Farewell Pear Tree Wullie

You may remember from previous blog entries that I was going to show you a digital film of some of our worst plots and the allotment site itself. Well, there have been some massive improvements since the last Committee meeting early this month. Personally I think some of this positive step forward is due to the presence of a new Committee member. Four of the vacant plots on my strip have finally been allocated to new people with small families, and two of these plots have seen a whirlwind of activity. Amazing stuff. Oh I wish I had taken a picture and shown you of them before and after. Wow, just in a couple of weeks and the visible change, it’s so nice to see that buzz and maybe the start of a communal ownership. However, amongst the recent good energy, there are still a lot of poor practices, thieving is still continuing, a large hole in one of the wire fencing apparently big enough for a small vehicle to get in was found by one of the older committee members, plus rumours of some aggressive and bullish behaviour over the weekend by one or two old faces. So much can happen when you are away.

We spend most of the yesterday morning at the allotment. We worked at Ds plot for 2 hours. D put the broad beans into the ground. He had decided to support them with bamboo sticks as last year the weight of the beans were making them topple over. So far we have 18 plants in the ground and another 16 to go in. Broad beans were one of the legumes the acrobatic mouse had nabbed. I have decided not to sow anymore broad bean seeds. I think we have plenty to enjoy and. to share with those around us.
I continued with the never ending task of weeding, then gave up for the day and decided to pick some nettle growing wild around Ds compost bin for our dinner later. I needed about 150g, but stopped picking when I felt the carrier bag was heavy enough, plus the stings had gotten to me.

I also picked a twig of sage from Ds herb plot, which is starting to fill up. The mint is and lemon balm are starting to emerge from the ground. What was a surprise was the lovage had come out of nowhere. I like lovage, but you have to enjoy it in small quantities.

As I closed the gate behind us, I noted that the grass at Plot 11 needs cutting but that is a job for the weekend now. On our way to Plot 45, we saw Fitzy and Thanked him for watering our seedlings.

We also found out that Pear Tree Wullie had passed away a couple of months ago. Sad thing, people have only just found out that Wullie has passed away and you could see some of the long term plot holders casing his Plot for treasures. This was one thing that annoyed me about some of the Committee members, you rarely saw these two particular individuals doing anything in relation to the upkeep of the allotment or addressing irresponsible behaviour on the site, but when someone left the allotment or had passed away, they were very quick to ‘take’ things from that persons plot. I had witnessed this first hand when I was given Plot 45, when I viewed it was packed with pots, tools, chairs ….even when I was finally allocated the plot, the Treasurer kept the keys to the hut so that she could take the stuff for her plot from the hut at her ease. It was a month before I got the key. She left behind the junk. Anyway, the past is past and I should keep looking forward.

At the front of my plot, D planted an eating apple tree which we purchased at a supermarket. While I got on with sowing some seeds, especially those that had got nabbed. I also transplanted my turnips and parsnips into the ground and then covered them over with netting so that the magpies and pigeons could not feast on them. I was excited to spot tiny buds on some of my strawberry plants. I am sure the slugs and snails have noticed them too!!!