The online plot for Beckenham allotment holders
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The online plot for Beckenham allotment holders
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October 18
Saturday
Forum
Keen green fingers looking for an allotment in the Beckneham area. Help! 12 Replies
Are there any available allotments out there?
Started by Nella. Last reply by Nella Oct 2.
BBQ - Thanks
Sorry, I meant to post this a few days ago. Many many thanks for the great BBQ on Saturday. Special thanks to Clive and Ken for the cheffing, and the ladies for the great spread of food. Great to ...
Tagged: bbq
Started by JonClarke Jul 29.
bees 2 Replies
I have mentioned this to clive, but as I didnt get down at the weekend havent seen any of you to say - I think we may have a bees nest or queen bee in one of our compost heaps adjoining the path. t...
Started by marie shallcross. Last reply by marie shallcross Jun 26.
Thank you Jon 1 Reply
Just wanted to say here where you can all see, Thank you Jon for the work you do regards this site, I know we all apprciate it and as time passes I know we will all use it more and more as we find ...
Started by Phil & Claire. Last reply by JonClarke Jun 24.
Site Info - WELCOME!
Post your pics and tips on the forum and photos area, or any good videos you make or find on sites like YouTube.com.
Forster Road - Trading Shed Open to all Beckenham & Bromley Allotment owners. Good prices too. Open Sunday's 10:30 to 12:00 noon. More info and allotment hire: Clive Randall 020 8402 9629
For those who don't know, there are rotorvators, strimmers, brush cutters and lawn mowers for hire for only a few pound coins on the allotment. Names of the keyholders to the lock-up are on the Trading Shed notice board.
The Podcasts below are audio shows to listen to and enjoy and one can even download to an MP3/iPod player and listen to them in your own time.
If you have a website link that you'd like on this page - please contact Jon Clarke via here and he'll add it straight away. This community site is for everyone and the more you sow here the better for all.
Find your sanctuary... then click on some of the other videos within this
Handy Sites, Blogs, Podcasts
Beckenham Town Residents local community site
Jim & Barbara's HoeHoeHoe Blog
Allotment & Vegetable Gardening Ring
Sydenham Gardens - New place to visit for all ages
WigglyWigglers Podcast
The Alternative Kitchen Garden Podcast
BBC - Gardening
BBC Gardeners' Question Time - Radio Listings
Guardian 'Horticultural' Blog
Garden Organic
Allotment Growing
Kitchen Garden Magazine - What to do this month!
http://www.wma-mp3.org/ Convert your WMA to MP3 files FREE and share your music
Female Skilled Trades Web Directory - Saferservices.co.uk
Readers Sheds - Quite a laugh
Videos
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Build a Self Watering Container
Added by JonClarke
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A few of my favourite things
Added by JonClarke
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How to make Elderflower Cordial
Added by JonClarke
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Grow Your Own
Added by JonClarke
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Blog Posts
Beckenham patch
Dear All, can anyone advise me on how I find out whether there are any free allotment spaces in Beckenham? Many Thanks STeve
Posted by Steve Kong on October 5th, 2008 at 7:08pm
Blogging all over.
