Sunday at the plot...

Yesterday down at the plot was a beautiful day, the weatherman timed the sunshine perfectly.. I may even have got a bit of a tan! The main aim of the day was to plant peas and beans which was acheived. Let's hope these are more succesful than our previous crops, which haven't been great. We also managed to remove a dead wasps nest from our compost heap, thus reclaiming the pile which I for one have been too scared to near for months. In addition we shored up some old paths and created somenew ones and prepared one edge for a new bed.

The main task next week will be to create one or maybe even two new beds in the area currently covered by plastic sheeting. Anyone who has dug and edged a new bed will tell you that that it is a job for which it is definitely a case of the more the merrier. So if you fancy lending a hand come down on Sunday, we'll be there from 1pm. If you want to know more or just want to get in on the day, please call Helen on 07900648666.

Bonfire Night Success!

As dusk descended at the Lost Plot on Sunday we were tired. We had moved the social circle so as not to burn a hole in our new poly tunnel, laid some straw to soak up the mud bath created by a lively water butt and set up the clay oven and some barbeques in preparation for our Birthday Bonfire Bonanza.

All we needed now were some guests.

It was a nervous half an hour but the guests did soon materialize. I'm afraid i'm useless with names but you all know who you are and i hope you all had a good time. You all certainly seemed to enjoy the two types of home made soups, the baked potatoes, the burgers and sausages (both meat and veggie) and everybody looked quite content by the fire.

Then came the fireworks. A big thanks must be extended to Josh for organising the display and a big apology should be extended by me for volleying a small firework into the sweetcorn and managing to set up the worlds only stationary catherine wheel! But dysfunctional fireworks apart the display went well, especially well for an excitable young lad named Callum who seemed to be having the time of his life assisting with the firework lighting.

After the fireworks the crowd slowly decreased until we were reduced to a few die hards gathered around the fire, periodically reeling backwards as Cyrus spiced up the fire with a bit of white spirit. As we patted out the small fires raging on our eyebrows, we agreed it had been a successful evening and it seems a good time had been had by all.

Of course none of this would have been possible without Sarah and Ginny the organisational masterminds! Also worthy of special mention is Rachel's sweetcorn chowder; more next week please.If you missed it, or you had such a good time you can hardly wait to return, we will be planting out winter cauliflowers, beans and peas this Sunday from 1pm, so feel free to join us. The contact for this week will be Nick (that's me) on 07521551322 so just give me a call if you would like to pop down.

Birthday Bonfire Bonanza – Sunday 8th November, 6pm onwards

The Lost Plot celebrates its 4th birthday in November and with the approach of Guy Fawkes Night we have decided to combine our celebrations and have a Birthday Bonfire Bonanza! We’ll be having a warm, cosy bonfire, a BBQ (both meat and veggie) and November celebrations wouldn’t be complete without a few fireworks! As with every Sunday, we will be at the plot from 1pm building, digging and generally getting our hands dirty so if you’d like to join us in the daytime, feel free to come on down. We’re always on the lookout for new volunteers and our bonfire celebrations provide a great opportunity to meet the team, share your knowledge and learn more about growing your own organic fruit and veg.

The atmosphere will be friendly and relaxed, so feel free to bring sparklers, drink, food to cook on the BBQ and don’t forget to wrap up warm! Music (both live and recorded) welcome. The BBQ and bonfire will be start at around 6pm, followed by fireworks at 7.30pm. For more information or to find out who to contact on the night, please email allotment@afsl.org.uk.

Polytunnel Planning - Sunday 25th October, 1pm onwards

Now the plot's polytunnel structure is complete we want to start planning and planting to make the most of the 'extended seasons' and the many other benefits our new polytunnel will provide. If you know a bit about polytunnel growing, would like to learn from others or would generally like to get involved in the plot’s activities feel free to head down to the Lost Plot this Sunday. The main focus for the day is planning what to grow in the polytunnel and when, but if you prefer digging, weeding or even making old bits and bobs into new more useful bits and bobs then there is always something to be getting on with. For directions and to find out who to contact to gain access to the plot on the day, please email allotment@afsl.org.uk.

BUMPER CELEBRATIONS at CHORLTON ALLOTMENT - 20th September, 1pm onwards

As part of British Food Fortnight (19 September – 4 October), volunteers at Chorlton’s Lost Plot community allotment (Southern Allotments, off Nell Lane, Chorlton) are having a Harvest Celebration on Sunday 20 September from 1pm onwards.

