2012 Seed Orders

Dear All

Yes, that time of year is nearly upon us and it's time to start curling up with the seed catalogue for next year.

As in previous years, we can offer members a 35% discount on many seeds from the Mr Fothergills seed catalogue.

Catalogues are available to borrow from the allotment shop (open Sunday 10am - 12noon on Dec 18th, then from 8th Jan 2012) or can be found online at:

http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/

The list of seeds which attract the 35% discount and the allotment association seed order form are available on request from the association (scarcroftallotments@live.co.uk) or at the Allotment Shop on Scarcroft.

Please use the association form to place your seed order; either drop it off at the shop or email a copy of it back to scarcroftallotments@live.co.uk.

Don't send any money in yet; we'll let you know the total when the seeds have arrived.

Any questions just drop us a line to the above address, otherwise happy browsing, planning and ordering!

Apple Day Celebration - A message from Laura Potts

 

Dear friends,

Let's celebrate Apple Day on Saturday October 15th at our very own orchard - in the middle of the Green on Scarcroft Allotments.

Although there won't be much by way of a harvest from this year, there will be a varied selection of apples and pears for us to sample and enjoy.

Do bring along any you have too, with names if you know them.

Contributions of fruit-based delights to share for an afternoon tea would be very welcome too. Bring a flask if you want a hot drink - or juices.  Plastic cups will be provided.

There will be bit of work to do to build up your appetite: We need to weed around the bases of the trees, and then to plant up the area with some traditional orchard meadow flowers - now I have finally succeeded in preventing the council mowing it to within a millimetre of its life!

Do bring any donations of plants you may have, trowels and watering cans.

The schedule for the afternoon is as follows:

3-4pm - planting watering weeding

4-5pm - tasting and feasting

hope to see you there

End of Summer Feast

End of Summer Feast 2012

Come along to the Scarcroft and District Allotment Association End of Summer Feast

Scarcroft Allotments - Sunday 4th September

12:30 till 15:00

Everybody is welcome, and we hope you all enjoy sharing the benefits of a healthy 2012 harvest.

Bring your own food and drink, made from your own produce, to share on what we hope will be a fun day for all.

You may also want to bring some folding chairs (if you don't have far to carry them!), or even some instruments if you want to provide a home-made soundtrack to go with the home-made food on offer.

The feast will be at the Alotment Shop on Scarcroft Allotments, so there will be some shelter available if the weather is a little less that bright.

 Attractions and Distractions will include:

Plot on a Plate, show off the variety of your own personal harvest

Vegetable Monsters, creative fun for kids (and grown ups)

Apple Bobbing

Jam and Chutney swap

And more...

Most of all, this will be a chance for Plot Holders and Home Growers to get together to discuss the ups and downs of another year of gardening, to swap tips as well as treats and to catch up with one another.

Please come along to join the fun and to share in what promises to be a lovely afternoon of food and drink and harvest festivities.

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!

Laura’s pruning demo – ‘Blimmin’ great!’

Around 15 people braved the low temperatures and the threat of frozen toes to attend Laura Potts’ pruning demonstration last Sunday. The folks who attended described the talk as ‘excellent’ and Laura as ‘very knowledgeable’. Laura, fresh from 6 hours pruning at Beningbrough Hall, gave a highly informative and interesting demonstration on pruning. She started on her own plot showing the bushes she had cut back last November and describing the shapes and goals a pruner should be trying to achieve. She then moved on to David’s plot where the majority of the demo took place and the pruning students were let loose.

Here Laura demonstrated her pearls of wisdom – pruning gooseberries into a goblet shape to try to prevent downy mildew by letting light and air in. She explained the principles of removing dead, diseased, damaged or crossing branches.  She showed the crowd how blackcurrants fruit mainly on the previous year's growth and the aim when pruning them is to remove about a quarter of the old branches right down to the ground, each year, to maintain vigour and productivity.   She also explained how redcurrants need different treatment as they, like gooseberries, fruit on the current season's growth, so each lateral can be cut back between a third and a quarter and weaker stems can be cut back even harder.

All those who had come armed with secateurs (well, at least those brave enough not to hide theirs in their pockets and pretend they had left them at home) were encouraged to give it a go and chopping began with abandon. (Sorry David, but if you will go away for the weekend.....).

Laura also covered the importance of a decent pair of long handled loppers and how to keep your tools sharp using a whetstone. The assembled throng then bombarbed her with lots of additional questions about all manner of other soft fruit and their needs, which she answered with ease.

One attendee, Iris Wells, afterwards commented 'I very much appreciated Laura's clear instructions. Looking at my gardening books, on returning home, it all made sense at last! It was so beneficial to have practical instruction.'

Overall, a thoroughly rewarding and educational event. Thank you Laura Potts.
(photos by Heather Dawe and Caroline Bush)

Soft Fruit Pruning Demonstration - Sunday Jan 31st

Laura Potts, one of our Scarcroft site plot holders, has kindly offered to give a demonstration on pruning soft fruit bushes for maximum fruit production and health.  Laura will demonstrate how to prune gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and summer and autumn fruiting raspberries.  If there is sufficient interest she will also show blackberry and loganberry pruning and how to take cuttings.  The demonstration will be suitable for all levels of gardeners but those new to soft fruit growing are particularly welcome.

If you would like to attend please meet at the Association shop on the Scarcroft Road site at 11am on Sunday 31st January.  It is likely to run from 11am to 1pm, after which there will be tea and coffee in the shop.  The demonstration will take place on a plot a short walk from the shop.   The demonstration is open to all current Scarcroft and District Allotment Association members.  You do not need to reserve a place to attend, just turn up on the day.  There will be a charge of £1 per person attending, all money raised will be donated to Garden Organic's International Development programme.  The International Development programme promotes and facilitates organic and ecological agriculture in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Their goal is to contribute to the wider understanding and practice of sustainable agriculture as a means to improving food security and environmental resilience. If you would like more information about Garden Organic please follow the links under the 'our favourite sites' section of the blog, down the right hand side of the page.