Just a quick note that Sue and I have a blog on blogspot - bees'n'beans. Feel free to leave comments. Mike
Posted by Michael Oliver on September 8th, 2008 at 4:05pm
Bees update
31st Aug,08 I am sure you will have noticed that the Forster Road apiary site is coming along; a load of brambles have been cleared and we are part way through erecting a shed to store the tools and the booze in (scoping out solar panels to power the fridge for Sue's CubaLibres.) When the shed is finished we will be erecting a 2 metre high screen round the sides of the plot. This is not because we don't want you to see what we get up to, it's in order to make a barrier for the bees to fly over.… Continue
Posted by Michael Oliver on August 31st, 2008 at 9:47am
Chip n Dale
So far Bank Holiday so good, the weather's been glorious and the allotment's been a hive of activity. I must try and stop Ali spying skips and tree surgeons or risk it becoming a habit, joking besides, the last few days could have had us renamed Chip n Dale. The reason? Well Ali spied first of all some landscape gardeners in Kent House Road and got off them 20 bags of topsoil from the garden they were renovating. Then in Queens Road some tree surgeons were busy and they were glad to fill up 12 b… Continue
Posted by JonClarke on May 5th, 2008 at 11:06am
spudtastic
I picked up my potato order today. I ordered Desiree, but got
King Edwards. But it's not really a big issue, since I only ordered
Desiree because
they sounded nice. Whether they were better spuds or not is not the
issue. So my King Edwards are now sitting in the hurricane shelter (ie, shed) with
a cherry tree, 2
blueberry stalks, a redcurrant stalk and a black currant stalk. All
waiting to be planted.
We spent this morning moving the compost heap from our backyard to
the allotment, in… Continue
Posted by Alison on February 3rd, 2008 at 8:05pm
Construction Month
I must admit I don't like the sowing bits of allotmenteering, but do enjoy building things, even the digging, so this month it's been 'construction time' with several raised bed frames and a new 3 bin compost heap taking up the weekend time, all from reclaimed materials. Beckenham, and especially the few roads near the allotment seem to be a hot bed of loft extensions at the moment and therefore a good source of disused timber keenly given away by the owners to my construction cause. The late…
ContinuePosted by JonClarke on January 27th, 2008 at 7:06pm
My first AGM
We attended our first allotment AGM today and it was great to see so many in attendance. I've been to many business ones and they are not as well supported, but the community spirit we've found at the allotment this year since joining, shows at events like this; everyone is involved and cares about its running and future.
With so many plots being taken and a few more reclaimed from the encroaching brambles the community is thriving and it showed in Clive, the Chairmen's, address and he…
ContinuePosted by JonClarke on November 18th, 2007 at 6:32pm
Clean up weekend
Well, here's my first blog post and I thought I'd just like to say thanks for all the help around our side of the Forster Road allotment (over the bridge) in clearing away a whole load of brambles, tall grass and especially the accumulated rubbish that littered lots of the over grown plots there. The skip came in very useful and I believe is now very very full!
Our girls enjoyed the clearing up and the wheel barrow rides (thanks Claire!). I broke one of Clive's new brushcutters, bu…
ContinuePosted by JonClarke on October 29th, 2007 at 5:08pm
Notes
Notes Home
Created by JonClarke Jun 15, 2008 at 12:17pm. Last updated by JonClarke Jun 15.
Forster Road Committee News
Created by JonClarke Jun 15, 2008 at 9:59am. Last updated by JonClarke Jun 15.
For the kids - young and old - NetRetro TV - search your fave
Super Mario Kart - SNES Original
Oh now tell me you don't get a warm feeling when you first hear that music and remember the greatest racer of them all. It's all a bit to well done now. But this SNES original had me versus my brother, giving no quarter more than any game has ever done. Remember keeping those red shells until the last corner and then hopefully knocking your opponent out just as they were about to win? CLASSIC!
Jet Set Willy - The Banyan Tree
I thought this was impossible, and the video is quite mesmerising like Jet Set Willy's music was. Was it possible?
Babar - Special Delivery (2 of 2)
With Babar and Celeste spending all their time tendi...
With Babar and Celeste spending all their time tending to the needs of her new baby sister Isabelle, Flora's feelings of being unwanted ultimately lead her to run away from home
Babar - Special Delivery (1 of 2)
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With Babar and Celeste spending all their time tendi...
With Babar and Celeste spending all their time tending to the needs of her new baby sister Isabelle, Flora's feelings of being unw With Babar and Celeste spending all their time tending to the needs of her new baby sister Isabelle, Flora's feelings of being unwanted ultimately lead her to run away from home
Alternative Kitchen Garden Podcast & Blog
AKG073 - Out & About
akg073.mp3 (right click to download)
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The Agitator
Madeleine from Mad About Herbs is back to tell us what we should be doing in the herb garden now that it’s autumn.
