Hi Caroline,

There's been a change in my schedule. I can now be available at 6pm. Do you want to revert to original time? Would that be better for you? 

Sorry for any inconvenience. Thanks, Anna

Watering rota - I am on holiday next week, so can anyone help Fiona with the watering next Wednesday 23rd?

Thanks, Julienne

Really sorry to hear about the hose, Caroline. Maybe Miko didn't use it during his 'reign' and it's just got too dried up and kinked to be of any use. Any news about the potential standpipe, Ian? Obviously that would solve a lot of problems. I could see if we could get £50 towards it, if that would be enough for Richard to be happy. Not sure whether it's possible until I check the state of the finances with David. 

Just back from walking on Offa's Dyke. Hope you've all been enjoying gardening. 

Dear All, I have planted some lettuce and beetroot to my plot(1) two days ago, I was not sure who is sharing my plot with me and Irem?  I am hoping that I planted in the right place? Nilufer xx

A message for Fiona, Nilufer and Irem

Thanks for letting me know, Nilufer, that you and Irem are happy to share bed number 1 and have planted more things in it.

This means that you can have bed 2, Fiona.

Here's an update of the mini-plot allocations:

CURRENT MINI-PLOT ALLOCATIONS

1 - Nilufer and Irem

2 - Fiona

3 - Alex

4 - Maggie

7 - Julienne and Fiona

8 - Caroline

9 - Kate

10 and 11 (small, hence two) - Jenna

14 - Fausto and Claire

Long bed next to cafe - Ian 

Is anyone not happy?

Is anyone else waiting for a mini-plot?

Correction:

CURRENT MINI-PLOT ALLOCATIONS

1 and 2 - Nilufer and Irem

3 - Alex

4 - Maggie

7 - Julienne

8 - Caroline

9 - Kate

10 and 11 (small, hence two) - Jenna

14 - Fausto and Claire

Long bed next to cafe - Ian 

CORRECTION: (I'll get it right one day!)

CURRENT MINI-PLOT ALLOCATIONS

1 and 2 - Nilufer and Irem

2. Fiona

3 - Alex

4 - Maggie

7 - Julienne

8 - Caroline

9 - Kate

10 and 11 (small, hence two) - Jenna

14 - Fausto and Claire

Long bed next to cafe - Ian 

CORRECTION - DEFINITIVE VERSION - SORRY ABOUT THIS

CURRENT MINI-PLOT ALLOCATIONS

1 - Nilufer and Irem

2 - Fiona

3 - Alex

4 - Maggie

7 - Julienne

8 - Caroline

9 - Kate

10 and 11 (small, hence two) - Jenna

14 - Fausto and Claire

Long bed next to cafe - Ian 

Hope to see you all for a 'Garden Together' session on Sunday May 4th from 10.00 - 12.30. I'll ask Richard if we can have another bag of wood chip and maybe some gratis coffee. Meanwhile, I've planted runner bean seeds to plant on the bean trellis once the danger of cold nights (below 7 degrees) has passed.  Maggie

A message for new members:

Is anyone wanting a mini-plot? None available at present but we may be getting more space.  Come and meet us on Sunday May 4th between 10.00 and 12.30.  Maggie

Today, I have watered all over a little from the rain water tank...if weather permits again tomorrow I will do the same...Please help yourself with chards and kale from my patch, they are ready to eat...Nilufer xx

'Garden Together' event this Sunday 10.00 - 12.30.  Hoping for good weather and to see you there.  Maggie

I will be there at 10am. 

I have got a new job "Community Organisers" funded by the government.. I go around the area to check if people want to do activities, need information or need extra help for workshops, meetings, clubs etc..I am your woman...please come and talk to me I may find fundings, volunteers etc. for your projects..Nilufer 07929 336 252

See you tomorrow. I'll be there to say hallo, turn the compost and check on  earthworms! Grey

Hi Everyone! Great to see so many people up at the allotment yesterday.

We have been invited to take part in Queens Park Open Gardens and Studio day on Sunday 15th June from 1 - 6. Can you put the date in your diary and be there if you possibly can?

We want to look our best so I though maybe a tidy up/ sprucing up session would be in order, either on Sunday June 1st or Sunday June 8th. Can you post if you're available for either or both?

I was asked for text to describe our garden. I'm pasting in what I sent them below. I was also asked for three questions for the children's treasure trail. I've done them all as multiple choice plant identification questions. Hope you all like the idea. See you soon.  Maggie

Text: Queen's Park Allotment is now in its third year. We grow vegetables, herbs and fruit and also flowers to attract beneficial insects and keep pests under control. We are a mixture of new and experienced gardeners. Some members planted their first ever vegetable seed ever this April! We look after our individual mini-plots and garden together once a month. The allotment was set up under the auspices of Kensal-Kilburn Transition and has been generously supported by the management team at Queens Park. All the mini-plots are currently taken but there is a possibility of more space being made available if the demand is there. Let us know if your interested... To find out more, go to http://ttkensaltokilburn.ning.com/group/qpa

Hi Fiona, I'd love some bulbs, both for our garden and for the allotment, where we need flowers too as bee attractants. I can't get to Holland Park but a carrier bag full would be great. I can meet you at the Park on Sunday sometime if you're going to be around.  Maggie

We are being given an olive tree by Shawn, one of the gardeners taking part in the Open Gardens and Studios day. I've worked out with Mick Guerin where it can go and we will be planting it over the weekend. Maggie

Re the watering question, Mick Guerin has undertaken to include the allotment in the Park watering schedule as soon as the hanging baskets are in place. (That, apparently, is the point at which they start coming round with the bowsers.) This will leave us to do 'back up' watering only, so should greatly ease the situation.  Mick has also organised for the grass around the raised beds to be strimmed. (Thanks again, Mick, if you read this...)

Horseradish - one of the most invasive plants around - has made a reappearance in our allotment. There was loads of it until the Park staff helped us last year and dug it all out. The trouble is, if only a tiny piece of root is left it grows a whole new plant. 

Those pointy leaves poking up in your mini-plots need to be dug out pronto. Shame if it means you lose some crops you have planted but it really has to be done - and done as soon as possible - otherwise we shall have a major problem again.  Maggie

Thanks, Fiona. I'll be up there at 2.00 today. 

Olive tree getting planted at 2.00 today if anyone feels like coming up. It's supposed not to be raining, though looking at the sky, who knows? Maggie

SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSION!

We need to address the horseradish situation before it goes viral. Can anyone get up to the allotment on Saturday morning? I can point out where it is poking through but am still not allowed to actually dig it out. 

Thanks Caroline. Nothing from Simone as yet. 

I planted beetroot seeds today, and have some leftover if anyone wants to use them - also have red and green (sweet) pepper seeds if anyone can use them too?

Radishes growing well - when is the best time to harvest them?

Julienne (mini plot 7) 

Hi All.

Julienne, pepper seeds don't usually go straight into the ground. They get raised in pots and planted out later. They are not really suited to our climate so you have to start them indoors earlier on (same as tomatoes). It's too late for that this year, I'm afraid. They won't have a long enough growing season to get around to fruiting. Beetroot is good though and, yes, start harvesting the larger radishes in the row and that will create more room for the little ones to grow. Julienne, you have horse-radish in your allotment I'm afraid and it needs to come out. If you can't get to the allotment tomorrow morning - we are there from 9 - 11 - shall we dig it out for you?  Maggie

HORSERADISH SEARCH AND DESTROY

So far it's me, Jenna and Caroline on Saturday from 9.00 - 11.00. Can anyone else join us at that time? Maggie

Sorry, Julienne, I meant Saturday morning, not tomorrow morning...  Maggie

Thanks, Maggie, for your helpful advice. I tried to take out as many weeds and horseradish shoots yesterday, so please do take out the rest. Sorry that I can't join you on Saturday, as I am working out of London. All the allotments, and the whole garden, is looking so lovely!

