General News

During the course of the week we received two deliveries of compost from the City Council. The deliveries have been made at the top and base of the site. One trailer load rests just beyond the trading hut and the other to the left of the plots at the bottom of the site furthest from Highfield Road, as last year.

There has been considerable 'interest' and activity to use the materials, and whilst this message is a little late to broadcast there is still compost available.

Firstly a happy new allotment year to everyone. Despite the short and rather chilly days, there are plenty of things to do before the growing season gets into full swing. We are fortunate enough to receive donations of manure and chipping to the site and the cement paving at the base of the site has received a very early 'spring tidy up' and refurbishment courtesy of Brian and the Community Payback Team. Over the last few weekends the area has been tidied, manure and chipping separated, and a surrounding barrier built from pallets kindly donated by the Hanging Garden Nursery to keep the manure and chipping apart. The image above demonstrates the improvement, which is greatly welcomed.

A big thank you to Brian and his team for all the effort and energy to complete this task.

After the last post we were still waiting for the first frosts and the wait for 2-3 weeks to harvest the New Zealand Yams. The Frost duly arrived in November, and we dug a couple of the plants up to reveal a small, but none the less pleasing result. We have decided to leave the other 8 or so plants in the ground for a further couple of weeks to see if the tubers continued to develop (we believe we may have been a little anxious to see the results).



Following the instructions carefully and leaving them on the windowsill for a couple of days, we then roasted our small crop for about 20 minutes in olive oil, dusted with salt and pepper. I can confirm we will definitely be growing more in 2019; the Yams proved very tasty.

Once we have harvested the remaining plants, we'll post a further note and anyone who is interested in trying them or even growing these vegetables please can contact Karen or Ray. The tubers chit in the same fashion as Potatoes, and have proved reasonably straight forward as an experiment for this year.

The other burning issue on hand was the amount of Sharks Fins Melons we managed to produce, and how on earth were we going to eat so much soup. Equally our first attempt at the soup was only really appreciated by the author and son, and consequently, about 20 squashes remain untouched on our conservatory floor.

Our Neighbours on the other hand, knew exactly what to do with these rather large squashes, and taking a couple off our hands promptly produced an excellent 'Poor Man's Shark Fin Melon Soup' which went down and treat in our household. It turns out these vegetables are quite the favourite, and having owned and run an Oriental restaurant for the best part of 25 years, cooking them up was not going to prove an issue for them.



Our neighbours gracefully passed on the cooking information as follows

- make a basic stock or broth using pork ribs (boil the bones with bits of meat on for approximately an hour. Add a piece of ginger and a few peppercorns and coriander seed.
- add a mushroom or vegetable stock cube, or cube of your choice
- Peel the sharks fin melon, scoop out the inner centre and use the outer flesh diced the sharks fin melon. Cook for a further 25-30 minutes until the melon starts to shred or string
- add black pepper and chopped chives just before serving and season with salt to taste.



This simple dish proved a hit all round.

If anyone is interested, there is a surfeit of sharks fin melons on hand at project 63, and if you would like to try out, please ask Karen or Tony at the trading hut.

Please be guided the establishment management have decided to take a well earned break over the Christmas Period. The Trading Hut will be open usual times 22nd and 23rd December, and then closed on 29th and 30th December. The Hut will re open for business first weekend in January, 5th and 6th at the usual times.

Thanking everyone for their support, and wishing all a very merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy allotment filled 2019.

The Annual bash of the year, the Melbourne Park Allotment Association Mulled wine event appeared to be a great hit this morning. Despite the miserable weather outside, the annual festive event was well attended. With food and drink, including the now legendary mulled wine prepared by Tony Holbrook (consumed with gusto) proving a hit.



A big thanks to our very own Steve Withers who was again on hand with the raffle tickets, and it seems trying to ensure his tickets were drawn out of the hat.



Any event such as this takes considerable effort and organisation and a big thanks to everyone who shifted and moved on the friday, prepared and donated food and raffle prizes and assisted the clear up after. It is truly appreciated.



Finally a big thanks to everyone who braved the weather and helped make the morning. Seasons greetings to one and all.

Peter advised the deliveries for this years manure order will be taking place Monday and Tuesday 10th and 11th December. We are unsure how many on each day or which plot holders at the moment.

For those members whose plots are unaccessible and deliveries are made on roadways or pathways could we respectfully remind the need to ensure these are moved to your plot within 7 days.

