news - Ashford Allotments

Don't miss Stone Fete!

30/6/2014

Stone-cum-Ebony Flower Show and Fete is one of the highlights of the country year, and a fine, traditional village flower show. For an charming afternoon of old-style jollity, mark Saturday 19th July 2014 at 1.30pm on your calendar!

Now, the flower show has an 'Open' class - in other words, anyone can enter. It doesn't matter that you live in Ashford, your exhibits will be welcome. Several of the Ashford Allotmenteers have entered over the years, winning coveted rosettes, as well as cups and shields.

The show schedule is uploaded below for you to see. If you would like a copy emailed to you, just drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll send it.

If you don't fancy competing, just load up the family and come along for a super old-fashioned afternoon out. As well as the flower show, there are (I quote from the poster) a Fun Dog Show, Garden Railway Exhibit, Ark Animal Encounters, Coconut Shy - BBQ - Tombola -: Games - Tea Tent - Plants; Family Races - Produce Marquee; Beer Tent - History Display Plus lots more. Entry by programme 50p

Plots numbers appearing now

27/6/2014

Well, here is a very imaginative plot number sent in by Debbie - the number 31 is on both the CD earrings and the clogs.

Send us a photo of your own plot number or of one you think is particularly good, to
[email protected]

Lots of allotmenteers have responded to the call to number their plots, with imaginations running riot and plots now much easier to locate. Below are just a few to amuse and inspire you. If you haven't already numbered your plot, don't be shy - sort a little something out, even if it's just a number scrawled on your shed!

Don't forget, there's a prize to be won
for the 'most creative'
to be awarded at the Summer Show

The wacky . . .

The just plain potty . . .

The very polite . . .

The cheeky . . .

The no-nonsense . . .

The artistic . . .

The wilfully obscure . . .

The utterly charming . . .

. . and the 'Can't miss it'!

Send in a photo of your plot number, or one you've seen and particularly like, to [email protected]

Bring and buy day a success

21/6/2014

Today's 'Grand Allotment Bring and Buy' (that "Grand" was meant to be ironic, by the way) has been judged a success, with lots of tools and kit - both vintage and new - finding new homes where it was needed. Plants of tomatoes, kohl rabi, celeriac, cayenne pepper, kale, courgettes, summer and butternut squash and four huge, beautiful 'Marketmore' cucumbers were brought in and have now found good homes.

Donations of gardening books were outstanding, with some really super brand new books alongside more vintage titles. While a lot have sold, there is still a wide choice of titles which will be available the next time the Trading Store is open.

There will also be a book stall at the Summer Show, so please turn out all your surplus gardening books and bring them to the Trading Store so we can keep the ball rolling.

The money raised will go towards show expenses - it will be very good to start organising the Show with a petty cash kitty to call on, rather than asking individual helpers to lend the Society money!

A big thank you to all those who donated stuff, all those who turned up and bought, and the volunteers who helped keep everything running smoothly when we were so busy!

Your contributions welcomed - bring out the budding garden writer in you!

1/6/2014

This is your website and your contributions are all welcomed. We would love your photos, gardening experiences and tips for growing. Longer articles on any aspect of gardening will be very welcome too! (Click here to go to Kirsty's article on vintage rotovators) If you have a subject you'd like to write on, or an experience you'd like to share, email the website compiler at [email protected]!

Gardening Bring & Buy

29/5/2014

Ashford Allotment Society will be running a GARDENING BRING AND BUY at the Trading Store on 21st June, during the normal opening hours of 10am to 2pm. It’s like a jumble sale, but for all allotment-related stuff!!!

This is a splendid chance to find good homes for surplus tools, seed trays, cloches, mini-greenhouses, small square propagating pots, really large pots, heaters, propagators, nice plants, gardening books, and so on. Spare plants will also be welcome. Come along, bring your surplus stuff and pick up a bargain!

Please bring your donations to the Trading Store either on May 31st or June 7th during normal opening hours, or on the day itself, as early as possible. ALL THE MONEY RAISED WILL GO TO EXPENSES FOR OUR SUPER SUMMER SHOW.

Please bring things people can use, which they will be prepared to pay small sums for. We know you've got more sense than to bring stuff which is only fit for the dump!

