Page 9 - Oundle Life August 2022

SUMMER
ALLOTMENT
National Allotments Week
National Allotments Week is nearly here, running from 8-14 August. There is still time to get involved on your plot, in your garden or with your local allotment association.
Our National Allotments Week theme for 2022 is Bugs, Bees and Broccoli and acknowledges the importance of gardening with nature in mind.
An allotment plot is a complex web of plants, micro-organisms, fungi, insects and animals that not only produces food but also supports eco-system services such as pollination and offers a refuge for wildlife in urban areas.
Although allotment plots like pollinator ecologist Nadine Mitschunas’ beautiful wildlife allotment garden (winner of Gardeners World magazine, 2021 Garden of the Year award) are few and far between, there are thousands of plotholders endeavouring to reduce pesticide and herbicide use, encourage beneficial insects, small mammals and amphibians and tolerate losing a few crops in order to achieve a balance
eco-system on their plots.
What can you do to support the creepy-
crawlies and pollinators that call your green space home?
Companion planting
There are lots of benefits to planting flowers alongside your veg on an allotment. They add a pop of colour amongst the abundant green often found on a plot and smell fantastic but there is plenty more that flowers can do if you choose the right ones:
• Aster – Beautiful to look at; ‘Michaelmas
Daisies’ attract many beneficial insects to
your garden, including bees and butterflies.
• Comfrey – These unassuming little blue
flowers are a favourite for pollinating insects and the roots of the plant stretch down into the soil releasing nutrients. They are also very robust and require little care – a gardener’s best friend!
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