Page 51 - ALG Issue 1 2017

Just how crowded is your garden or allotment?
According to research there were over 2,200 different living creatures recorded
in one garden over a 30 year period. So began the talk preceding the AGM meeting at Westwood Heath Allotment and Leisure Gardens in Coventry in November.
The speaker, Pauline Pears, formerly of Garden Organic, encouraged us to think organically, to use natural means of pest control such as ladybirds, to encourage wildlife as much as possible and to use varieties of plant that are known to be resistant to certain pests and diseases. She advocated growing owers to attract insects, starting the season with crocuses and moving through the seasons to ivy in the late season. Certain wildlife should be encouraged with bug houses, bird boxes, insect hotels and piles of logs.
We should try to be as self-suf cient as possible with leaf mould and compost of all sorts, even weeds may be composted, left covered with black plastic for several years and then used.
In the opening remarks of the AGM it was felt that we needed to do more to reach the root and branch members. The introduction this year of a guest speaker
to start our quarterly meetings had proved interesting for those members who attended but the number of people present had not yet increased signi cantly. It was felt that sending an email to the corresponding secretary was not really reaching the core membership. Perhaps a hard copy of
the notice of the quarterly meeting to the corresponding secretary, together with
a request that it is to be placed on a site noticeboard, may encourage a few more members to attend.
Members were reminded of the seasonal activities of insurance renewal, seed ordering as well as the range of informative lea ets available on the National Allotment Society website.
The Regional Treasurer’s Report revealed the unforeseen problem that arose with us having not received an annual grant this year. It had taken a while for us to realise that we did not have a reliable gure for the number of members in each federation. A phone call to Corby had soon remedied the matter.
In his absence, the Regional Representative’s Report showed just how important and wide-ranging the role is. Many phone calls had been received; attendance
at several shows, as well as a visit to Harper Adams University, had been required. Advice had been given to local authorities without allotments as well as to those with allotments.
The election of of cers saw us just short of a Chairman but all other positions were lled.
There was just a small chance that
the National Allotment Society may be represented at the Gardeners’ World Live Show at the N.E.C. in 2017, having been dropped from the event last year in favour of a children’s oral wheelbarrow display.
This year it was hoped that dates and speakers for the quarterly meetings would be published at the start of the season so they could be displayed on site noticeboards for all members to see.
The proposed dates for next year are 4th February, Warwickshire and Coventry; 13th May, Herefordshire and Worcestershire; 5th August, Shropshire and Staffordshire and 11th November, Birmingham.
The meeting closed with Westwood Heath Allotments being thanked for their hospitality in hosting the 2016 AGM.
John McNab
Northern
Would members in the Region please note that we will be organising our usual coach trip to the Harrogate Spring Flower Show on Sunday April 23rd 2017? The coach will start north of Newcastle at 8.00am and call at Silverlink, Washington Services and Bowburn Services.
This trip is now in its 3rd year and is very popular as well as being good value. The coach has loads of space for all the plants that happen along after the end of show sale and don’t miss Phil’s NAS stand, which is always spectacular. Tools and seeds
are always on sale
at discount prices together with lots of all the things that interest gardeners.
Welcome to our new members...
Lions House Allotments Association Sherburn Poultry & Allotment Schemes Association
1 individual member
Morpeth Town Council
We will circulate
all on our list in
February but to
secure your place email John Doherty via northernregionallotments@gmail.com.
John Doherty
Langley Park wins award for International Allotment Movement
A community gardening group has won international recognition for its work with children in the region. The Allotment Society of Langley Park has won a European award for its work growing herbs and vegetables with pupils from Langley Park Junior School. The award, from the International Of ce of Allotment and Leisure Gardens, is for the Langley Park Community Garden scheme.
Colin Smith, Secretary of the Northern Region at the National Allotment Society, said: “it is fantastic. It is the rst one in
this country. They certainly know how to garden with young children. The idea about these community gardens is to get families involved.”
The presentation was made at the school
by the President of
the National Allotment Society. Headteacher Michael Gardener said: “the children have
been involved right
from the very start two
and a half years ago.
They have been doing
a lot of different things
such as planting,
growing, and painting pictures to go around the outside. They have also been working alongside members of the community and they love doing it.”
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