Lovely afternoon at the allotment

[MRS B 522]

Have had a lovely afternoon at the allotment clearing beds and covering with plastic for winter. I was all toasty with 5 layers on. Have saved some bean seed from last year to finish drying off on trays. I actually like this time of year as it is all about tidying up. Plenty to do down there but looks smart when it’s finished. 
I did a talk last weekend on composting with a practical session afterwards on “browns and greens” identification. I was quite surprised how few of the audience who were all gardeners actually did composting themselves. Hopefully I have gained a few converts.

How many of you guys do?

[IAN FINN 808]

Are you growing any nobby greens for Christmas Mrs B? Always pulled them off the stalks Christmas Day when i was a nipper at my Grandads in his garden.

[Beekay 5,152]

Mrs.B., in reply to your question re composting, who does it? In my case I just talk a lot of it. 

Ians query about 'Nobby Greens', well I prefer the tops, much more tastier.

[MRS B 522]

Ian, I’m not growing nobby greens this year no, although I have in the past. Will have parsnips ready though, yum. 
Beekay, if you (or anyone) have a garden there is no excuse for not composting. Think of all the kitchen peelings even that you could use and all those Amazon boxes for carbon. It’s free and interesting even if it’s only a Wormery on a balcony or outside space.

It’s good compost and less going to council waste. That’s said with my volunteer for Garden Organic hat on!

 

[Beekay 5,152]

I don't have a garden or any semblence of one. Where I live are Alms house trust, so we have groundsmen who do the communal gardens. Never used Amazon so no cardboard there and certainly do not want a worms all over . Happy to try your parsnips though. 

[IAN FINN 808]

Do you export them? sounds good.

[mary1947 2,083]

When i was knee high to a grass hopper my whole life was spent with my dad or my grandad on their Allotment 

 

When it came to September dad would make a list for the Harvest Festival I would always have a lot of veg/fruit to take to the church or school.

 

Q/ Where have all the Harvest Festival ????? Gone

 

[Oztalgian 3,298]

1 hour ago, mary1947 said:

Q/ Where have all the Harvest Festival ????? Gone

Those on here that know me will understand I don't do "God Bothering" and am an atheist but whilst at school I did enjoy the Harvest Festival Hymns.

Two that immediately come to mind are  :-

We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land.

Come ye thankful people come, raise the song of harvest home. All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.

[letsavagoo 963]

Harvest suppers and come the new year plough Sunday is still a rural tradition around here. We used to go to the harvest supper in the church hall which has recently been sold with planning consent to convert to a house.
I used to love Plough Sunday when lots of Morris dancing and folk musicians descended on the local pub yards from my door. I think there was a disagreement of some sort and such celebrations moved to a pub in Southwell.

[philmayfield 6,142]

We used to have the dancers round here. Nothing worse than Morris dancers clogging up the lane so you can’t drive past! 

[siddha 825]

We have a Plough Sunday nearby with associated music dancing and singing. I play the fiddle for a local Quire and have also played for a Morris Side though I think accordians/squeeze boxes more suitable having better volume.  I like Plough Sundays, particularly when you get more than one local Morris Sides vying with another for who has the most elaborate and noisy new dance variant. 

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

We had Harvest Festival at school and also Sunday school when I was a child.  Since I used to sing in the choir and was also organist for a time. I think I know all the words by heart.  Christmas carols, likewise.  Eventually, harvest festival descended into tinned goods only and no products with nuts, gluten free, etc.  It just wasn't the same. Nothing is these days.

[MargieH 7,600]

@Jill Sparrow I think the reason for there being mostly tins and packets is probably because it all goes to the local Foodbank .  At least that’s the case round here.  We do include some  fresh produce to decorate the church though.  People can then buy any fresh produce on the display and the money goes to Foodbank funds 

[katyjay 5,091]

When we lived in West Byfleet, we had an allotment. Put our name down on the waiting list and got one quite quickly.  We  soon had it shipshape and planted out. Once everything was established we'd walk down each evening,  3 kids in tow,  hoe and wheelbarrow (no shed for storage) and water everything.  It was a communal tap, no hose pipes allowed, so a lot of filling watering cans and carrying them. We'd pull weeds and pick produce. Of all the things we grew, runner and French beans did the best and we picked them just about every evening,  then I would cut, blanche and freeze. Our beans lasted all year, we had so many. It was a lovely time for the whole family and we missed it when we moved.

[Brew 5,420]

You make it sounds so good KT I'm almost tempted..... almost...

[katyjay 5,091]

Surrey has so many trees. Each autumn the street sweeper would clean the roads of leaves and then dump them in a huge pile at the allotments. You helped yourself to the mulch.  Much schlepping with a wheelbarrow to put the leaves on the allotment, to sit through the winter. Free, but hard work.  Between that, walking everywhere and living in a 3 storey townhouse, I never had to worry about putting on weight!

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

@katyjayno help from The Dalai Chulla, I suppose, when he came to visit?

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

8 hours ago, Oztalgian said:

but whilst at school I did enjoy the Harvest Festival Hymns.

@Oztalgian  just as long as you don't go gathering in any dodgy fungi. One of your compatriots seems to have been quite fond of making dishes with them. Fascinating reading the information coming into the public domain about that case. It's difficult to believe that anyone might think they could get away with an alleged stunt like that in this day and age. 

[philmayfield 6,142]

We had a lady who lived down the lane who was a self proclaimed expert on fungi. I remember the day when I saw her being loaded into the back of an ambulance.