Thank you for understanding, and a big Thank you to Peter Hunnable for organising again this year.

The season is fast closing, and following various posts plotting the progress of the experimental vegetables this year, it is probably time to indicate exactly how we fared with some of the more unusual.

It would be fair to say considerable success was enjoyed with the range of chilli's grown, especially the Piamento de Padron, which are still producing fruits following (thanks to fine weather) quite a lengthy season. All the chilli's have flourished in the polly tunnel, and we are going to retain a couple to grow next season and then experiment with some other varieties. All the chilli's this year were low to medium heat, the hottest Jalapeño's, which are not overly high on the Scoville Index.



The Asparagus Peas were also pretty successful, except we couldn't harvest them quickly enough. They have also self seeded and we have some further plants which are currently still growing, with flower, and waiting to see if we get any further production from these.

One of the most productive successes was the Shark's Fin Melon (actually a spaghetti squash), which ended up rampaging across the plot despite numerous, quite vigorous cutting back. The issue with the fruits here are the charities don't seem to want them, and they have been overly bountiful. If anyone would like to take one or two off our hands we would be really grateful. The squash will keep for several months, and is used in Asia to produce an equivalent Shark Fin Soup, hence the name, and in Mexico with lots of added sugar to produce sweet mix for pastries or Jam. James Wong recipe can be found easily on line,



Cucamelons could also be considered quite successful, and we cultivated one group and grew in the polly tunnel, and one group outside. The results were not particularly different, both sets of plants producing a considerable volume of olive sized fruits.

We are going to re try Edamane Beans for next years, as the results were not great, but believe this to be due to our leaving the fruits on the plants too long, rather than the ability to grow them, so watch this space next year to see how we get along.

Finally, we are still looking forward with some anticipation for the first serious frosts to take hold, to enable the tubers to form on our small crop of New Zealand Yams (Oca). We'll post a further update once we have harvested these.

various plot holders have tried our experimental vegetables, and in the main has meant with a positive thumbs up. So if you fancy growing any of these next year, catch up with Karen or Ray. It's proved interesting!

A gentle reminder of the Melbourne Park Allotment Assocition Mulled Wine and Coffee Morning, on December 1st at the trading hut commencing at 10.30 AM.

Tony Holbook's legendary 'brew' will be awaiting you, as will other refreshments and most importantly of all the event is completely free of charge.

Forget the looming pressures of christmas shopping and all that goes with it, and head down to the trading hut for a relaxing catch up with your fellow plot holders.

We look forward to seeing you all on the morning.

The 14th Annual General Meeting of the Melbourne Park Allotment Association was held this morning at the trading hut. After all the business highlights of the AGM had been accommodated, the presentation of trophies and certificates for this year's Plot competition were awarded.

This year the judge was a plot holder from the Chignal Road site, Bob Barden, and our thanks to Bob and also to Steve who trundles round the site whilst our guests ruminate about the outcome.

There are two categories, one for newcomers, under 18 months on site, and the other for the more experienced plot holders. Without further ado, our congratulations as follows:

Newcomer

1st Place - Ian Gill
2nd Place - Matt and Michelle
3rd place - Kevin Gaskell

for the more experienced plot owners

1st Place - Peter Caffery
2nd Place - project 63
3rd Place - Pat Tilley

Our winners celebrate at the trading hut post the AGM. Alas no champagne, but tea and coffee a plenty.

The long awaited day arrived where those toughened competitors produced their Marrows to find out who would be victorious in the Melbourne Park Allotment Association competition.

A big thank you to everyone who took part. In a nerve racking weigh in Pat Tilly's specimen Marrowly beat Derek to win the competition and walked away with an Association gift voucher for his efforts.



The weight of the winning specimen 13lb and 14oz.

Earlier posts have made reference to some different crops we have been experimenting with on plot 63. We have already broadcast the success of the Padron Peppers, and various plot holders have now tried these (and hopefully well received).

The New Zealand Yams seem to be in good shape with lots of foliage and have been well watered, and we are just waiting for the point where the leaves turn. At this point the instructions suggest to bury the foliage just under the surface to stimulate a bigger harvest. We'll keep you posted in regards progress.



Our Asparagus Peas have gone mad, and the 12 plants which form an attractive ground cover with red flowers, have been producing like mad, to the point where it's been a bit of a struggle to keep up. The secret it seems is to keep picking and the plants themselves then keep producing.