Anyone interested in joining this community allotment or just finding out a bit more about growing fruit and vegetables is welcome to come down and have a look at the plot and meet other volunteers at the BBQ celebration.

New recruit Ginny McDonald said:

“I’ve only been coming down for a few weeks, but I’m really glad I made the effort to join the Lost Plot team. It’s been great to take home the freshest of spinach, tomatoes and potatoes that a few minutes earlier had been in the ground. The taste difference is amazing.

Everyone is very friendly and there are no ‘experts’. We’re all just learning what to plant when and where. I’d really encourage anyone with an interest in eating more healthily, getting a bit of exercise and just enjoying being out in the fresh air to come down and give it a try”.

For further information either about being involved with the allotment or coming down to the BBQ contact Helen Starr -Keddle at allotment@afsl,org.uk

Polytunnel Workshop – Sunday 13th September 1pm onwards

This Sunday everyone will get the opportunity to get their hands dirty and make the finishing touches to the recently erected polytunnel. We’re really excited about this new addition to the plot which will extend the seasons and hopefully provide something to harvest all year round! We’re hoping to grow a variety of goodies including aubergines, peppers, cucumbers and chilli and maybe even a grapevine if we’re feeling adventurous! If you’d like to join in or find out more please email alloment@afsl.org.uk

Watch this space for info on our harvest celebrations / BBQ which will take place on 20th September!

A Year at the Lost Plot (Sept 2008 to Aug 2009)

We've not updated the blog for a while, but for those of you who want to know what we've been up to, here is a summary of the past year down at the Lost Plot:

Jun-Aug 2009
- 100 Orange Rockcorp volunteers earned themselves a ticket to a rock
concert by volunteering with AfSL at the Lost Plot. During the four
hours shift in early July the young people got stuck in to:
- clearing the Southern Allotment Society community plot for future
use by other local groups
- building and painting new composts and raised beds for the lost plot
- painting our sheds
- perparing the beds for the polytunnel to go up
- weeding and clearing of new beds

Mar-May 2009
- As well as regular weekly workdays, activities and sessions for 15
members of the local community included an afternoon's workshop on
Organic Soil delivered by Martrin Oldham, chair of Association of
Manchester Allotment Societies.
- A new partnership with AfSL and the Field Studies Council also saw a
number of sessions delivered in partnership with Chorlton High
School's eco-team, where 15 young people came down and got their hands
dirty with sessions that taught them about gardening design,
composting and weeding - plus using recycled paints they had gathered
at school through a 'paint amnesty' to start a mural on the old
fencing at the plot.

Dec-Feb 2009
- The Lost Plot project becomes a lead partner in Manchester City
Council's Food Futures projects - Manchester Allotments Promoting
Sustainability (MAPS). This aims to create a city-wide educational
resource to promote sustainability through allotments around
Manchester and increase community involvement + engage with different
demographics regarding food growing.
- We purchased a mobile classroom/bell tent to use as a resource for
workshops, training and education. This resource will be used by the
Lost Plot and to hire out to organisations or individuals interested
in promoting sustainability and food growing. Our inaugural workshop
was 'An Introduction to Permaculture' run by local permaculturist
Julia Frankel and attended by 20 local community members all
interested in developing new ways of implementing natural and organic
growing systems in their own gardens and allotments.

Sept-Nov 2008
- Weekly work sessions for Lost Plot volunteers saw us expanding our
site by 30% as we opened up new beds for the coming spring's planting
season. This involved digging out weeds and laying temporary paths, as
well as removing lots of the junk that had gathered there.
- Enrichment Workshops for young refugees and asylum seekers. A group
of 16-19 year olds attended the plot once per week as part of their
enrichment programme at City College. During their three month
involvement they got their hands dirty with the following activities:
- Herb Spiral maintenance and Mint harvesting
- Digging paths & bed edging
- Managing the compost
- Winter planting - garlic, onion & broad beans
- Pond maintenance
- Cob oven cookery

WORKSHOP - AN INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC FOOD GROWING

Sunday April 19th

The Lost Plot, Chorlton's Organic Community Allotment Project
Southern Allotments, off Wintermans rd, Nell Lane Estate, Chorlton

1:30 - 4:30pm

The course will be delivered by Martin Oldham, Secretary of the Southern Allotment Society and Chairman of AMAS who has a wealth of experience in growing on Manchester soil!