I’ve been out and about, to the Food Growing Bloggers Meet-up – check out my photos. We were lucky enough to be joined by Ben from Real Seeds, who talked about the important of seed saving (a topic that was also covered in AKG 028). There were also talks from Patrick from Bifurcated Carrots and Simon from The Plot Thickens.
And I’ve also been to a composting plant in Dorset – New Earth Solutions – to see one of the ways in which we can deal with organic waste (garden waste, food waste and cardboard). I took some photos there too!
Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.
AKG Index
2007
- AKG001 Jerusalem artichokes
- AKG002 Garlic
- AKG003 Compost
- AKG004 Indoor salads
- AKG005 Sowing seeds
- AKG006 Chard and leaf beet
- AKG007 Comfrey
- AKG008 Parsley
- AKG009 Raised beds
- AKG010 Nasturtiums
- AKG011 Seedlings
- AKG012 French beans
- AKG013 The RISC Roof garden
- AKG014 Water-wise gardening
- AKG015 Courgettes/ zucchini
- AKG016 Windowboxes
- AKG017 June
- AKG018 Oriental vegetables
- AKG019 Sunflowers
- AKG020 Welsh onions
- AKG021 Peas and peashoots
- AKG022 Lemon balm
- AKG023 Seeds for late sowing
- AKG024 Ryton Organic Gardens
- AKG025 Armchair gardening
- AKG026 Worm composting
- AKG027 Green manures for fall
- AKG028 Seed saving
- AKG029 Pee
- AKG030 Overwintering onions
- AKG031 Sweetcorn
- AKG032 Leaf mould
- AKG033 Slugs
- AKG034 A review of the season
- AKG035 Broad (fava) beans
- AKG036 Apple Day
- AKG037 20 garden uses for a plastic bottle
- AKG038 Pumpkins
- AKG039 Mushrooms
- AKG040 Cats in the garden
- AKG041 Planting pips
- AKG042 Chickpeas/ garbanzo beans
- AKG043 Tiger nuts/ chufa
- AKG044 Soil composition
- AKG045 Herbs for tea
- AKG046 2007 quiz
- AKG047 A look back at 2007
2008
- AKG048 Onions and shallots
- AKG049 Grow Dome tour
- AKG050 Seed swaps
- AKG051 Cress
- AKG052 Buying plants
- AKG053 Garden planning
- AKG054 Tomatoes
- AKG055 Peppers
- AKG056 Aubergines/ eggplants
- AKG057 Sprouting broccoli
- AKG058 Cold frames
- AKG059 Weeds
- AKG060 CAT Cold composting
- AKG061 Potatoes
- AKG062 Chickens
- AKG063 Achocha
- AKG064 Blueberries
- AKG065 Grow your own fresh air
- AKG066 Pest repellent plants
- AKG067 Master Composters
- AKG068 Bokashi
- AKG069 June catch-up
- AKG070 Winter crops
- AKG071 Ladybirds
- AKG072 September
Download previous episodes in batches of 10.
AKG072 - September
akg072.mp3 (right click to download)
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It’s time to clear spent crops away to the compost heap
It’s September, and here in the Alternative Kitchen Garden we’re looking back at what’s been happening this summer and turning our thoughts to getting ready for winter.
As well as harvesting the last summer crops before the first frosts (check out the frost dates in your area), we’re saving seeds, sowing green manures, getting ready to make leaf mould and thinking about homes for wildlife. And on top of all that we’re sowing seeds for winter salads and leafy greens and peashoots!
To round off the show we have a wonderful music track from Rebsie Fairholm (who also blogs at Daughter of the Soil) about something that disturbs the peace in many an autumn garden.
Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.
