Gavin’s allotment site is a work in progress – with plenty of photos so you can see how he’s doing!

Crocus has this comfrey plant available. It’s a garden and allotment essential that you can make your own fertiliser from! Pick the leaves from established plants and soak in water to make a smelly but powerful brew! Dilute and water on plants. Use whole leaves in the bottom of the planting hole for potatoes.

Symphytum ‘Hidcote Blue’ (Comfrey) £6.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moist, fertile soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: April and May Flower colour: pale blue and white Other features: contact with the foliage may cause skin irritation; the roots and leaves may cause severe discomfort if ingested Hardiness: fully hardy Pendent clusters of pale blue and white tubular flowers in April and May above mounds of mid-green leaves. This pretty pink form of comfrey is best planted in bold drifts in a moist, partially shady site. It makes excellent groundcover for semi-wild areas of the garden and a good companion for ferns and shade-loving woodland plants. Garden care: Mulch with well-rotted manure in spring and dead-head after flowering to encourage the growth of young foliage.

Eventual Height: 0.45m and
Eventual Spread: 0.45m

Urban Allotments have some new plant collections focussing on companion planting.
By taking a complete package of plants you can both save money and save the
headache of choosing lots of different plants.
For a limited time these packages are discounted:
Companion
Plant Collection for Balconies £15 now £10
5 varieties from the following list depending upon availability:
– Aniseed plug plants (x6) to plant several between other plants
– Chervil plug plants (x6) to plant several between other plants
– Dill plug plants (x6) to plant several between other plants
– Horehound
– Marigold
– Summer Savory
– Nasturtium
– Marjoram

Companion
Plant Collection for Patios £35
48 multiseeded plug plants from this list (no more than 24 of any one variety):
– Aniseed plug plants to plant between other plants
– Chervil plug plants to plant between other plants
– Dill plug plants to plant between other plants
– Chive plug plants to plant between other plants
– Garlic plug plants to plant between other plants
– Coriander plug plants to plant between other plants

And you’ll receive a mix of 6 plants from this list:
– Borage
– Caraway
– Comfrey
– Horehound
– Hyssop
– Lavender
– Lovage
– Marigold
– Marjoram
– Nasturtiums
– Summer Savory
– Wormwood

Companion
Plant Collection for Allotments £95 now £65 (perfect size for
sharing).
96 multiseeded plug plants from this list (no more than 24 of any one variety):
– Aniseed plug plants to plant between other plants
– Chervil plug plants to plant between other plants
– Dill plug plants to plant between other plants
– Chive plug plants to plant between other plants
– Garlic plug plants to plant between other plants
– Coriander plug plants to plant between other plants
And you’ll receive a mix of 20 plants from this list:
– Borage
– Caraway
– Comfrey
– Horehound
– Horseradish
– Hyssop
– Lavender
– Lovage
– Marigold
– Marjoram
– Nasturtiums
– Peppermint/Spearmint
– Rosemary
– Summer Savory
– Wormwood

Companion
Plant Collection for Greenhouses £35 now £22
– Basil plug plants (x6) to plant several between other plants
– Chives (x6) to plant several between other plants
– Garlic Chives (x6) to plant several between other plants
– Dill plug plants (x6) to plant several between other plants
– Peppermint or Spearmint
– Elderberry bush/bare root depending on the season
– Garlic
– Nasturtium
– Marigold

Nice allotment!

You can see more photos on facebook of it

Gardeners left baffled by allotment shed vandalism

A loo with a view: Allotment holders welcome their new compostable toilet

Join community allotment – Those who would like to adopt a plot to grow fruit and vegetables at the Jealott’s Hill Community Landshare are also invited to get in contact with David Putt at Bracknell Forest Homes

ALLOTMENT holders have been told to tear down their sheds after losing a planning battle with council bosses.

When I dig on my plot I tend to keep the ‘interesting’ things I find. If there’s bits of pottery that look interesting I put them on one side.
I’ve found a few quid in total in chance and a couple of pound coins. I’ve found some plastic toys too and three keys. Some bits of old clay pipe, two penknives (one much rustier than the other), some spoons, lots of broken glass (which I don’t keep) and lots of other bits.
I found a huge chunk of glass that someone suggested might be from a plane.

I’m not 100% sure this isn’t an april fool. Why would you hand your hose in only to have to claim it back?

Story on hosepipe amnesty in the independent

OK, so I was 100% right! It was an April Fool!

I’ve never grown garlic before.
Here it is!
Photo taken today.
The soil has dried like it’s in the middle of a drought with huge cracks!

Pigeons will eat everything you plant if you’re not careful – they love cabbagey type plants and can make cabbages unusable.

How to keep them away? We’ve tried netting but they can get through this by just sitting on the netting until it gets to the plant. They don’t mind most bird scarers. I’ve been told balloons with eyes painted on can help.

A sparrowhawk can help although most people don’t have one on hand! We are lucky to have a pair nesting in a nearby building and have seen the sparrowhawk feasting on a pigeon in our garden. It’s a bit gory to watch though!

Can you shoot pigeons?

PIGEON SHOOTING AND THE LAW
Woodpigeon shooting is controlled by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Britain and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 in Northern Ireland. Woodpigeons may be killed or taken by authorised persons at all times. It is strictly prohibited to use any sound recording or live bird as a decoy. Currently woodpigeon shooting continues under an open general licence issued by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for England and Wales, the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department for Scotland and the Environment and Heritage Service for N. Ireland. No individual application is required for any licence.
In Britain the shooting of Collared Doves (Streptopelia decaocto) and the feral pigeon (Columba livia) is also permitted all year round but the Stock Dove (Columba oenas), Rock Dove (Columba livia) and Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) are all protected species and may not be shot at any time. In N. Ireland the Collared Dove is protected and no pigeons can be shot either at night or on Sundays. The legality of shooting pigeons in Scotland on Sundays remains unclear.
The Stock Dove is often mistakenly called the ‘Blue Rock’ and great care must be taken as these birds often fly with woodpigeons and come readily to decoys.
The feral pigeon is a direct descendent of the Rock Dove (which is usually only found on western coasts), and will be mainly seen close to urban areas.

Note: wild-living, former racing and homing pigeons often fly with feral pigeons but these birds are strictly protected. Whilst they normally have leg rings to show their ownership, identification in the field can be difficult so, if in doubt, do not shoot.”