Julienne 

Hi, I planted some onion today and watered all over a bit...I will try to come for an hour tomorrow, see u then...nilufer

Great gardening meeting this evening and just sorry nobody made it from Queens Park allotment.  The other groups are keen for volunteers so if anyone asks to join QP allotment and there isn't room please direct them to the William Saville & Dunbar, Fiveways or Brondesbury Station groups all of whom garden on a communal basis.

Great time with Jenna and Caroline yesterday, doing horseradish search and destroy and planting runner beans - on the trellis next to the tennis courts and for everybody. If you're up there, please water the beans...

Julienne, your mini-plot had the most horseradish of all. Lucky you! We had to take up your spinach in order to dig it out and I have planted it back along a row at the correct spacing. It will need some extra watering until it's settled in again. I also took a few of your radishes as they were on the point of becoming too big and woody to eat. Hope that's OK.  

If you're up at the allotment and anyone else enquires, please tell them the mini-plots are all taken and we have a waiting list. Other transition sites in the area are looking for more gardeners - e.g. Fiveways in Winchester Avenue. They can find more details on the website.

All best, Maggie

Many thanks for doing all the weeding, and for planting the spinach, on Saturday - did some extra watering today.

If anyone else on the team wants to savour a radish, please help yourself!

Julienne 

Sorry I keep missing everyone, but I garden on the allotment on Wednesday afternoon after packing Field to Fork vegbags at our packing shed at QPCS.

Horseradish......enemy and friend....great with Roast Beef.

Three weekends left until Open Gardens day on June 15th. I can do a 'Garden Together' on each of the Sunday mornings - May 25, June 1st, June 8th - 11.00 to 1.00. Can you let me know if you can be there for one or more? 

I'm thinking it would be nice to build a seat where the square of stone blocks with weeds growing in the middle is. Any ideas/offers of tools and materials?  

Ian, did you arrange for the crates and pallets to be delivered? Gray tells me he prefers the compost to be in bins or in heaps so that he can turn it easily. Do you think we could maybe we could use some of the wood to build the seat? 

Maggie,

I am also planning to come up on Sunday morning to the allotment, so see you then.

Julienne 

Hi Everyone,

At the last Garden Together session, someone asked if the sessions could be a little later on a Sunday, so the next session will be this coming Sunday, May 29th, between 11.00 and 1.00.  

Those of us who were there last Sunday decided to ask everyone in the group to take a minute to respond on the comment wall when a Garden Together session is posted, saying whether or not they will be coming. Fiona has already done this but we don't know what's going on with anyone else.

All best, Maggie

Hi Maggie,

I am able to come to the allotment around 12 midday on Sunday - any news about building a garden seat from the pallets?

Julienne 

Hi Everyone,

I won't be able to come up to the plot this Sunday. It was nice to see all of you who came last Sunday and to see people who hadn't met before start to get to know one another. Maybe some of you will go up this Sunday as well?

Maggie

IMPORTANT MESSAGE - PLEASE READ AND HELP OUT IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN

The allotment is to be part of the Queen's Park Open Gardens and Studios event, which takes place on June 15th from 1.00 - 6.00. Can you let me know if you can undertake to be at the allotment for an hour (any hour) on the afternoon of Sunday June 15th?

13.00 - 14.00

14.00 - 15.00

15.00 - 16.00

16.00 - 17.00

17.00 - 18.00

The idea is to be there and chat to people who come around about the allotment, what you are growing and what it's like for you to be involved in a community allotment. When I know who can do which slot, I will co-ordinate and send some more information about the event. 

I would appreciate it if everyone would reply (by posting here) by the end of this weekend so that I have time to get things organised.

Thanks at lot! Maggie

MESSAGE FOR IAN KRISS

Can you sort out the wood you brought up to the allotment before the Open Gardens and Studios event, Ian? If you don't have time to build the compost boxes you had in mind, can you at least tidy up the area. It's a bit of an eyesore at the moment. Thanks, Maggie

Maggie,

The wooden boxed were kindly given to us by Richard. I was not aware that I was the only VOLUNTEER to build compost boxes but will ask Richard to move the boxes back to the yard until I can organise this,

I can be at the allotment Sunday 15th 13.00 to 14.00

Regards,

Ian.