We would like to order from BHGS as we did last year, by mid November. We will expect delivery early in the new year. We need your contact details, both to let you know when they have arrived, and in
Haws, Hips & Elder
Ally’s October blog begins: “The autumn equinox, the second harvest on the Celtic wheel of the year which powered through our lives recently along with a full moon, is a time for gathering, preparing for winter, celebrating our harvest and
Seeds and Stuff from the shop
An update from the allotment shop. Check out the new arrangements for ordering seed as well as a number of varieties of bulbs available from the shop from September 2019.
The Blue of Borage
Ally’s monthly blog for August starts, “As July rolls into lazy August and the Celtic festival of the first harvest of ‘Lammas’ shines upon us, I delight in both the sight and taste of the blue of borage flowers. Borage
Botley Meadow Late Summer BBQ
We are having our second (‘late’ summer) Botley Meadow BBQ on Saturday September 7th from 1pm onwards. As usual it is a ‘bring and share’ event (we don’t use any of the association funds to cover this) – so please
Allotment Ecology
Gardeners World (BBC2 on Friday 21st June) – Frances Tophill visited an allotment in Oxfordshire to meet a gardener (Nadine Mitschunas) who is growing her crops alongside plants attractive to pollinating insects and other wildlife. Nadine works at the same
Leaves, Blossoms & Petals
This month’s article from Ally gives us plenty of ideas of what to do with foraged leaves and flowers. See the full article with composting tips and recipes here.
Feedback from the 2019 AGM poster session
Feedback from the 2019 AGM A pre-AGM session had posters on the following: Twenty Pound Meadow Water Harvesting Project Suggestions for Association Website improvements Suggestions for Association Shop improvements Gardening Sensibly, Sensitively and Sustainably Members were asked for their views
Of interest to members …
Two items from members that may be of interest this month. Firstly an article on why gardens don’t need pesticides – which is timely following the AGM discussion around the use of chemicals on allotments. The second is an article
Bee walks and nest boxes
Oxford Plan Bee are offering plotholders the chance to attend one of their free upcoming Bee Walks, in either Wytham Woods or Oxford City (with a possible bonus visit to the Botanic Gardens). Walkers will visit some of their solitary
Security on Allotments
There has been a recent spate of organised thefts and vandalism on allotment sites across Oxford. We have updated and uploaded a guide to making allotment sites and plots more secure. We urge you all to read it … It
Allotment AGM 2019
The 2019 AGM will take place at West Oxford Community Centre (next to Twenty Pound Meadow) in the evening of Thursday 25th April. 7:00 for 7:15pm – refreshments and an interactive session with four topics: Twenty Pound Meadow Water Harvesting
TPM Water Harvesting Project update
Pete Feenan and his team have been doing a sterling job on the Water Harvesting Project at Twenty Pound Meadow allotments. There is a PDF report here which describes their progress As part of the project we plan to extend
City bees: allotments and gardens can help arrest decline
A recent article in the Guardian reports that allotments, weedy corners and fancy gardens are all urban havens for bees and other pollinators, a study has found. Allotments are particularly good places for pollinators because they provide a mix of
West Oxford Grow Your Own & Potato Fair
Following the success of our Potato Fair earlier this year, ODFAA have organised a repeat in January 2019. This is an excellent opportunity to try out different potato varieties as they can be bought by the tuber. This summer Botley