For all the council stuff, and the members of the allotment committee, see our 'OFFICIAL STUFF' page
If you know of a useful website, tip us off; we'll include it!
If you know of a useful website, tip us off; we'll include it!
Clubs, societies and organisations
GARDEN ORGANIC (formerly the Henry Doubleday Foundation) is THE go-to place for organic gardening info. They used to run the organic show gardens at Yalding but sadly this is no longer the case. The future of the gardens at Yalding is completely uncertain and we would be grateful if anyone has up-to-date news.
The NATIONAL SOCIETY OF ALLOTMENT AND LEISURE GARDENERS does exactly what it says on the tin. The Ashford Allotment Society (to which all allotmenteers belong) is affiliated to the NSALG, but you can also join as an individual. Check out their website at www.nsalg.org.uk
The NATIONAL VEGETABLE SOCIETY dates back to 1960, when it was formed to help gardeners improve their vegetable growing. They offer members a range of services and a lot of useful advice. It is organised by regions. Click on the name National Vegetable Society or phone 01932 844183, or email the local registrar at [email protected]
The ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY is quite probably the single most useful organisation the gardener can join. As well as getting you and a friend into Wisley free, the card gets you into lots of other gardens - like Godinton, for example. However, that isn't the chief benefit (even though the demonstration fruit and veg gardens at Wisley are totally brilliant). The membership money is worth it for the magazine alone; over 100 pages each month, all gist, with very few adverts. If you've never seen it, it will be a real eye-opener. No 'ho-hum' articles churning out stuff you've seen a dozen times before. Instead you get a mix of a few articles on unusual gardens with a lot of authoritative advice and info. Specialities are trouble-shooting columns on every type of pest and disease, and the results of trials run at the Trials Ground at Wisley. Here plants or seeds submitted by the full range of suppliers are planted together an assessed after a year or more of growth. These include a wide range of vegetables and fruits, and the results are highly informative.
The RHS also has a pretty brilliant website. Click here to go to it.
The RHS also has a pretty brilliant website. Click here to go to it.
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Above: model vegetable plots at Wisley. There is always lots to learn, with different techniques being trialled and demonstrated.
SINGLETON ENVIRONMENT CENTRE runs courses and workshops with a 'green' theme, amny of which may be of interest to you if you are the sort of person who has an allotment. Check out their diary.
HENWOOD ALLOTMENTS has its own website, run by Wheelbarrowlady Christine Green! Got to wheelbarrowlady.webs.com
HENWOOD ALLOTMENTS has its own website, run by Wheelbarrowlady Christine Green! Got to wheelbarrowlady.webs.com
Other stuff, like places to go, suppliers, sources of info that aren't websites . . . a miscellany
BBC RADIO KENT has a Sunday gardening programme that a lot of allotmenteers find very useful. Click here to go to their web page. You can even listen to the programme on your computer while looking at the website - click the "listen" symbol near the top of their page on the right!
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GODINTON HOUSE AND GARDENS is between Great Chart and Hothfield (roughly speaking) and is signposted from the A20. The ornamental gardens, designed by Reginald Bloomfield in the early 20th century, are very beautiful. The walled kitchen garden is gradually being brought back into full cultivation - there are glasshouses, trained fruit and neat vegetable patches. RHS members get in free, others pay £5, and children go free too. Open from March to October 7 days a week.
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HARRINGE PLANTS (Tel 01303 814422) at Sellinge does seed potatoes by the kilo. You can choose as many different varieties, and as many or few of each, as you like. Bags, labels and pens are provided for you to label up each variety. Then you take the whole lot to the scales and pay by the overall weight. Much more economical than buying from the big garden centres if you want only a few plants. Click here to go direct to their page
Click here for this year's list of seed potato varieties
Click here for this year's list of seed potato varieties
HOUSEHOLD WASTE RECYCLING CENTRE (the "Dump") at Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate. Bulky rubbish, scrap metal and organic stuff which you can't compost (NOT weeds and topsoil: that is severely against both your tenancy agreement and your own best interests!) like tree branches. Open every day except Christmas Day.
Click here to go to their website.
Click here to go to their website.
KENT BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION is the group to go to if you are interested in beekeeping. They also have volunteer swarm collectors! If you have a sawrm of bees on your allotment they will send an expert to collect them and find them a good home.
KENT WOOLGROWERS is a farmer's store selling not only outdoor clothing, livestock feeds in modest quantities, and horsey gear, but also a surprisingly wide range of gardening stuff, especially high quality tools at sensible prices. Specialist tools can be ordered in, too. A much better bet for things like canes or posts than your garden centre! Their Ashford shop is, for now, still conveniently situated in the middle of town on Tannery Lane, although they will soon be moving to new, larger premises. Click here to go to their website.
KENTISH EXPRESS/KENT MESSENGER ONLINE NEWSPAPER has allotment stories and an online gardening section.
Go to Kentish Express allotment stories
Go to Kentonline gardening pages
Go to Kentish Express allotment stories
Go to Kentonline gardening pages
MOWER SERVICING: Mark Chandler has used this chap and found him very good value.
Leigh Mower Services
Located in Kennington, Leigh Mower Services offer competitive rates for the repair of all leading makes of petrol garden machinery. They also offer servicing, sales and blade sharpening. Collection & delivery available
Contact Mark on 07514 720526 or 01233 663014
Email [email protected]
Leigh Mower Services
Located in Kennington, Leigh Mower Services offer competitive rates for the repair of all leading makes of petrol garden machinery. They also offer servicing, sales and blade sharpening. Collection & delivery available
Contact Mark on 07514 720526 or 01233 663014
Email [email protected]
WOODCHURCH KITCHEN, run by Richard Everett, is a small business making high quality jams and pickles in small batches. Richard is interested to hear from anyone who has a surplus of fruit, especially if it is something which isn't usually that easy to get hold of, like quinces or loganberries. Contact him direct via [email protected]
Seed and supplies companies - just a selection to be added to
Click on their names to go to their websites!
CHILTERN SEEDS - do a surprising range of the truly unusual, as well as many less unfamiliar herbs and vegetables. Their flower seed catalogue is an absolute wonder, with species from all over the world, there really is nothing like it. No pictures in the catalogue (and sometimes no picture on the website) - that's how unusual some of these things are. You'll want to do a bit of research of your own. The herb list is a real eye-opener with many you'll never have heard of. An absolute must for anyone interested in ethnic or heritage crops.
CROCUS - a big internet supplier of seeds, plants and gardening sundries. The website is full of stuff including advice and inspiration, how-to videos, a trouble-shooting section and so on. Just remember it's all commercial.
KING'S SEEDS are an old-fashioned company specialising in vegetable seeds. Many allotmenteers reckon theirs are the best. Seeds can be ordered through the Trading Store or you can go direct to their website by clicking here.
MARSHALL'S SEEDS are owned by the same company as Unwins, and commercially the two are the same firm. However, the two lists are kept separate as Marshalls used to specialise in seeds for those who show vegetables competitively. Their list is worth a look.
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MEDWYN'S OF ANGLESEY are THE specialist supplier for those who want to grow to show. Even if you're not a serious exhibitor, it's fun to grow some of these varieties. For example, 'Stenner', a selection from 'Enorma' (right) produces immensely long beans which are still very good eating. Your best chance of a prize at our Summer Show will definitely come from growing some of Medwyn's varieties
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NICKY'S NURSERY is an online seed company (no paper catalogue) based in Thanet. They have a huge range of some of the most unusual vegetables you'll ever come across. Recommended by gardeners we know, though we've yet to try it. The range is astonishing and the prices very reasonable. Try them for Cucamelon, 'Land seaweed', Japanese Burdock, Jicama Yam Bean, Tamarillo and many more exotics - as well as a full range of 'normal' veg and plenty of flowers.
PLANTS OF DISTINCTION's "SIMPLY VEGETABLES" seed catalogue has the most extraordinary collection of unusual varieties. You'll find varieties here you'll never see elsewhere. They have eleven (yes. ELEVEN!) pages of tomatoes, with super heirloom varieties, and five pages of peppers both sweet and spicy. They aren't cheap, and the seed count in the packets isn't high, but if you hanker after the unusual you really need to check them out.
Order an old-fashioned paper catalogue by phoning 01449 721720, emailing [email protected] or click here to go to their website.
Order an old-fashioned paper catalogue by phoning 01449 721720, emailing [email protected] or click here to go to their website.
W. ROBINSON & SON specialise in seeds for growing giant onions and leeks. They have a full list of other vegetables for exhibitors too, check out the list by clicking here.
THOMAS ETTY have a a list of heritage varieties with a wealth of historical detail and background information. Browse their modest but fascinating catalogue to learn that some of our favourite varieties have been around for centuries - and to discover plants our ancestors woul have grown in their garden patches.
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THOMPSON & MORGAN have a reputation for the newest and most unusual, and this sometimes comes at a price. If you want bog standard varieties, there are cheaper suppliers. But their list is always worth checking out; they compare well for price with other suppliers of unusual varieties and have a number of 'exclusives'. Their annual carnations for cutting are by far and away the best; a super addition to the allotment and well worth the space.
Click here for their website. |
Click on the pic to go to T&M's carnations
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TUCKER'S SEEDS have one of the best ranges for vegetable growers, at reasonable prices. They also have a very jolly facebook page with competitions and little friendly snippets. To go to their main website, click here
UNWINS SEEDS are still the best for Sweet Peas - it was, after all, Sweet Peas that they made their name with about a century ago. Click here to go to their website.
WILKINSON'S in Ashford took over from Woolworths as the best place for budget garden supplies long before Woolworths went bust. They have their own range of flower and vegetable seeds and the prices are rock bottom. You won't get the latest varieties or exotic rarities but boy, will you save money. There are often special offers like 'three for two' as well. Amounts of seed are very reasonable and the germination quality doesn't seem to be any less than anybody else's.
WYEVALE, which at one point split up as a company and debranded their garden centres; now they are 'Wyevale' again. The Hamstreet centre is more garden-orientated with less gift lines, and they have a cafe. Driving time to each depends on where in Ashford you're starting from. The Willesborough centre is close to Tesco's Crooksfoot, which is served by the buses. Both stock several different seed suppliers and if you want to compare and contrast, then they are well worth the trip. It is easier and more fun to browse along the racks than compare several different websites, and you will usually find everything you need. At the end of the season all seeds are reduced, first to half price, then to 50p a packet. This is a bonanza and keen gardeners rush down there to scoop up the bounty. This is a good chance to try something a little unusual that you might not have lashed out on at full price.
Wyevale have other bargains for gardeners, and it's definitely worth joining their "Gardener's Club" as you get access to special promotions. It doesn't cost anything to join. Do compare their offer prices with the Trading Store price before buying however - their pelleted chicken manure, for instance, though competitive when on offer, is still dearer than buying it through the Trading Store - even oncvce you've paid your annual membership!
Wyevale have other bargains for gardeners, and it's definitely worth joining their "Gardener's Club" as you get access to special promotions. It doesn't cost anything to join. Do compare their offer prices with the Trading Store price before buying however - their pelleted chicken manure, for instance, though competitive when on offer, is still dearer than buying it through the Trading Store - even oncvce you've paid your annual membership!
FACEBOOK Love it or loath it? If it's your sort of thing click on the icon at the top of the page to go to the ASHFORD ALLOTMENT GROUP facebook group. Just see what's on or join in. The group is open to anyone keen on vegetable growing who wants to take part. There are a lot of allotment groups and pages on facebook. You don't have to do the whole unsavoury facebook thing to make use of these resources, you can join, tell nobody, and just access the information. There are a lot of other open facebook groups and communities you can look at and learn from too.
