Trinley Braes allotments.
A small allotment site in Knightswood Glasgow.
We
are a group of allotment holders on a hillside in Glasgow. We are
around 30 in number.We have tried over
the years to encourage members to avoid using chemical weed
control and promote companion planting and organic pest control.We
have a core of long term plot holders but in recent years the change in
members is considerable, it is no longer the bastion of aging husbands
getting out from under the wife's feet but more the young family, who
are aware of the need to know how and where their food is coming from.
Things have all changed at Trinley Braes, there is a diary of the last couple of years below.I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did putting it together. It gives a small insight into the lives of allotmenteers, things we had enjoyed. the satisfaction of knowing you had a basket of veg and flowers that you had produced from seeds.There was nothing to brighten up a miserable winters night than curling up with the next years seed catalogues.
I have added some snaps in a gallery at the bottom of the page I hope you have a wee look.
Sunday 13th of october
June 2009
Well the big news is that we finally have our new fencing. It goes right down to the bottom gate .
The park side is just as impressive the blacksmiths left a large area between the old fence and new it has afforded two obstacles for any potential break ins so we are delighted . Even more so was the retaining of all the greenery.
April 1st
Well we have had a very cold spell here in Glasgow on Saturday night it was -5 so everyone is holding back with their planting plans. We had a bonfire on Sunday just to get rid of the remnants of Alistairs old shed and some other wood that was lying about .
The manure should be arriving in the next week or so, the fence installation looks well underway the council has been up and done some clearing and it looks like Tommy has been busy clearing the area around the top path.
I have been doing a wee bit but we have been so busy at the shop I never seem to have much time this year.
Last weekend the Glasgow allotment forum had an event at the Trades hall in the city centre. It was well attended and had some interesting stalls including the Glasgow wood recycling group www.glasgowwoodrecycling.org.uk, There was a bumblebee stall which seemed very popular , weed recognition , police advice, loads of school activities all in all most interesting .
It was also interesting to see how other allotment groups are organising their plots.
The joy of the plot this time of year is seeing everything coming back to life bumblebees and the odd butterfly were out having a scan about on Sunday, the ponds are full of frogs and spawn ,the newts are there too. I shall add some photos to the gallery I hope you have time to have a wee look
.
March 1st
Well was at the plot today it was a bit chilly but the signs of spring are all around. Alistair as usual is well organised plot is ready for the manure and potato trenches are dug .
I wandered about taking some photos ,Richard and Sarah were doing emergency repairs on their pond , Andy was doing some digging , Jake &co arrived but it came on to heavy rain so decided on a trip to B&Q to collect seed compost .
The frogs are having a busy time they seem to know the climate will improve , The first of the frog spawn has appeared .
January / February
Well its been colder this year than I remember in recent years, the frosts have been quite severe , I can only presume we have lost some tender plants . I think there will be some gaps for me to fill this year. I have been up a couple of times but the ground is too hard for me to do serious digging . Though there are those who have been able to make a good start.
The Good news you will all be pleased to hear is we are going to have our fencing replaced and repaired.
Still no sign of the toilet though!
I stepped down as chairperson this year , I do feel I have held this position for too long now and we require some one with fresh ideas. If any one is interested in the position please give us a buzz.
Our waiting list continues to expand, this has led us to conclude that anyone who has not returned their missives by the end of february we are presuming they do not wish to continue with their rental of the plot.
The beekeeping question has given us a number of people interested in such a project . We will only receive the hives and bee keeping materials if the members have undertaken the beekeeping course Laura has sourced.
I hope to see you all soon keep warm eleanor
December /January
Hi Folks Happy New Year, sorry about the delay in updating the website, it has been a bit hectic coming back from Malta meant I had lost almost the whole month. I came back to a huge amount of work and the AGM and also a polishing class so please bear with me as I try and update you all with plot business.
It has been incredibly cold in Glasgow this year, I was up on New Years day , remembering the same day last year we were recovering from a huge gale , it was a totally different scene.
The sun was shining and everything was dressed in a film of frost . I put the kettle on and had a wee look about , i then realised I was not alone Alistair was in filling the bird feeders so we had a good blether , a cup of coffee and caught up on our news. I spent the rest of my time filling feeders and trying to catch some of the birds on my new camera , unforunately I was particularly unsuccessful at capturing the little blighters . I did spot a number of green finches,chaffinches, robins, blue tits ,blackbirds and of course hundreds of sparrows.
frosty leaves digitalis
The AGM was a little less well attended than last year, understandable as the city was a bit of a skating rink so thank you brave souls for venturing out . It was an interesting event I was hoping that someone was going to volunteer taking up the baton of chairman. Unfortunately no-one in attendance was willing to take the challenge, I am hoping someone who was not in attendance will consider taking the plunge.