Plot number competition

20/5/2014

Every year the Ashford Allotment Society runs a competition for Best Plot. There are certificates for Best Plot on each site, Best Newcomer, and (a first this year) a vintage cup awarded each year from now on to the allotmenteer with the best plot in the Society.

And each year, the judges struggle to work out which plot is which. Sometimes they get it wrong, which is embarassing!!! A few plots have numbers on them - either on a stake, or painted on a shed - but not nearly enough to make things clear.

THIS YEAR allotmenteers are being asked to put their number on their plot somewhere. And to encourage you, there will be a prize for the most imaginative and creative plot number! But if you're not feeling creative, number your plot anyway, it will make you immensely popular with everyone - from judges to newcomers trying to identify their new plot - and will take so little effort! A plot number will count towarsd your chances of winning Best Plot or Best Newcomer, too!

THAT'S TWO CHANCES OF WINNING A PRIZE
AT THE SUMMER SHOW (ALONG WITH THE PHOTOGRAPH COMPETITION), THAT DON'T EVEN ASK YOU TO BE ABLE TO GROW A SINGLE THING!

Allotment photograph competition

15/5/2014

Summer is coming and the allotments are starting to look really good. Up till now, the photographs on this website have mostly been taken by the compiler. And I have no hesitation in saying that most of them are rubbish! Photography is certainly not one of my talents.

Now, we're sure you can do better. On the left is the fabulous photo of Henwood taken by one of the plotholders last summer. Below is another stunner by the same photographer.

We want to see your very best photos. Send a mouthwatering pic of your site (it doesn't have to be your plot, mind!) to our email address, ashfordallotments@
yahoo.co.uk

Christine's gorgeous shed photo

As many of the photos as possible will be used on the website. Photos will be used to head up the page on each site, and other photos will be used as illustrations. The best photo of each site will be displayed at the Summer Show, and the best of all will get a modest prize. So get snapping!

A top event this spring for keen gardeners, especially if you love hardy perennials

12/5/2014

The Hardy Plant Society brings together enthusiasts of herbaceous plants, and their plant fairs are legendary. There will be lots of stalls selling all kinds of rare and beautiful treasures. The entry fee is just the normal admission for the Godinton House gardens - worth the money in itself as the gardens are very beautiful. (Please note - if you have a season ticket to Godinton this won't get you in for free on this day, as the Godinton managers give some of the money to the Hardy Plant Society - RHS members, who usually get in free, will be asked for a donation to the Hardy Plant Society)

More Spare Plants Swap on May 17th!!!

7/5/2014

The Spare Plants Swap on May 3rd was such a success that the Trading Store is doing it again on May 17th - so if you missed it, you get another chance. Lucky allotmenteers who turned up on the 3rd picked up tomatoes, sweet peppers, paprika peppers, butternut squash, sweet peas and Kent cobnuts, all at bargain prices. Who knows what there'll be next time?

melon and courgette plants

Bring your spare plants - vegetables, allotment flowers or fruit bushes and plants - to the Trading Store at the Westrees site on Quantock Drive (click here for location info) on May 17th. Or turn up to buy things you hadn't thought of growing, new varieties or something exciting.
Left: young squash plants growing on ready for 17th

Bring all your spare plants to help raise money for the Summer Show. Plants should be in clean compost and clearly labelled - just the way you'd want to buy them yourself.

SPARE PLANTS SWAP

29/4/2014

SPARE PLANTS: BRING AND BUY

Bring your spare plants up to the Trading Store this Saturday May 3rd, to find them good homes and raise some money for the Summer Show. If you haven't got spare plants, come to the Trading Store and buy some! Who knows what you'll find, it'll all depend what turns up on the day. Some may be rarer ones you've never tried!

If you are bringing plants, please bring them before 11am if possible (the earlier the better in fact). All plants should be in clean compost and should be labelled - just the way you'd like to buy them. If you'd like any unsold plants back please call back just before the Trading Store closes.
You don't need to be a member of the bulk buying scheme to take part.

All the money raised will go towards Summer Show expenses. The Trading Store is, as I'm sure you all know, at Westrees allotments on Quantock Drive.