Competitions 2007

Alastair is organising our competitions for this year and has drafted out a list of suggestions for 'events'.
Please offer any suggestions for more categories if you have any good ideas
Alastair will post a notice on the site noticeboard.
Please add your name and plot number under the competition if you want to take part. (Each entry £1). Closing date May 31st.
Largest Pumpkin
Largest Onion
Longest Parsnip
Tallest Open Sunflower
Best Allotment Wine
Best Allotment Pickle/Chutney
Best Scarecrow (for the kids)
Hottest Chilli
Any other suggestions ?

Another birthday?

Happy Birthday Simon

Association Meeting 29 April

Thanks to everyone who turned up for the Association meeting this afternoon. It was really good that so many of you were interested enough to turn out and the weather was good to us.

Firstly and most importantly - thanks to my sister Judy for baking the cakes. I hope we didn't ruin anyone's diet!

Pat and Jan enjoy it with cream!

It was good that so many people came up to me afterwards with ideas and seemed so full of enthusiam and ready to have a go at some fund raising activities - I know it is sometimes easier to do that than to speak out in front of everyone at the meeting. Keep the ideas coming - the more ideas and volunteers to carry the ideas forward the better! I am sure that working together we can make Green Lane a site to be proud of (and a secure site too!) In fact a prize wining site!

When Phil has had a chance to type up the minutes they will be posted on the web.

Consensus was that we held a meeting every two months and so can I suggest Sunday 1st July 2007 for the next meeting - same time 2:00 p.m. and place Jan's plot - there may even be some cake again. It would be great to see as many of you - if not more again then.

I will email everyone about the letter writing campaign to find out who is interested in joining in with this and how much support you would like.

Sue

April Video Diary has been updated

The April video diary has been update. Click here to view.

Weather looks a bit gloomy - hope that it doesn't rain this afternoon or the chocolate cake will get soggy!

By the way, I have had awful trouble with Internet Explorer today (don't know if it is just a conflict with BT Broadband). When I have accessed the Internet using Firefox I have had no trouble at all!! Firefox can be accessed using the link on our sidebar.

Happy Birthday Alex

Have a lovely birthday Alex!
Really well done to you and Mark for what you have achieved on your new plot in such a short time!

Remember to email me if you would like a birthday mention for anyone on site.

April Allotment Photos

The photos that I took on Saturday can now be viewed in larger size by clicking here. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page. For a few weeks they will also be shown on the home page of the web site. Just click on Our Web Site link on the sidebar of this blog.

Squatters?

I think they could have chosen a better spot though!

Trend Setter

Will this set a trend on the plot? Who can come up with the most, tasteful, garish, amusing, etc. etc. sign. Let me know if you have a sign and I'll come and take a photo. Not sure where people like us stick our signs though as we haven't a shed! No rude suggestions allowed.

Don't tell Pat though - her plot is number 39!

BY the way, if you haven't already found out for yourself - if you click on a picture you can usually view in a larger size - you can then admire the detail on Pat's sign! You could save it and print it out Pat!

April Video Diary has been updated

A bit late but the video diary for last weekend has now been uploaded. Click here to view.
Blame having too much to do in the garden and also the fact that we have had to go back to work.

Have you any spare plants?

We have received a letter from a nursery nurse from Abacus Nursery at Pinderfields Hospital. They have now moved to a purpose built new building and want to create a garden area for the children. They have constructed raised beds and a woodland area and now all they need are some plants to enable them to complete the project. They have contacted local garden centres for donations but have had no success. If you have some spare plants then maybe you could consider supporting their project by donating a plant or two. They are specially looking for bedding plants, climbers and vegetable plants such as tomato plants.
If you are a tenant on Green Lane then talk to Simon, otherwise contact Marie Hankinson on 01924 212766.
Click here for more about the nursery.

Birthday Boy

A special birthday treat for Jan. He seemed very keen on this visitor to his plot but don't tell his wife!!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAN"

If you would like a birthday mention for someone on the Green Lane Site just email me the details and I'll see what I can do

Full Association Meeting

The next full association meeting will be on 29 April at 2:00 p.m. on Jan's plot. If possible can you read the proposed amended constitution before the meeting. The purpose of the amendments among other things is to make the Association more inclusive and give you more of a say in its activities. Don't let others make decisions on your behalf have your say! You can do this by attending meetings, emailing us or talking to a member of the committee. Your views are important - it is YOUR association!

Click here to access the constitution
Click here to access the agenda for the 29 April.

You can make comments on this post but any anonymous comments will be disregarded.

More thank yous!

Thanks to Pat for providing refreshments for tonight's committee meeting, the chocolate cake and ginger beer went down a treat!

Thanks to Sophie for laminating our notices - it's much appreciated.

A special thanks to Tracy and Dunni for organising the Grand National Sweep. Proceeds are to go to our fund raising. £42 was collected - very well done!

Joe's Fruit and Nut Crunch

Pat let Joe make this crunch, (she's training him as her apprentice resident cook!). I know that it is really good as I have sampled it! It took some doing though as Jan stole my first piece and I had to share the second piece with Martyn. Joe promises there is no pussy willow involved! For the recipe click here.

Unlucky Sparrowhawks

The sparrowhawk photographed here, flew straight past Jan and into his unused aviary. It was probably used to swooping into aviaries to steal small birds but got a bit of a shock to find this one empty.
It isn't the only sparrowhawk that I have encountered this week though! Click here for the full story.