We had a interesting discussion on the half plot problem, it too was undecided as there was a contradictory ideas on how this problem should be solved.
The usual topics were covered, the paths, plot maintainance , toilet facilities and of course security and the state of the fences.
The bee keeping course was discussed we have a number of folk interested, I shall keep you posted on that when I have more information. We had also intended to discuss an emergency fund for situations like the fire raising, I shall notify you of progress regarding this when we have had time to organise it .
Laura should update all when she can .
November
Last big clear up before the winter sets in, today we had a group of volunteers up to dismantle the poly tunnel for the winter .
After losing the cover in stormy weather over the last few years ,this year it was decided to dismantle and protect the skin for next year. It was all down by the time I arrived and folk were busy putting the bonfire together, a positive hive of industry . We made a huge clearance and by mid afternoon we had a substantial blaze going. Wendy produced gallons of soup and a barbeque with sausages.
Marian also managed to dispose of the remnants of her shed, I never realised what an spectacular fire builder she was!
We had a fabulous day the weather was cold but beautiful all headed home smelling of wood smoke and very contented thanks to all who turned out and made it such a special day.
October
It has been a week of catastrophes at the plot , vandals have been in a couple of nights and left a trail of destruction. The police have been in attendance but as yet nothing has developed. Marians shed has been burned to the ground , windows smashed and doors broken open. There seems to have been little stolen just a lot of damage.
October
I was up at the plot on the holiday monday it was very quiet, Laura was there and we did have a chat about the AGM and topics to cover. As we have such a large number on the waiting list, we may have to work on the half plot details as part of the topics up for discussion. If anyone has particular queries or suggestions could you give us a buzz and we shall add it to the agenda.
Details of times and dates will be sent out as soon as we can organize the venue and have missives available.
This week has been a taster of the months to come we have had a cold wind and yesterday gales and torrential rain.
Anyone thinking of giving up their plot this year, please could you contact Laura, Wendy or myself.
September 14th
It was a kind of strange day at the plots, incredibly warm ,muggy and overcast.
There was a bit of a let down in the poly-tunnel within a week all the tomato's have been affected with blight, a horrible sad sight they had to be disposed off. Such a pity as they were doing so well, I had been trying out the drip feeder and was very pleased with the resultant crops. We will have to organise a day soon for dismantling the poly-tunnel and tidying the wildlife plot a little. The tansy is threatening to take over. Alistair suggested another bonfire night blaze for disposing of old wood and stuff ,we shall put it at the top of the hill , no plastics please.
Please check with him or I if you are leaving stuff out for disposal.
The rest of the crops are almost ready now sweetcorn looks ok and the new turnip "brora " has has fantastic results. Even the thinnings I gave to Alistair and Marian are great, who says you can't replant thinnings.
I spent most of the day clearing up, there is always plenty to do the onions are now in the shed I spent an hour or so cleaning them up while listening to the gardening programme on the radio.
September
Autumn is creeping into the plot, we are all collecting the crops , sharing recipes and tidying up. Soups are back on the agenda, in the past week I have made copious quantities of potato and leek soup and chunky vegetable.
On the occasions when the clouds cleared we were down to t-shirts there was still plenty of heat in the sunshine, but as the day progressed it cooled considerably and we watched the rain come in from the surrounding hills.
Marian as usual has a huge quantity of beetroot and was looking for ways to use it, after boiling and pickling one is always a little stumped I could only suggest roasted beetroot wedges, I think they are delicious .
I have been sent a site that may be of interest . They have a good selection of ideas for your crops .I am going to try the pink mash they have suggested it looks interesting .The courgettes are growing like mad just now you have to watch them they are notorious for expanding into marrows overnight .
http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk
The Peters were up today trying to clear the Georges abandoned plot at the top of the hill, it is waist high in weeds. It is the last plot we have available, the waiting list now is 55. I think the city council are going to have to look for new sites for potential allotments .
Aileen did make a find a huge caterpillar! we checked the book and found it to be the elephant hawk moth caterpillar it must have been almost 3 inches long , it was the first one I had seen though according to the books is fairly common. That was a treat unfortunately the batteries had gone on my camera so I have only got a mobile phone record.
August 24th
Sunday I would have been up much earlier but got caught up with chores and the closing stages of the Olympics it was a wonderful spectacle. Got to the plot mid-afternoon, a muggy day, but no rain. The wildlife plot is buzzing, I realise it is a little wild, the bees are going mad for the nectar rich plants particularly the mint we planted that is now in flower and the nectar rich plants Alistair and others have put in. I love the old barrow, abandoned ,now full of flowers.
It will need clearing up a little eventually, I shall let all know nearer the time.
Still no news about the toilet facilities, I can only apologize for raising hopes that there was this facility to be made available.
I have asked for the skip to be removed, I would like to have another delivered as there is so much stuff still to be disposed off. Take care when dropping stuff off, Martin reckons there is a wasp nest in the vicinity.
We have a potential supply of blue bins and pallets has anyone got access to a van to pick them up from finneston?
August 17th
Saturday Wendy and Michael popped into the shop they were going to take the opportunity to strim while the rain was off. The weeds have grown at such a rate over the last couple of weeks you turn around and they are knee high. I went up on Sunday well it was a choice between ironing or the plot. The morning was not very promising but as the day progressed the sun began to shine and it continued all afternoon and was very warm. I picked fruit, dug more potatoes. spent an hour or so podding beans and started the big tidy up. It was glorious.
Yet again there were only a few people up, I think part of the reason was the schools going back this week so it is off to the shops for the school uniforms or spending a last weekend together .
When I was leaving my attention was caught by a sea of colour down on the braes. The meadow planting that the council has done has come into flower it is quite beautiful a swathe of wild flowers in a sea of golden grasses. I took some photos and walked round to see how the other areas have developed. En route I met a lady over visiting from Australia she too was taking photos and we had a chat about the planting programme and of course the views from the top of the hill, she was well impressed. As usual she could not believe how green the city is.
All in all a lovely day, as usual there are new photos in the gallery please have a browse, bottom of the page .
Meadow planting
August 10th
I am beginning to wonder if the rain will ever stop, it has been a week of torrential showers. I spent the day on Sunday dodging in and out of the shed,to avoid downpours.
There were only a few souls willing to risk a soaking. Collected some more potatoes and beans, I love the little asparagus peas they are lovely steamed and have such a pretty flowering habit, you have to get them early though as they do go a bit woody.
Alistair has finally got rid of his sling so is definitely feeling better though still a bit frustrated with being limited at the amount of work he can undertake.
I have put up some photos, there is an autumnal air about the place with all the late flowers putting on a show .
August 2nd and 3rd
A bit of an unpredictable weekend, we have had torrential rain and then roasting sunshine. I spent a lot of time in and out of the shed, I have picked all the peas I can now and spent the evenings podding them in preparation for freezing. The broad beans are ready too they are a little easier to prepare, its been a bumper year for them. The plot was quite quiet this weekend I suppose it has to do with the weather. We have rented out two of the abandoned plots so hopefully they will be in production by next year. The skip arrived in at the end of last week, Tommy spent the weekend loading it with stuff left by tenants. I would like to make the point that once notified an effort should be made to assist with this job as it is unfair expecting someone else to clear up for you. It is now full and there is still stuff to be disposed off.
I shall try and arrange another skip in the next week or so , also please ensure no vegetation is placed in this facility.
We have now a new supplier of blue bins , there may also be pallets available for new compost bins. We were considering using them for communal composting, so please watch out for information either on the notice board or online.
I hope your crops have been a great success its now time to reap the benefits of all the hard work you put in at the beginning of the year.
There are new photos in the gallery can you spot your plot ? see the bottom of the page I was thinking of doing a cd of photographs of this year, if you would like a copy please send me a note and I shall get them to you.
The strimmer is now available for delivery ,I got my car fixed ,so just give me a call and I can deliver.
July 27th
Its incredibly hot and thundery, the polytunnel is almost full not much room left now. I spent a while watering but it seems to make little difference as the ground is still very dry . I had thought the plot would be busy, given the heat there was no incentive to work , I think I would have preferred to be down the coast if I could. Catastrophe this evening I was last to leave and when I went to start the car - nothing !! Had to phone the rescue service , it eventually got going and I coaxed it home but as soon as I switched the engine off it died again think I am going to need a new battery. So if you are looking for the strimmer in the next few days I am afraid you will have to arrange for pick up.
July 21st
Its The Glasgow fair weekend, The start of the traditional fortnight holiday, not that it is "the fair" any more the city used to close down all factories and industry would cease for the break. Now we have a holiday Monday.
It was not a very good start to the weekend Friday and Saturday were cool,windy and cloudy but Sunday showed signs of improvement. Holiday Monday started off fantastic, got all my chores out of the way and was at the plot for lunchtime.Took a wee picnic as Lizzi had supplied lunch yesterday. It was glorious the wind had died down and the sun was shining, I tied my tomatoes up and gave all in the polytunnel a good soak. Weeded and tidied up the straggly bits left by the flowers, then spent a while down at the wildlife pond watching pond life. Late afternoon the weather changed and it clouded over again,the wind came back,what a lovely afternoon.
I lifted some potatoes and was very pleased with the results, I coaxed Lizzi and Jake to do the same they are great no slugs yet !
I spent the rest of the day picking fruit berries. I like to have them in the morning with greek yogurt and honey, much cheaper at the plot ,normally I have to buy them in sainsburys .
New photos in the gallery.
JULY 12-13th
was a very hot weekend,just spent our time weeding and watering ,strimmer was busy clearing weeds that had a got a wee bit out of control, strange how the weeds grow so high drowning our lovingly protected vegetable plants .
I took a ton of photos on Sunday I have put them in the gallery (bottom of the page ) do please have a look .If you have a few snaps you would like put into our gallery Please just e-mail them to me I would love the world to see how fabulous our wee plot is .
Alistair continues to recover and is determined to continue his usual routine.
July 8th
I am putting the broad bean pate online as I have some requests for the recipe,it looks like its going to be a good bean year.
Thanks to Heather and Nigella (feast) for this.
300g of podded beans
1 clove of garlic
4tablespoons of grated pecorino (or parmesan)
small handful of mint
1 teaspoon of sea salt
zest and juice of lemon
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
loads of tasty bread
put the podded beans in a processor,mince or grate the garlic, add mint and salt ,blitz to a rubble.
add cheese,zest and juice of lemon, grind in some pepper and blitz again.
scrape down,put the lid on and with motor running add olive oil.
toast bread and while still warm smear on the green paste.
I cut down the amount of cheese and added some pine nuts, I hope you enjoy eleanor
Anyone else got some tasty specials they use for plot produce ?
send me them and I shall put them up.
July 2nd
At The plot this weekend delighted to see Alistair out and about ,he is looking so much better than the week before when I saw him in the hospital. He is still not able to manage any heavy work but had managed to plant another section of the wildlife plot ,it took him hours. He asked me to pass on his thanks to all who have helped and thanks to all for the cards and good wishes .Particularly Martin for driving him to the docs and the shops.
It is still chilly and wet though everything is looking well, strawberry crops look like they are going to be fantastic all we need is a wee bit sunshine to sweeten them up. The soft fruit in general looks like we are going to have a bumper year, I think I shall make jam.
June 21st
Summer solstice, its the longest day this week we have had some long awaited rain, no doubt the weeds and slugs have enjoyed the wet weather too. I have had a very busy week and have been unable to get to the plot as much as I would like. I just hope the plants have survived. I shall be popping up later to survey the carnage. You may have noticed a lot of our photos are not back online yet I am hoping that I shall get that fixed over the next few days. please bear with me the upgrade on the site did not go as planned and a lot of our snaps disappeared fortunately I keep a back up , so it just means I have to upload them again. This is a little time consuming, it will all be back to normal soon ! If I can get it organised I was hoping to put an album up online for your perusal . Its decidedly chilly today got my cardigan back out heres hoping its a temporary glitch.
JUNE 15th
Poor Alistair has been involved in a bus crash he has broken his collar bone and punctured a lung. He is going to be out of action for a wee while. I am looking for volunteers to assist in keeping his plot going over the next few weeks. If you can donate a bit of your time it would be fantastic. Its just to make sure his plot is watered and weeded, and the stuff in the poly tunnel and greenhouses is watered. Wendy and Michael went to see him yesterday and he is quite positive but bored out of his mind, hoping to get home sooner rather than later.
We could do with some proper rain,the ground is very dry and we have a westerly wind coming in there is a need for constant watering.
All is going well the tenants who have neglected their plots have left and hopefully we will get them rented out soon, the only problem being that the weeds are so high the plots are a bit daunting to new tenants . The only solution will be to clean them up beforehand it looks like the strimmers will be well used.
JUNE 10th
Things have taken a bit of a change today much cooler and very cloudy.Any one looking for a bit of plant protection I recommend putting tender plants in the poly-tunnel it is filling up rapidly. We were thinking of selling off the excess plants this year so if you have any and are stuck with what to do with them give me a shout and I can either pass them on to others who are in need of produce or we shall put them forward for sale to boost our funds. We are thinking of relocating the poly tunnel frame abandoned on one of the plots to the communal plot so there will be at least one greenhouse frame available to first request so get in touch with either Laura or I and we will try and sort something out. The wrens in Andy's shed have fledged now he is in a quandary should he make good repairs to the shed or the chances are there may be a second brood so should he just wait ?
The wildlife plot is beautiful at the moment please go and have a look the pond is buzzing with activity and the planting is fantastic, gunnera's have flowered and sent up huge spikes. Even the nettles and comfrey look good.
I am at present upgrading the site so don't be alarmed if things go awry over the next few days I am trying to sort all out but not being au fait with all the jargon I sometimes get it a wee bit wrong so bear with me. I should eventually be able to upload loads more snaps and do the chatty, bloggy thing whatever that may be! Along with loads more space and all the technical stuff,its going to be great but meantime its tearing the hair out trying to work it out.
Alistairs flower patch Angelica
JUNE 4th
Well the weather has not been so sunny over the last week, we have had a bit of rain finally. Though it has remained warm ideal growing weather. The plants are all growing well,tomato's are now settling into the poly-tunnel. The wrens in Andy's shed are busy feeding babies we can watch them flitting in and out, there are baby birds all around.Though the magpies seem to be making life difficult for all nesting parents .
Jake has got the frame for his all year round greenhouse constructed and it is looking good, he reckons with his innovations he will be able to keep a steady 10 degrees even in the depths of winter. We are all watching with interest.
Charlotte and Rob managed to get their shed constructed last weekend and seem well settled in now . There was also serious plot digging undertaken so hopefully they will manage to get some planting done soon .
We have been blessed this year with a much better start so hopefully things will continue to thrive . I would like to remind those tenants who use the top gate, if leaving the plot please check and if you are the last to leave please lock the aforementioned gate. We have had two occasions recently that when checked late at night it has been found to have been left open.
I have added plot pictures to the album on the contact us section of the site , it was taking forever to get them on this page so please do have a look. I think I am going to have to upgrade my webspace.
Still no news about the composting toilet installation it seems to have been forgotten about although I have made enquiries as yet I have had no response, it is terribly frustrating . The skip has been ordered for weeks now it too remains elusive.
The meadow planting on the other side off the fence however is well under way and is looking mighty impressive, we are all watching to see how it progresses, unfortunately the lovely sign the workmen installed a few weeks ago seems to have dematerialsed ! The word from the locals is that there are a few neds about who are making things a bit difficult.
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/meadowdemonstrationproject
MAY
17th and 18th
Well we managed to get it all done on the Saturday so Sunday was spent tidying up.
There are plants settling in already,I have taken some snaps of how things are looking this week and I think we are competing with Chelsea with our green theme !!
poly-tunnel with new cover
Thanks to you all for your time everyone !
The weather finally changed on Thursday, it had gradually got cooler and eventually on Friday night Saturday morning it rained.This was of course was just in time for our replacing the poly-tunnel.Fortunately a number of volunteers arrived,making fast work of all the preparation work. This included removing loads of little frogs who had made their home all around the frame, work was slowed down a bit. We managed to get the trench prepared and were so far ahead by mid-afternoon that we decided just to go ahead and fit the polythene.
Wendy and I also seeded the wildlife plot with meadow mix so hopefully that should give us some more colour and fill out the areas Alistair has prepared .
Thanks to all who turned out on a chilly damp day for what proved to be a very productive afternoon.
Other news Andy has a new tenant in his shed, a wren has built her nest in it, he is now unable to make good repairs, until the family have fledged.
Saturday 10th May
Laura was up today we thought maybe next weekend for volunteer help, so if you can manage up could you give us a bit of your time and we can get the poly-tunnel skin on. Everyone can use this facility for growing crops that need a wee bit of protection.
UPDATE Andy tried the rotavator to-day we came to the conclusion that it will not go though compacted and overgrown areas so some preparation is needed before use! It is also a bit of a beast to handle so care is needed.