The workshop outline:

1 Intro
2 Basics Soil, Plant growth, Feeding
3 Look round Martin's plot
4 Cultivation techniques In the ground, in beds, in containers
5 Plants Sowing, Transplanting, Growing, Picking.

There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions.

Spaces are limited so please confirm by email or phone to:

Helen Starr-Keddle
allotment@afsl.org.uk
0161 227 0377

Cob Oven build

Workshops

Hello Everyone

The workshop 'Introduction to Organic Gardening + Harvest Festival' will not be happening on the 12 October any more. If you intended on coming down, then please do anyway as we will be constructing a new shed and finishing off the cob oven on Sunday and need lots of hands on deck!

I'll put up a new date for the workshop when we have it.

Helen

WORKSHOPS

Chorlton’s Community Allotment is looking for more volunteers – people who’d like to spend a few hours every week, helping to cultivate The Lost Plot, just off Nell Lane in Chorlton.

In order to give people a taste of what it’s like on the allotment, coordinators Helen and Josh have organised a series of workshops:

Sunday 21 September
COB OVEN BUILDING WORKSHOP PART 2

Sunday 12 October
INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC GARDENING + HARVEST FESTIVAL

Sunday 9 November
INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE

Each workshop starts at 10am and they’re free. All welcome, whether interested in joining the Lost Plot or whether you’d like to take the skills back to your own allotment project.

Contact Helen or Josh on 0161 227 0377 or email helen.starr-keddle@afsl.org.uk in you are interested in attending

Summer 2008 down the plot

Summer 08 has been a bit of a wet year, which has spelled disaster for a few of our crops!

Everything seemed to sprout later than usual and the lack of sun in August has meant a few things are still to ripen!

We had a few allotment socials at the beginning of the summer and now have some exciting things lined up for the winter!

Manchester Permaculture Network - Autumn Equinox Event

Monday September 24th, from 6.30pm at the Chorlton Allotment Project hosted by the Allotmentalists

The Chorlton Allotment Project is a community-run 'grow your own' scheme, which encourages members of the local community to produce their own organic fruit and veg. Based just off Nell Lane (near Southern Cemetery, Chorlton). The plot has been developed following permaculture principles and was designed during an Introduction to Permaculture course in the winter of 2005.

Bring food to share, beverages, seeds and plants to swap, fire wood, musical instruments, poetry etc. Also bring practical clothing for gardening and sitting around the camp fire on a cool temperate evening. Also if anybody has some small / old tools that they would like to donate to the project ..., since they have had stuff stolen over the summer. We will try and provide temporary shelter in the event of rainy weather. However if we do not get this together we will probably head off early to The Bar in Chorlton.

Directions: Click here for a Googlemap to Nell Lane Allotment. Turn of Nell Lane onto Arrowfield Rd (by the Cemetery), then turn right onto Wintermans Rd, and follow it round the corner. The main gate into the allotment is up on your right, but you can see the permaculture plot on the other side of the fence as you walk up the road. The gate will probably be locked so shout over the fence on the way up, and someone'll let you in.

Scedhule:5.30 onwards - arrive, practical gardening7.00 - Food to share, networking, 'Round table' to discuss MPN network issues, make announcements etc

After: camp fire, beer and wine and stuff(If you have any doubt about the weather or whether or not the event is taking place, than call me on 07974 658745. Also I have a couple of bags of firewood to take down if someone can give me a lift. Cheers ... Rob) * For more information on permaculture in Manchester, and general links visit ManchesterPermaculture.Net . We look forward to seeing you there ...

More Clay Oven Build!

Amy's fallen prey to the film makers!
Time out!
The budding herb spiral..
Blooming lovely..
Josh collecting drainpipes for the water collection system..

Lia's sorting out the wood pile..


A fine collection of tomatoes!

The beginnings of a beautiful pond..lets just hope the frogs like it as well!
Deep in the amazonian greenhouse..the lesser spotted film crew prepare to capture their unsuspecting prey on a DVD charting the work of the lost plot..
and you can now see them grinning after the shoot..


Tending..

Aaah.. Look at that lovely greenhouse!

Clay Oven Building Workshop Part 1

We braved the rain to lay the foundations for our new project: a cob clay oven. The Clay oven will fulfill our dreams of being able to cook and eat the fruits of our labours straight from the ground.

Fully inspired by a trip to Julias backgarden and a quick crash course in clay oven building we got a team of helpers down on sunday to start work.

Unfortunately the weather conditions meant that we could only lay the foundations, but we will return with another workshop to finish the top!