Having been warned about the voracity of the Shark Fin Melon, we are now finding out just how far these plants will spread. They have ow produced quite a few 'melons' which are sizing up well, but have cut back various runners from the plant otherwise we would simply be over run. These fruits grow to the size of rugby balls, and can be used as a soup, or there is a mexican desert or jam which can be produced. (various recipes can be found by googling 'Sharks Fin Melon'.



The crystal lemon cucumbers have fared well in the poly tunnel and in fact some have already been donated to Sanctus. Once again these plants seem to be highly productive.

The three other experiments are still coming to fruition. Cucamelons were tried a couple of years ago, and we failed to grow anything meaningful. I think this was more due to another crop which had been grown which rather over ran the poly tunnel and smothered everything else. We are cultivating 3-4 plants in the polytunnel and the same outside as they are suggested to be resistant to the normal array of pests. These grape or olive sized fruits taste similar to cucumber with a tinge of lime.



We have planted out 8 Edamane Bean plants which seem to be growing well but too early at the moment to determine how productive and the one disappointment is our experiment with Okra. Whilst one of the plants seems to have taken, it's rather miserable in size, although it now does have a fruit on it. Watch this space for further information.

Well, this is probably about it for now, and a further update will be posted once we have harvested. If anyone is interested in trying or testing any of these 'experimental' vegetables, please get in touch with Karen, and subject to ripening, will be happy to oblige.

We would also be interested in some further feedback on the Padron Peppers. Early viewpoints is a significant thumbs up.

After the huge disappointment of some football match taking place a few miles overseas, thought we should brighten the mood in relation to project 63. Harvesting of various crops is now underway and deliveries to Sanctus organised. A selection of fruit and vegetables, including garlic cloves, courgettes, raspberries, blackcurrants, carrots, french beans, lettuce, beetroot and cucumbers were all picked and delivered today, and were warmly received by the charity. We have also had some donations from other plot holders, and if you believe you have a little surplus, please get in contact with Karen Lawrence. Equally if you view you have some time to spare, we would be very grateful for a little help as watering and harvesting all the produce is no mean feat.

It's now the time of year where project 63 is in full swing, with vegetables and fruit being picked for out chosen charities. We have also had donations already from other plot holders which are gratefully received.

However,it would be really appreciated if any plot holders may be able to afford half an hour or so of their time over the coming weeks in terms of some of the picking and watering to ensure we can keep the deliveries up. We are focusing on Sanctus at the moment, as they are providing meals from the donations and other sources.

If you are able to help out, or would be willing to give up a little bit of time during the week, please contact Karen Lawrence. All assistance would be hugely appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Anyone who has travelled to Spain, or even had tapas at a Spanish bar or restaurant is likely to be au fait with pimentos de Padrón, or more commonly to you and I, Padron Peppers.



They are a variety of peppers which originate in Galicia, Spain and grow to about 2 inches, 5 cms long, green in colour but if left to mature beyond this size can turn red.

The peppers are unusual in the fact they are generally mild, but a small proportion, 1 in 10 are particularly hot, making your starter a culinary roulette.



The peppers are customarily fried in olive oil, scorched and sprinkled with course salt and served as tapas.

They have proved relatively straight forward to grow, propagating at 20 degrees and then re potting the plants twice before placing in more significant pots in the poly tunnel.

Seeds are available from various sources, and from an initial 6 seeds sewn we have 5 plants producing these tasty green morsels.



These are not the only different chilli varieties we are growing this year, and are also trying Aji lemon chilli's (hot), large red cherry - image below -(mild), Twilight (hot,- image above), together with Jalapeno's which we were successful with last year.



If anyone is interested to try these peppers (subject to availability) please contact Ray or Karen for further information. Part of the objectives for Project 63 was not only to provide local charity with produce, but also to experiment with items which may not usually be grown or considered by plotholders, and this easy to grow, tasty pepper we believe falls into this bracket. We hope we can encourage fellow plot holders to grow them. Punnets of Padron Peppers can also be purchased from certain supermarket chains very reasonably too.

Last Autumn, Peter Hunnable presented a rather attractive looking beastie to me, which now turns out to be a bit of a pest. The Rosemary Leaf Beetle has been spied chomping away on the Lavender Bushes outside the trading hut, and its staple food source is Rosemary,Sage, Thyme and Lavender.



Please find under excerpts from a BBC gardening article on their website in relation to this colourful fiend.

