Apologies to regular readers for my low blog count of late.
It's been a hectic few months away from the allotment, which unfortunately has struggled to recover from the summer's heavy rains...causing waterlogging which in turn unleashed a monstrous explosion in the slug population.
In fact I have to admit I'm dreading going down to the Vale and finding out just how bad it is ...the last I knew the tomatoes were coming on strong but pretty much everything else had been destroyed - either rotted by mini-floods or munched by the gastropods.
(At least I can be safe in the knowledge the apparently nuke-resistant Jerusalem artichokes will have survived, even if the tomato crop was completely wasted.)
Meanwhile, friends on other allotments seem to be getting into the swing of autumn. Chris has a huge stock of apples at Sefton Park, some of which I'm hoping to beg or scrump to turn into pie.
A colleague on the Daily Post says he's just dug in his annual green manure - Hungarian grazing rye - apparently a real winner. And another workmate has just enrolled on a Saturday gardening course to help boost the success of her new allotment. (Mary, all I can say is, it's blinking harder work than it sounds!)
As if that wasn't enough to rub in the guilt over my failed season, St Helens Council has just announced it's about to give away 25 tonnes of compost - and even if I had a car to collect a load I don't think I have a weed-free bed to dig it into.
For those who are more organised here's the press release from St Helens. (Perhaps the drive to produce compost explains the awful stink that was hanging over St Helens, baffling residents who rang in to tell our journalists all about it, at the end of last week?!)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Helens Council is about to give away 25 tonnes of compost absolutely FREE.
The free compost is made up of the green waste from St Helens residents green bins.
St Helens Council have a giveaway twice a year as a reward to the residents who recycle using the Council’s kerbside scheme and the local bring bank sites. Thanks to these residents St Helens’ recycling rate is now 23% and still going up!
The giveaway is being held on Sunday 7th October from 11am till 4pm at Clock Face Colliery. Residents need to bring their own bags to fill up with the free compost, shovels and spades will be available to use at the giveaway.
Members of the Council’s recycling team will be on hand throughout the day to answer any questions about recycling and home composting.
Compost is the perfect way to nourish your garden and plants, here are a few ideas:
In your borders
Feeding your lawn
For potted plants
Hanging baskets
In the green house
So come and get your hands on some free compost and see what blooms from your waste!
----------------------------
You heard it first here folks. Exciting times.
*STILL AWAKE? Check out how organised this Liverpool allotment is - this guy's like the Stakhanovite of urban veg growers: click here
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit