I’ve just found a project for the winter! I’ve been spending hours cleaning seeds from our Szechuan pepper tree (you want the pink husks and not the gritty seeds). I searched online and came across a home-made seed cleaner which
The dangers, and health benefits, of gardening
Dr Muiris Houston [writing in the Irish Times recently]: You can pick up serious injuries and ailments from horticultural activity, but some risk assessment will mean you enjoy only the advantages. I’ve always thought of gardening as a relaxing pastime.
Botley Meadow site access
IMPORTANT – due to a spate of break-ins and other damage on site we have changed the padlock code for Botley Meadow. The new code was sent to all members on the WhatsApp and email lists but if you are
Plans for a wildflower patch
Gus writes: We should be thinking about the challenges to the natural environment and whether we could respond to these in our own small way. There is concern about the decline of insects and especially pollinating bees. This is what
Drought possible again this year …
Members might have heard someone from my organisation today reporting that the low levels of rainfall over winter and so far this spring may lead to drought conditions over the summer. For more information, you might like to read the
Using Coffee Grounds in the Garden
In light of the recent WhatsApp group debate about whether to add coffee grounds to your compost I’m reproducing an article from www.growveg.co.uk that might be useful A Common-Sense Guide to Using Coffee Grounds in the Garden Coffee shops often
Twenty Pound Meadow Community Picnic
You are most cordially invited to join The Twenty Pound Meadow Community Picnic on 5th September 2021 from 12.30pm onwards Sunday 5th is the first rent audit day ~ so pay your dues and party on! Which is when you
Meadowsweet – Queen of the Meadow
Check out Ally’s latest post on Meadowsweet and its various uses: I love Her graceful presence by Riverbank and Meadow. Her creamy-white heads bowing in the breeze, often adorned with the buzz, buzz, buzzing of Bees, a sure sign of
The Organic Working Group (OWG)
Introducing a new initiative for Twenty Pound Meadow West Oxford Allotments: The Organic Working Group (OWG) At the last AGM a proposal to ban the use of Glyphosate at our allotment sites was passed. Use of Glyphosate is now against
Extending the communal orchard on Twenty Pound Meadow
There are 10 new year-old apple trees on Twenty Pound Meadow, doubling the size of the communal orchard and promising a juicy harvest in a few years time. When choosing which trees to plant, we went for a range: some
New guidance for bonfires on Twenty Pound Meadow
There are new guidelines for when bonfires are permitted on Twenty Pound Meadow. You can read them here. From 1 September 2020, we are changing how bonfires are managed. It’s a pilot – if the new rules are effective and
Bulbs for sale from the allotment shop
The shop has bulbs in stock, and are selling by advance order only due to COVID restrictions. If you are interested please see the list of the varieties available here. If anyone wants any please email Cathy (details below) and
Allotments in the news …
An uplifting article in today’s Guardian on how allotments have proved to be an important source of assistance during lockdown and beyond. Some inspiring quotes – making us realise how lucky we are to have plots and to be allowed
2020 Allotment Plot Rent Renewal
With only a few days of August left it is time to remind you that all rents are due in September. As in previous years we will be collecting these on the first three Sundays – the 6th, 13th and
Web articles about allotments in Oxford
Two web articles that may be of interest to members. Tony Morris has produced a wonderful one on his Morris Oxford website – having talked to Wendy from ODFAA. It has some amusing anecdotes and opens with one referring to