter the rabbits the hedgehogs can't get in or out to eat your slugs!

Thursday 23 June 2011

The Scarcroft and District Allotment Association 2012 Calendar


Calendar Submissions - last chance


A reminder that you might all wish to take photos of your plots for next year's Scarcroft Calendar.

The deadline for submissions is this Sunday, 16th October



 The suggested theme for the 2012 Calendar is Vegetables, Fruit & Flower from Seed & Blossom, through Growth to Harvest.



We hope that each page in the 2012 Calendar might be devoted to a particular vegetable, fruit or flower - showing all stages of growth from seed to harvest.

The calendar is open to submissions from plot holders and home gardeners.  There is still time to get out in your plots and gardens to get photos of your own produce, or if you have any photos saved which you feel might be worthy of submission, please dig them out and send them in!


 
It's nearly time to begin the selection process for the calendar, so start collecting your photos together and send them to:

sk.austin@btopenworld.com

The closing date for submissions is Sunday 16th October.

Happy Snapping!

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Allotment Plot Competition 2011

Posted on behalf of Judith Ward, York Allotments Officer

Dear Allotment Gardeners

Thank you to those people who have sent in nominations for this year's Allotment Competition.  If you've not done so yet, there's still time to nominate plots or to enter your own plot for judging.  Entries and nominations will be accepted up to Friday June 24th.

You can send your nominations by e-mail to allotments@york.gov.uk 

The competition celebrates the skill, hard work and imagination of York’s allotment gardeners.   Is there a plot near yours that cheers up passers by with its flowers, or keeps  several families in fruit and veg?  Have you overcome brambles, docks and thistles on your plot to establish a garden you can be proud of?

Plots will be judged in June and July by a team of allotment site secretaries.  The judges will score each plot on variety and health of the crops, the layout and maintenance of the plot and any special features.  If you’d like a copy of the score sheet please contact Sue Harvey on (01904 553433).

This year the judges have also been invited to recommend plots that deserve special recognition; maybe a new tenant who has transformed a derelict plot in a single season, an older gardener who has kept up high standards over many years or an outstanding community garden.    If you’d like to nominate a plot for special recognition, please give the reasons why this allotment garden is out of the ordinary.

Once again we are very grateful to the competition sponsors.   Brunswick Organic Nursery, Deans Garden Centre and Vertigrow Plant Nursery have all donated vouchers and Nick Milner will be supplying a set of traditional bean poles for each of four area winners.

Prizes will be presented at a special event at the Guildhall, during National Allotments Week in August.


Sunday 12 June 2011

Working Party July 3rd

Help to improve the Shop and the area around it and have a party at the same time (well, just after...)

On Sunday 3rd July from 2 p.m. we'll be working to lay on a water supply to the Shop and to improve the appearance and the amenity of the area around the shop and car park.  the work will be followed by a share of food and drink at 4.30 to reward ourselves for the hard work.  Come along and join in if you can - the more people, the better the party and the lighter the work!

.

Monday 6 June 2011

Hedgehog Preservation


Local gardener and Hedgehog Rescuer Toni Bunnell will be featured in a report about how to make a hedgehog-friendly garden on the new Alan Titchmarsh programme, Love Your Garden, on ITV later this month.

It will be screened on Friday June 17 at 8pm and will show her hedgehog rescue centre in York, as well as her wildlife garden and two of her hedgehogs being released at York Minster Gardens.

This is a fantastic local interest feature, and I hope you can all tune in.

If, like Toni, you have a soft spot for hedgehogs you can find out more about how you can help the preservation effort at: http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

Toni's own website can be found at: http://www.tonibunnell.co.uk/hedgehog_menu.html