Page 38 - Allotment Gardener Issue 1 2024

READERS ARTICLES
POTATO
DAYS
As with the rest of the country, Covid was bad news for West Lancashire. Although we did manage all of our annual Potato Days (one on a ‘pre-order-and- collect’ system). All other planned Federation events had to be cancelled. Some I fear may never come back. Communication between sites was virtually non-existent and is still very poor, but now we
are working on bringing it all back together.
“A cottage garden feel of not planned but naturally happening, with vegetables, flowers and fruit growing together in happy harmony.”
This year’s Potato Day in February was well attended and well up to expectations. We then tried a photo plot competition on the theme ‘Why my plot is the best’. Entry numbers were below what we had hoped for but enough to make a competition. We had two prizes and the judges went out to view the final two and found that they could not choose between them and declared a draw.
It became a choice between Town and Country. Two very different approaches to grow your own but with equally good results. The two winners were Darren Gibson from Skelmersdale Horticultural Society and Janice Atkinson from Burscough Allotments.
Darren’s town plot has beds and buildings laid
out on a paved grid that any New Yorker would be proud of. Janice has a plot that is very rural.
A cottage garden feel of
not planned but naturally happening, with vegetables, flowers and fruit growing together in happy harmony.
The prizes were presented to the winners
on their plots by John Daniel Jaques, Secretary WLAF.
Ray Fowler - Chair WLAF
38 | Issue 1 2024 | Allotment Gardener