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West Midlands
National Allotment Society preparations for Gardeners’ World Live
Preparations by the West Midlands team for the NAS stand at this year’s Gardeners’ World Live show at the NEC (14th - 17th June) are well underway. This year the organisers are going to give us four smaller raised beds, each 2.4 metres by 1.2 metres – the classic standard size for raised beds. That should prove much easier for us to plant up rather than the two large beds we had last year. Readers will remember that Issue 1 of the magazine
had an article about crop rotation, so we plan to use this as this year’s planting theme; each of the four beds will be planted up in accordance with the four-year crop rotation plan.
Kings Seeds have kindly donated seeds for us to grow the vegetables for the raised beds. Some have already been sown and others will be sown in the coming weeks. However, I’m sitting here in early March in sub-zero temperatures with a deep covering of snow outside, beginning to worry whether we’ll have enough plants ready in time!
As well as the raised bed displays there will be NAS volunteers on the stand to chat to visitors and offer advice as well as our
NAS expert, Mike Thurlow, who will be there every day. This year the stand will have a small presentation area with seating and it is planned to have four discussion sessions each day, most of these led by Mike and supported by West Midlands members. The topics will be:
• Crop Rotation; find out how to keep up the soil fertility on your plot and avoid the build-up of pests and diseases
Welcome to our new members...
Alfred Street Allotments
Ince Road Allotment Association
Marston Lane Community Allotment Association
Newbold Glebe Community Allotment Association
Tile Hill Allotment Association
Whinfield Community Allotment Association Wrockwardine Parish Allotment Society Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
3 Individual Members
• Allotment Growing Q&A; come and ask about growing healthy fruit and vegetables
• The Year Round Allotment; how to get the most from your allotment plot and keep it productive all year round
• Allotment Question Time; looking for a plot? Want to form an allotment association? Come and chat to find out how it is done
There is always a lot of interest in our stand. We get lots of people coming along to look at the displays, have a chat and ask questions about the society, or maybe about particular issues they are having on their plots. We try to have a good number of volunteers available on the stand at all times to chat to people. If anyone is interested in being on the stand to help with enquiries for half a day then please get in touch with me as I’m trying to organise a rota for the four days of the show. You can email me on john.outhwaite1@gmail.com. No particular experience is necessary, just as long as you’re happy to chat to people. You don’t need to be an expert, just an enthusiast!
If you are visiting the show this year, do come along to the stand and say hello; we will be in Hall 18, not far from the stage area where the BBC celebrities will be giving their talks. You’ll be able to find us in the show guide.
John Outhwaite, Deputy Regional Representative, West Midlands Region
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