Roehampton Garden Society

Category Archives: DiaryDates

Dates for your Diary


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How to grow currant bushes – a workshop

Become an expert on growing all types of currant bushes, at a full day workshop at Carshalton Community Allotments in the New Year. They say:

Currants (including blackcurrants, gooseberries, redcurrants and jostaberries) may be small, but they pack a real nutrition punch. Growing currants gives excellent yields of fruit over many years. Bushes can grow large, but most currants can be trained to grow in smaller spaces and fit into a tiny garden.

The ‘hands on’ workshop is led by Sarah Foss, RHS qualified fruit grower and tutor.

–       Learn about types of currants, planting, training and pruning

–       Practical experience in winter pruning a variety of currant bushes

–       Common pests & diseases and how to reduce damage without resorting to chemical sprays

Date

Where

Cost

Saturday 29th January 2022 10.30-3.30pm

Carshalton Community Allotment SM5 2PW

£38

Advance booking recommended. Visit www.ecolocal.org.uk to book or find out more.


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An Apple day for Granard School

A small group from Granard Primary school came to the allotments on Monday 27th October as part of their on-going visits to our sites. On this occasion we talked about Autumn and each child picked an apple from plot holder Laura Davis’s tree. (You can see Laura helping in the photo.) Then, sitting in our new communal area, the teacher dissected an apple and the pupils were given a worksheet to name parts of an apple and they could then take the fruit home or eat it.

Every Monday afternoon (weather permitting) a small group of children and teachers from Granard school, visit our allotments. In the past many plot holders have been very friendly and shown and discussed with the pupils what they are doing on their plots. We have looked closely at fruit, vegetables and flowers as well as insects and birds. Whatever takes their fancy!

If you would like to meet the children they usually come at 2pm on a Monday and stay for about an hour.

submitted by Jackie Savage


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An invitation from Putney Community Gardeners..

Join us from 3pm-7pm on Saturday 4th of September 2021 for the Putney Community Gardens Summer Party!

The main site will be the Orchard on the corner of Carslake Road & Tildesley Road

Delicious food and drinks
Please bring your own plate/bowl/cup/cutlery so you can enjoy it

Join us for:
Tour of our sites
Face Painting, craft and gardening activities
Treasure Hunt
Local Tree Walk
Music
Info stalls
Merriment!


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Plants and Plant Lore at the Weed Walk and Talk

Who would have thought there were so many weeds on our Allotments?!!

Some of us were lucky enough to accompany Roy Vickery, Associate Scientific Officer to the Natural History Museum, on a walk along a path on plot 2. Roy worked as a botanist at the Natural History Museum for over 40 years and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of plant folklore. His eagle eyes swooped down and plucked specimens from the path and borders and he held his audience with tales of yesteryear. Knowledge he has collected by word of mouth, spanning back to the beginning of the last century. Some tales of country superstition, others of medical uses of common plants, but all fascinating and delivered with an obvious love of subject and dry sense of humour.
We felt privileged to have learnt so much from an hour in the company of a very knowledgeable and interesting man. Thank you, Roy.

Contributed by Shan Karwatowska


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Get ready for our Summer Show 2021

In spite of the double challenge of Covid and the coldest April this century, the RGS will hold a Summer Show by the store on Site 2 on Sunday 13th June.
Many allotmenteers may not have entered the show previously, so the ‘preparing exhibits’ section below may help. Find the forms you need on this page.
Even if you don’t enter we hope to see you there from 3pm. The auction of produce will start at 4pm.

There will be a Plants and Produce stall and Tea and Cakes to enjoy.
If you have some spare plants/seedlings or produce, or could make a few cakes (in paper cases, like muffins, please) please bring them to the store between 10am and 1pm on the day.
Please do wear a mask, and bring cash for the tea and cakes stall.

Entries and Staging 11.30-13.30 – Judging 14.00- 15:00 – Open to All 15:00

Summer Show Classes and Entry Form

FInd a printable copy of the classes and entry form here

How to Enter

Entries for the Summer Show 2021 are to be made

  • At the store on site 2 between 11.30 and 13.00 on the morning of the Show (13th June)

Staging

  • All exhibits are to be staged between 11.30 and 13.30 on the day of the Show.
  • Wherever possible give the name of the variety with each exhibit
  • All exhibits should be removed at 16.15 on the day of the Show (not earlier) or it will be assumed they are for donating to the auction.
  • A sticker will be available to put on entry card to say the item is not for the auction.