Guerilla Gardening
This week, Rachel is sharing her Big Sofa with Richard Reynolds – author of Guerilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries. They had a good old chat, over a cup of tea, about how he got started as a guerrilla gardener and why lavender is the perfect plant for guerrilla gardeners.
AKG071 - Ladybirds
akg071.mp3 (right click to download)
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The latest episode of the Alternative Kitchen Garden is on ladybirds – or ladybeetles – which are a real force for good in the garden. I’ve been finding out about our native ladybird species, but also about an invasive alien species that I’ve spotted in the garden. If you want to know what Harlequin ladybirds look like, or report a siting, then visit the website of the Harlequin Ladybird Survey.
You’ve been sending me emails on using tansy to repel whitefly, composting food waste in a food digester (check out Lisa’s Bokashi website) and courgettes.
There’s still a few days left if you want to listen to my appearance on Radio 4’s Go4It show, and if you haven’t already seen it then you might want to check out my article on useful weeds that appeared in the Guardian newspaper: No Hoe Zone.
Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.
Go4It and Penelope Bennet
If you’re missing your regular dose of the AKG while I’m scribbling away at my book then you might be interested in the following.
On Sunday (Sun 13 Jul, 19:15 – 19:45) I’m making a guest appearance on the Radio 4 programme Go4It. I went to Dulwich on Monday and was grilled about fruit and vegetables by a group of school children with an allotment. And just so you know, the hour we spent recording outside was about the only dry hour in the day! If you can’t listen live then you’ll be able to catch the show via the website all next week.
And over at The Big Sofa, Rach has been lucky enough to interview one of my gardening heroes – Penelope Bennet, who wrote the book Windowbox Allotment. It’s an awesome book, encouraging people with the smallest spaces to start growing edible plants, and it’s fantastic to hear the author talking about her own garden in London.
AKG070 - Winter Crops
akg070.mp3 (right click to download)
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In this episode you can find out the exciting reason why recent AKG episodes haven’t been quite as regular as they could be, and why your garden knows that we’ve just passed the solstice – even if you don’t!
But the main focus of this episode is on planning for winter crops, especially for those people who have started to grow their own vegetables because they want to save money during the Credit Crunch and would like to make the most of their garden throughout the year.
You might also want to go back and listen to episode 23, on seeds for late sowing, or episode 18 on Oriental vegetables. And last year I wrote an article on how to grow spring cabbage.
Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.
AKG069 - June catch up
akg069.mp3 (right click to download)
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I’m out in the Grow Dome this week, checking up on progress there and in the garden. Among other things there are new pond plants, too many tomatoes, potato flowers and new raised beds for the squash plants. What there isn’t is any soya beans.
Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.
AKG067 - Master Composters
akg067.mp3 (right click to download)
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Intrepid Oxfordshire Master Composters test the heap temperature at Agrivert’s composting facility
In this episode I talk about why I got involved with the Oxfordshire Master Composter scheme, what it involves and the benefits of home composting.
Garden Organic’s home composting website is the place to find out whether there’s a Master Composter scheme in your area, and how to get in touch with your local Master Composters if you would like their help.
WRAP’s RecycleNow website has some good information for people who are new to composting, and you can find out about subsidized compost bins in your area there too.
If you want to know more about composting then check out some of the previous AKG episodes. Episode 3 is on general composting, episode 26 is on worm composting and episode 60 covers cold composting. Looking forward to later in the year, episode 32 explains how to make leaf mould.
Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.
Find out about this week’s composting offers from Wiggly Wigglers – and how to bag some free seed potatoes – at Muppet’s Moolah.
AKG068 - Bokashi
akg068.mp3 (right click to download)
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In this episode I talk about my experiences with the latest arrival on the composting scene – Bokashi.
Garden Organic are running a Bokashi trial – so if you’ve got experiences you would like to share with them you can download the details from their Home Composting website.
Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.
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