If the shoots tips of rosemary and lavender are turning brown and dying back it could be the sign of an infestation of rosemary leaf beetle. These small beetles feed on the new shoot tips causing them to die back. They're easy to spot because they have metallic green and purple stripes across their backs. Their larvae, which are slug-like and pale grey in colour with a dark stripe down the side, also cause damage by feeding on the shoots as they grow.



These attractive leaf beetles are an invasive species that first appeared in the UK in 1994. Since their introduction, they've been spreading steadily throughout the southern counties of England.
The adult beetles are around 1cm long with metallic green and purple stripes down their wing cases. They're usually found in groups on stems, or feeding on the new growth of plants. The larvae are small slug-like grubs which are usually found on the underside of leaves. They are light grey with horizontal dark stripes along their body.



Adult beetles are usually first seen in late spring, although they remain largely stationary on plants until later in the year. In late summer they'll begin to mate and lay eggs. Eggs are usually laid on the underside of leaves and are around 2mm in length. Larvae will hatch in about ten day's time and feed for a few weeks before dropping down to pupate below the soil surface. Adults may continue to mate during warmer winter periods, although this is rare.

If you are not interested in polluting your plot or plants with chemicals, the most effective treatment method is by hand.

Regular observation in late spring each year is essential to prevent infestations establishing. Removing adults and larvae by hand will help to reduce numbers. Shaking infested bushes over an old towel or sheet will enable large infestations to be collected and removed. Netting and fleeces can be used to stop adults moving between plants. There are currently no natural enemies commercially available to control rosemary leaf beetle.

Check plants on a weekly basis for signs of infestation and deal with them as soon as they appear.

www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/advice/pests

The allotments are an interesting place. However, I am not sure you would see this too often, on an allotment or elsewhere for that matter. This photograph may even make for an interesting caption competition!!

Thanks to Derek for being a sport.

We have previously made reference to the wealth of different wildlife, bugs, beasties, friends and foe which exist on the allotment. It has been a little while since any photographs have been posted and a new gallery with a selection of images from 2017 and 2018 has now been added. We will try and add to this during the course of the year.

Last weekend, a couple of new beasties were captured, the first in quite unusual style. Derek approached yours truly on Saturday with a specimen on his van, and with a little direction he parked the vehicle which allowed one or two snaps to be taken (see image under).

Very small, extremely colourful, this spider is probably one of very few who have had the luxury of being chauffeur driven to a photo shoot and he duly posed.



The other new capture was this small blue butterfly which seemed to enjoy the solitude of my raised bed or rhubarb leaves. He / she is a Holly Blue.



The new gallery contains, bees, hover flies, ladybirds, spiders, a damsel fly, and various other beasties all of which have been taken on the plot, or it's surrounding borders.

The last post indicated a few different varieties of vegetables we are experimenting this year. A few of these have now successfully transitioned from the windowsill or conservatory at home and now find themselves planted on the allotment, where we are hoping for great things. We intend to follow the progress through this growing season and report back on whether we have been successful or not.



The New Zealand Yams have spent time chitting quietly at home before planting up in small pots, and now all the threat of frost has passed (famous last words) planted. We have started reasonably small scale with this vegetable with just 10 tubers.

Our Asparagus Pea plants have also been planted out, and these are supposed to provide a good ground cover, forming a 20 x 20 cm plant radiating from a central point, a little like a snowflake. Once again it will be interesting to see how this crop develops and we have planted 12 in a sunny spot on the plot.



The poly tunnel now hosts various varieties of peppers and chilli's, plus a crystal lemon cucumber plant, which is supposed to produce round yellow fruit as opposed the traditional green baton we are used to. It will be interesting to see how productive this is as the season progresses.

check in frequently to catch up on the latest posts to see how these specimens are getting along, together with information about some of the other vegetables we are trying. For further information about the New Zealand Yams and Asparagus Peas please visit James Wong Homegrown Revolution.

Melbourne Park Allotment Association in collaboration with the Wilderness Foundation are holding an open day on 7th July commencing 1pm through to 4pm.

There will be information available about the allotments, the work the Wilderness Foundation undertakes and how it operates, and walks around the allotment site in general.

There will be refreshments available on a day which aims to promote the wider benefits of allotments, growing your own fruit and vegetables, with hints, tips and general guidance, and the overall health benefits becoming a plotholder or being involved can provide.

Please come and support both the Association and the Wildness Foundation on the day