Be careful!

Please study the rules governing entry to the Society’s shows.

Failure to follow the rules and regulations will result in disqualification.

Preparing exhibits for display – do it right!

Some helpful guidance can be found here.

Rules for this Show

Here are the rules for the RGS Summer Show – which follow RHS Show rules here .

The store will be open as usual from 10 – 12.

Want to know more about our shows? Look here: http://www.roehamptonallotments.co.uk/category/shows/


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Social Space for Site 3

Thanks to a generous bequest from Sonia Sawyer, a new tea cabin and social space, “The Potting Shed”, is now open for all on site 3. A very welcoming place to take a much needed break. Many thanks to all the volunteers that worked so hard to create this lovely spot.


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Sharpening event 22nd May

Adam of Surrey Sharpeners will be working next to the Store on Site 2. Please bring your tools, kitchen knives and scissors  to be sharpened from 9.30 am. You may have to come back to collect them later. There may be time for some mowers, but this can’t be guaranteed.
Full Price List here

CASH ONLY, please.


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Free food growing Webinar with the RHS – 20th May

Event runs from 4-5pm, Thursday 20 May 2021

Join the panel of gardening experts as they discuss the benefits of growing, cooking and eating food as a community as well as giving their top tips on creating and maintaining a productive patch.

Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-webinar-community-food-growing-tickets-154406143933 If you can’t make it they will send you a link to view afterwards.

If you have an interesting question for the panel, please email it to communities@rhs.org.uk


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Spring Plant Sale 24th April

Our plant sale will have two sessions to avoid queuing.
Similar plants will be on sale at 2 pm and again at 2.30 pm outside the store on site 2.
Bring your own bags. Masks must be worn.
Please pay by contactless card or cash into a bucket – but we are not able to give change.
All proceeds go to the Wandsworth Food Bank.

We much appreciate your plant donations. Please leave them, clearly labelled, on the tables outside the store on Saturday morning between 11am and 12 noon.


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Organic Gardening Course

Starts again for 2021 on Saturday 24th April at Carshalton Community Allotment

The course and runs over 6 consecutive Saturdays.
From beginners to the more knowledgeable gardener, you’ll have the chance to learn eco-friendly gardening methods, including crop rotation, no-dig methods and organic planting techniques.
Teaching is a mixture of theory and practice, allowing students to try out the skills they learn, understanding how to plan, so they can make the most of their veg patch at home or their allotment.
Our course is Covid-safe, with theory taught live via Zoom and students learning the practical elements outdoors, with social distancing observed on the Community Allotment.

The course is organised by EcoLocal, a Carshalton based charity.
For further information and to book visit:
www.ecolocal.org.uk/highlight/organic-food-growing-course/ or facebook.com/ecolocal
Enquiries email: food@ecolocal.org.ukor telephone 020 8404 1522
Cost £80 per person


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Click and Collect – how it works

While the store is closed – why not click and collect?

  • Order composts, fertilisers and a full range of Kings seeds using our web order form. The link to use is sent out by email each Monday.
  • You will be sent a time to come to the store to pay by contactless card and collect your order. Pickup is always on a Sunday morning.
    Please do bring a bag with you.
  • If you are on site 2 please use and wipe down a trolley, if necessary, for heavy items.
  • If you are on site 3, your composts will be delivered to your plot on Sunday morning.

We look forward to seeing you there…….


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Banksian Medal for Helen

In normal times the Banksian medal is awarded to the member with the most points in RGS shows. This year the committee voted to award the medal to our chair, in recognition of her hard work and achievement in keeping the allotments open safely for us all. After the distanced presentation Helen said:

” I was very surprised and delighted to receive this award. I had no idea that I was going to a presentation today! Thank you for thinking to give me the Banksian Medal and for your kind words all done in such a wonderfully conspiratorial way. However, I must stress that nothing would have been possible without our fantastically resourceful and positive committee so many many thanks should go to them too”.