Page 63 - ALG Issue 3 2016

And so it begins...AGAIN
Each year there is tremendous competition amongst various allotment holders at
the Beaumaris Allotments on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales as to who can grow the biggest pumpkin.
From the start of planting, there are the usual covert conversations about what seeds you are using, where you are getting them from, what you are planting them in, what you are going to feed them etc. This year we even have one allotment holder called Ian, who purchased seeds from America. Not only that, but due to him not having a greenhouse, he has had it looked after by a professional gardener! Keith (as his pumpkin is called) arrived on the plot late one evening in the hope that nobody would be around to see his arrival.
Undeterred, Keevan (who happens to be my husband) has been nurturing Percival (his prize plant) in our very small greenhouse at home. Having seen an article about the RHS trying to grow a giant pumpkin on TV, Keevan has built a “house” for Percival and has repeated his extremely successful but highly secret watering system. Percival is only just venturing out of the greenhouse now so it will be a while before he moves into his new home. Last year Keevan’s giant pumpkin won the allotment competition with a weight of 112lbs. However, he has a long
Keevan brings Percival out into the open
Ian with “Keith” on his plot overlooking Beaumaris Castle
David and Joanna with their father Will
way to go to beat Hugh, whose record- breaking pumpkin weighed in at 164lbs.
On one side of Keevan’s plot, we have Bill, our Founding Chairman, who was one of
the rst to start growing giant pumpkins; last year he had plants from the famous Medwyn Williams. His pumpkins are already planted and being nurtured daily.
On the other side we have Dave, our former Chairman, who has given over a quarter of his plot to his giant pumpkin, but is still deciding which of many plants he has to choose. He has also kindly loaned
a quarter of his plot to this year’s Chairman Will for his children David and Joanna to grow a giant pumpkin.
And so it begins again. Keevan is already brewing his “special feed” ready to start feeding Percival. Ian has also been busy preparing his highly scienti c feed for Keith. Watch this space as we will keep you updated on how everyone gets on with the Beaumaris Allotment giant pumpkin competition.
Jill Anker
Bill with his prize plants
Queen’s 90th Birthday celebrated at BBQ
on Disabled Plot at Porthcawl Allotment Site
Peter Ryan (Mentor for Wales) and
Di Appleyard (Marketing and Mentor Co-ordinator) spent a pleasant few hours on 9th June at the Wilderness Allotments in Porthcawl. They were there as guests
of the award-winning disabled gardening club, run by Trinity Care and Support (a care agency) to celebrate HM Queen’s 90th birthday. Other of cial guests included the two local PCSOs who have been keeping
a watchful eye on the allotment ever since the arson attack on the disabled plot
a while back, plus the local Cub Scout Leader. Partygoers enjoyed barbecued sweetcorn, burgers, Mediterranean wraps, rhubarb and ginger fool (made with allotment produce) and a mouth-watering selection of home-made cakes baked by service users and staff.
The ‘Grow Your Own Club’ is the brainchild of Rachel Legg, a volunteer at Trinity. She runs a weekly gardening session which has become a fantastically successful therapeutic activity for both staff and the disabled gardeners. Not content with growing, Rachel also helps club members cook their produce with the assistance of a member of the allotment committee who is a keen cook - a real ‘plot-to-pot’ success story.
David Rowe, Allotment Committee Chairman, said that his vision is to make the Wilderness Allotments open and welcoming to all and the next stage in this journey is to build a disabled toilet.
After the BBQ, Peter and Di were given
a whistle-stop tour of some other other initiatives that the Wilderness Allotments are involved in including Ceidwad Y Llyn (Keeper of the Lake) sculpture at the Wilderness Lake and the Somme commemorative garden at Porthcawl Town Museum. As with the BBQ, all these activities go to show how allotments can be at the heart of the community.
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