Link to our blog please!

If you visit our blog and web site and like what you see then please add a link to us from your web site or blog and I will do the same for you (You will have to let me have your link though of course!)
Links are under the cluster map - seemed appropriate!

Two more photos from Odette

Click on the link in the next post to view.

Odette's Garden in France

Odette is the first of our visitors to send some photos and information about her garden in France. She lives in Castres - one of Wakefield's twin towns.
Click here to view. She has promised more photos too! Don't let her be the only one, do as she did and email some photos to me and a bit about where you live and what you grow. Don't worry if your English isn't as good as Odette's as the photos often are all that are needed and some idea of where you live! We welcome photos etc from English visitors too!

I knew that you would be the first Odette - thanks!

Updated April Video Diary

Click here

We grow curtains at Green Lane too!

Pat's nets?

Can Collection

Our latest fund raising venture is now underway and we are also doing our bit to help the environment by collecting aluminium cans for recycling. Can you check please before placing a can in the collection cage that it is not made of steel, as if steel cans are mixed in with the aluminium ones this will reduce our income. The material should be stated somewhere on the can. If you happen to have a magnet on your person, you could use it to test the can! If the can 'sticks' to the magnet then it isn't aluminium and shouldn't be placed in the cage.

Thanks to Simon for organising this and also to Charlie for providing the cage and helping the one-armed man to set it up in position. Try and encourage as many people as you can to collect cans for us.

April Video Diary

We have just started April's video diary. Click here to view. Please add your own observations and activities to the comments in this post. It would be interesting to know what gardeners in other parts of the world or the UK are doing in April!
We know from our cluster map on the sidebar that we have visitors from all over the world. Don't just visit - join in and tell us what you are up to!

Animation was taken from http://www.animationplayhouse.com

Sir Paul's very own Easter chicks!

Who needs Easter eggs when they can have one, (or even two), of these little balls of fluff?
Eggs laid by Sir Paul's (no not that Sir Paul - our Sir Paul) hens, incubated by Barry (not literally) and now back to Sir Paul and their new mum - a mop head!
For more pictures click here.

Email addresses please.

If you are a Green Lane plotter and have an email address can you please send it to me as soon as possible! (Thanks very much to those of you who have already done this). We will shortly be distributing a proposed amended constitution for you to read before the next meeting. It would help considerably if we could email this to you, not only is printing out 40 copies expensive (for me), but it is often difficult to see everybody to give out information. The proposed amended constitution will be posted on the main notice board too but it isn't easy to read like this. The next meeting is on Sunday 29th April at 2:00 on Jan's plot again. Could you bring your copy of the amended consitution with you to aid discussion. If you could let one of us, on the committee, know if you intend to come to the meeting that would be great (either email or just tell one of us when you see us) - look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. If you can't be present at the meeting but would like to comment on our amendments then email me or pass a note of your comments to one of the committee.

Enjoy the Easter weekend and it is supposed to be going to be a good one.

Wild Flowers on Derelict Plots - Part 2

I have named most of the wild flowers photographed on derelict plots now. Maybe someone can fill in some of my blanks or correct any mistakes. Is there a wild flower expert out there?
Click here to access the web page.

Spies are Everywhere!

What dedication to gardening eh? You are not even safe when I am not around. Thanks for the photo Gill!

We are mentioned in Kitchen Garden magazine!

I opened our May issue of Kitchen Garden magazine today and was browsing the letters' page when I came across a letter entitled "Allotment Blogs".
This caught my attention and as I read on, the content seemed familiar. Then I came to the name of the sender and surprise, surprise - it was ME!
I had written to the editor, via their web site, suggesting that they might produce an article about allotment blogs or provide links, in their magazine, to the many allotments blogs that are out there. I didn't expect to appear on the letters' page of the actual magazine though. (Page 11 if you are interested although I don't think the typos were mine!)
Anyway the web addresses of our blog and website were published so it has given us a bit more publicity. If you are visiting us as a result of reading the Kitchen Garden magazine post a comment here to let us know!

Joe's Special Yoghurt?

Joe on plot 40 has patented a brand new flavour of organic yoghurt. It is made to wife, Pat's special recipe. Pat is our resident gourmet, some of her other recipes can be viewed on our web site. (Click here)
Joe is considering extending his range to include, jams, pies and jellies. If you want to read more on the background to his new business venture then click here. Right at the bottom of the page.
If you wish to try Joe's special yoghurt then I am sure he would be happy to let you have a sample - if you approach him on site!

Thanks to our handymen!

Thanks to:
Simon (before his incident) for attaching the sign to a pole and 'lending' Jan some sand and cement.
Jan and Phil (on plot 9 - we have about five Phils), for putting up the signs.
Phil, (plot 9) again - he has been really busy, for making a fantastic noticeboard which I am sure that I will be able to fill.
Gary for arranging the levelling of plots 54 and 55 so that we were able to let the plots which now have tenants busily getting them ship-shape.

Yes another sign!

Really, really sad - taking a photo of a second sign. Just in case you haven't noticed another sign has appeared - this time a 5mph speed limit sign. Please do keep your speed down as the roadway around the site is used as a play area by the children!

Jan will be on the lookout for any speeding vehicles and you really wouldn't want to make him cross!

Oh dear! What can the matter be?

Our treasurer goes to extreme lengths to avoid having to sign a cheque.

By the way check the Meet the Plotters page on the web as I have caught some more of my quarry!