Page 58 - ALG Issue 3 2020

South West
Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset
REPRESENTATIVE
Mr Neil Dixon
12 Flamstead Crescent, Kings Tamerton, Plymouth PL5 2AX 01752 363379 neildixon@blueyonder.co.uk
MENTOR
Allan Cavill
South West 07748178964 allan.cavill2@gmail.com
An allotment tale
When I announced my retirement some twelve years ago, a parishioner asked me what I was going to do. I responded that I was going to refit the kitchen in our retirement cottage. He continued by asking about long-term plans.
I had no idea. I suppose I simply thought something would come up or I would, as my GP implied, only have a relatively short retirement. Today, 12 years later, much has come up. For 10 of those 12 years I have chaired Tiverton Allotments and Cottage Garden Association.
I applied for an allotment as our new home has a tiny garden which my wife took charge of once the heavy work of building a workshop, laying a lawn and erecting a greenhouse had all been finished. Two months later, at the end of May, I received my first plot. A dry clay-ridden, weedy patch of land which I dug with gusto, breaking sods and wondering what I could do with it. I have always grown vegetables when our gardens have been suitable but this was on a different scale.
I grew brassicas that first year, dozens of them – most of which died from starvation but demonstrated to me I had much to learn.
Five years later I took over two half plots on another of the six town council sites and again spent many hours breaking up the soil on this former car park plot. Every forkful was carefully searched
for bindweed, couch grass and other perennials. Dozens of bags of manure were carted from a local stable and sheds were moved on site.
Welcome to our new members...
Beckington Allotment Association Bridgewater Allotment Tenant's Association Broadway Allotments and Community Garden Clutton Allotment Society
Exmouth District Association
Palm Cross Allotments
Priorswood Allotment Association
Soundwell Seeds Society
7 Individual Memberships
SW regional volunteers hold their first Zoom meeting
Keen to keep up the impetus towards forming a regional body in the South West, a group of volunteers held their first Zoom meeting in June and agreed on a plan of action towards formalising the structure in the Region.
By the time you are reading this report we will hopefully have held a virtual AGM, appointed officers and further agreed our priorities for the coming year. The team hope to
be able to build on the growing interest in renting a plot, and encourage
the creation of new sites by talking to councils
and developers, putting together a blueprint for new sites and supporting devolved management.
To find out more email diane@nsalg.org.uk.
“I hate worms and always kill them” as she hacked at them with her trowel. I wanted to challenge her, as
I knew she was wrong. But why?
One morning I was listening to a neighbour in her garden with her
small child. They were tilling spring plants and she said to her daughter: “I hate worms and always kill them” as she hacked at them with her trowel. I wanted to challenge her, as instinctively I knew she was wrong. But why? Shortly after this, I booked in for a worm identification weekend at Slapton Ley and a month or two later I spent a couple of days on a composting course.
Sustainable Tiverton, an umbrella organisation for nearly a dozen groups fighting climate change, of which I am also chairman, was running a ‘Year of Soil’ for schools in the area. I joined
in, learnt more and so began talks
on worms, soil and composting – I suppose I delivered them as sermons after nearly forty years of preaching.
The answer as to what I was going to do long-term came from an ill-informed woman killing worms. I have gained a deep satisfaction in growing vegetables in soil containing more life in one handful than people on the planet,
a wonderful sense of camaraderie among a great bunch of growers and a life-saving activity every day during the present lock-down.
The simple plot has grown into three half plots plus greenhouse, polytunnel
and nearly a dozen water butts.
Something always seems to come along.
The Rev Ian L Johnson – now aged 75
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58 Allotment and Leisure Gardener