Roehampton Garden Society

Author Archives: admin


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The Peregrine Falcon

October 2022
This Tuesday at 12.45 hrs. I saw a peregrine falcon over the allotments. It was soaring beautifully on a thermal. Recognisable by pointed wing tips and what I can best describe as a straight tail.

A solitary large crow was desperately flapping trying to reach it, with the obvious intention of mobbing it. The peregrine obliged and dropped down to the same level of the crow, who courageously tried a clumsy pecking and foot up attack on it. The peregrine then demonstrated how it’s done, turning in a blink of an eye and, in milliseconds, knocking feathers off said brave crow. It (crow) wisely then dropped a couple of hundred feet, but still followed the peregrine, escorting it off the premises of Dover House Road air space. 

The peregrine may have been one of the pair that nested atop Charing Cross Hospital this last couple of years..

with thanks to Bill Young Site 3

Here’s a website dedicated to the peregrines nesting on Charing Cross Hospital


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Centenary AGM Roundup


Changeover time for the committee at the AGM and prizegiving.
An evening made more enjoyable by Jackie Savage’s engaging talk on the History of the Roehampton Garden Society.


Special congratulations to Helen Finch and Jackie Savage who received a Wandsworth Civic Award pin for their work in keeping the allotments open through the Covid pandemic.

With many lovely pictures of the evening and extracts from the Chair’s annual report, Read the full AGM Bulletin from Carol Martinez here.


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Putney Community Gardens Nominated for Award

Congratulations to our friends the Putney Community Gardeners, who have been nominated for a Wandsworth Civic Award. They Say

“We’ve been nominated for a Wandsworth Council Civic Award! Whoop Whoop! Many thanks to everyone who put us forward for this! It’s thanks to all the wonderful neighbors, local residents and regular volunteers, gardeners and growers who keep on loving and caring for the gardens!  We’ll be visited by a team of film makers on the afternoon of Monday the 24th of October to make a short film about PCG to screen at the award ceremony.”

Connect with them at https://www.facebook.com/PutneyCommunityGardens/


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Welcoming Winter Fair – 12th November

Putney Community Gardens are delighted to invite you to its very first “Welcoming Winter Fair“, on Saturday November 12th, 4pm to 6pm at Boyd Court, with a lantern procession around the gardens from 6:15pm to 7pm.

  • Enjoy nice tea, coffee and cakes
  • Get affordable early Christmas presents from a selection of homemade products made by some PCG residents 
  • Learn about what PCG has achieved this year and what projects we are planning for 2023.
  • Participate in The Lantern Walk around the neighborhood
  • … and more
  • Kid’s activities – Raffle – Conviviality- Fun 

Could you help with the fair?

We are looking for a FEW VOLUNTEERS TO HELP ON THE DAY AND AT THE LANTERN WORKSHOP THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT. Please get in touch with Marjorie at info@putneycommunitygardens.org for more details and mention ‘Winter Fair’ in the subject.
If you’re interested in MAKING HANDMADE PRODUCTS TO SELL AT THE FAIR please also contact Marjorie as above. We are welcoming products made from your gardens or foraging such as jams, products from creative crafts and hobbies such as knitted goodies, wooden decorations, etc… As long as you made those products yourself and are willing to sell them at a reasonable price.


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An invitation from St. Margaret’s Church

We are holding our Harvest Festival next Sunday 9th October.  Our Service is at 10am followed by a BBQ lunch and we would like to extend an invitation to everyone at Roehampton Garden Society to join us.

We are holding a plant sale on the day, our parishioners are bringing plants to sell or to donate, and we wondered if any of your members have any vegetables that they would like to sell or give to us to display at our Harvest Service?

It would be nice to have a plant sale and a vegetable sale outside church or in, depending on the weather. All proceeds on the day are going to Glass Door Homeless Charity and we are collecting food etc for our Local Food Bank. Please read the wish list for the food bank opposite:

Members who wish to contribute plants, vegetables, fruit or other goods to this sale – please use the collection boxes in the Potting Shed on Site 3 and in the Tea Hut (behind the store) on site 2. Your produce or donations will be taken to St. Margarets.


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Plant now for early crops of onions and garlic

Both onions and garlic do well if planted in the autumn. You may get a good early crop, which can then free up space for summer vegetables. The chances of garlic maturing well can increase, too. Autumn planted garlic is recommended as it requires a cold period when growing.

Growing Tips for ONIONS.

Plant now – before mid October for a long growing season. Push the onion set into the soil so the tip is just below the surface about 10cm (6”) apart. You may need to cover the ground with a net if birds start pulling them out thinking they are worms! Lift and hang as for garlic.

Red Winter
Sensyu

STORE NEWS: for planting this Autumn we have chosen the tried and tested popular varieties of Sensyu Yellow and Red Winter. Plant now – before mid October.

Growing Tips for GARLIC

Hard-neck peels more easily than soft-neck but has fewer cloves but soft-neck stores better. (Grocery stores sell soft-neck.)

Avoid planting in freshly manured soil. Plant cloves 15cm (6”) apart and cover by at least 2.5cm (1”) of soil. Garlic responds to 3 handfuls of Sulphate of Potash per metre length of row, worked into the ground in the month after it emerges. Keep watered from April and harvest as soon as the plants bend over. Lift and hang (or place in trays) in a warm dry place for 7-10 days.

Elephant garlic is not really garlic, more of a leek, excellent warm mild garlic flavour popular with cooks. Plant at least 2.5cm (1”) deep and 20cm (12”) apart.

Caulk white
Mersley White
Elephant garlic

STORE NEWS: This year we have chosen 2 new varieties of garlic to sell in our store. Caulk White is a hard-neck variety and Mersley White a soft-neck. We are still waiting for a delivery of garlic. There is a delay at the suppliers, possibly due to the hot summer. We will let you know as soon as the garlic arrives.


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Barelaas – a taste of Nepal

Karma picking the barelaas on Plot 68
A delicacy in a stir fry

Barelaas or are a Nepalese delicacy – useful in a stir fry – and growing very well on plot 68!

Barelaa (Balsam Apple) – बरेला
Barelaa is a late summer vegetable measuring between 1 to 2 inches long, slightly curved at one end with soft and delicate texture. The pale green juicy fruit looks somewhat like a pointed gourd (parwar or parvar).  The vegetable is picked and cooked when it is young and tender.  The mature overripe ones have numerous black rough seeds, which should be removed before cooking.  Since this vegetable is very delicate, it cooks quickly.

with thanks to the Taste of Nepal blogspot… website here


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Making pallet garden furniture

It’s very green to reuse wooden pallets where we can, and you’ll find many examples on our allotments. Our wonderful fences and raised beds will be familiar to all. Now we have a lovely children’s bench and table on plot 65b…

For anyone interested in trying their hand at pallet furniture – this website will give you some more ideas..


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Horticultural Courses from Ecolocal this autumn

Ecolocal run a wonderful range of courses on just the things horticultural that you might want to know or get better at. Based at ‘The Lodge’, a victorian walled garden in Carshalton, their courses are led by their RHS accredited tutor and help raise funds for community gardening projects benefiting people with learning difficulties and mental health problems.

See all their courses here

Accessible by train, bus or car, EcoLocal is at:
The Lodge
Honeywood Walk
Carshalton
Surrey SM5 3NX

Tel: 020 8404 1522


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Help to Grow Your Own from the RHS

Nothing beats the taste of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in your own garden or allotment – or the satisfaction and enjoyment you can get from doing it. Not sure what to grow or where to start? Want to try something new? Take a look at this wonderful resource from the RHS…here