Page 10 - ALG Issue 3 2022

National Allotments Week 2022
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; Aster or ‘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!
Certain flowers can also be used to repel unwanted pests, acting as a natural alternative to pesticides:
• Calendula or ‘Pot Marigold’ is good at
repelling white flies.
• Other Marigolds (French, African or
Mexican) have such a strong aroma that put aphids and other pests off even the juiciest leaf! At the end of the season, rake into the soil and continue to see the benefit of their repellent properties.
10 Allotment and Leisure Gardener
What can you do to support the creepy- crawlies and pollinators that call your green space home?
BUG HABITATS
• Create a DIY bug hotel: Use a drill to make holes of varying sizes in a chunk of log or piece of untreated wood. Hang it from a tree limb or prop it in a sheltered corner of your garden to draw all kinds of creepy- crawlies!
• Make a maternity ward for mason bees: Mason bees lay their eggs in hollow twigs rather than in a hive. Fill an old can (wear gloves for this bit) with segments of bamboo cane to create a honeycomb affect. Pop it somewhere out of the way.
FIGHT PESTS AND WITH POLLINATOR FRIENDLY CROPS
• Herbs: Basil, Bay leaf and Chive are
delicious and keep unwanted visitors away. Basil repels houseflies and mosquitos. Bay leaves also repel flies