Very hot and thundery today we needed a bit of rain. Alistair was working on the wildlife plot again today it is almost ready for seeding.So if you have a bit of seed left or too many plants we are always happy to use them.
It has been the most fantastic week, the sun has shone almost every day. The whole place has been a hive of industry. Seed planting is well under way, peas and beans went in,the cold frames are bursting with plants. I was hoping to get the poly-tunnel back up but unfortunately we need a few bodies to assist, maybe next weekend. Alistair, Andy and I have done quite a bit of weed clearing down on the wildlife plot. The pond is looking great too! We counted 13 frogs sitting round the pond ,sunbathing .
We are hoping to get the second section cleared and seeded over the next couple of weeks so if you have any spare plants please bring them along.
We have been given a rotavator, I took it for a service last week so it is now ready for use. The only thing I would suggest is that if you think you require it please ensure the long grass and high weeds are removed from the surface of the area you are intending on working on. This should assist the new plot holders, please take care when using it.
I also have both the strimmers available any time, If I am not at the plot please call the number on the notice board and I shall deliver.
The council have been in and cleared the paths please try and maintain them as it makes life difficult for other members to access certain areas.
Wildlife plot.
Its the first of may I hope you were all out early this morning ,washing your face in the morning dew! Its a bit on the chilly side for me particularly after the lovely week we had, I have every window ledge in my house full of baby plants. I think I shall wait another week before moving operations to the cold frames, its a bit of a waiting game just now.We are never sure when the frost may return, even Alistair is holding out for a week or so , just to be absolutely sure
April updates.
Spring is certainly here everything is blooming, particularly the weeds.
We had a lovely start to this week the sun has been shining and the plots are being turned over and planted with a few exceptions.
I am taking the new skin for the poly-tunnel up today hoping that there will be a few bodies about to help with the installation. Its getting to that time when folks tomatoes are needing to get settled.
I cleared some of the blanket weed from the wild life pond this week found adult and baby newts I have taken some snaps but they are not terribly good.
Thats me back for a while I feel I have been away for months its very hard leaving my plot unattended at this time of year.On My return all is thriving The wildlife pond and all others are heaving with tadpoles.This is always a good sign as like all gardeners we are bothered with slugs and snails, fortunately frogs seem to find them a tasty snack!
I hope you have had good weather to get your crops started though I have heard it has been a fairly cold couple of weeks. I have had a few e-mails keeping me up to date I shall try and pass on all relevant information.
First piece of info is that the soil testers are coming back to do some more, I have heard from Laura and she in turn has contacted Mr Watson. This is not anything to worry about it is just part of the ongoing sampling programme .
The wildflower project is going ahead on trinley braes I shall post all information on the notice board, those of you with e-mail should receive this shortly. There is a map with the proposed planting, a letter from Robert Booth and a link to the Glasgow parks site with all information.
As you have probably noticed there has been no repairs undertaken on the fence, though I was assured it was a priority. I shall be on the case this coming week. Update! the fence has been repaired unfortunately it is just a temporary measure, the blacksmith has installed metal supports to the area that is weakest. We were under the impression that replacement fencing would be installed.
Laura has told me the manure has arrived so get your barrows filled before it dematerialises!!
This also means that we will be ordering a skip, so gather your rubbish and dispose of it as soon as you can as it fills really fast , remember not to put green materials in.
Any other news I shall pass on as soon as I can. Please keep checking for updated information
March updates.
Well for those who like to know, Alistair has his potato trenches dug. He has been busy clearing up the rest of his plot.
We are waiting for the manure delivery once that has been delivered we shall be able to get a skip for those who require it.
I shall be away for a couple of weeks at the end of the month, I was hoping the repair to the fence had been undertaken before I left. unfortunately the blacksmith has not appeared.I shall speak to Robert Watson allotment officer again, hopefully he will have good news sometime soon. same goes for enquiries about the toilet.
We have a new skin for the polytunnel, if we can we will replace the old one during April depending on the weather and available bodies.
Alistair also has a plan for the greenhouses we have been donated. Watch this space for information on planned construction work. I will also place information on the notice board.
The allotment draft strategy was launched on wednesday Laura and I attended the launch. All tenants should receive a copy of the leaflet promoting the strategy and the full document is available online. There are also pages available for comments through the 'living in glasgow' pages.
We have a couple of copies of the document if you would like to read it please give Laura or myself a buzz and we will get it to you. There are also copies available at your local library. The Glasgow Allotment Forum have suggested that all members and associations should involve and are looking for your input and ideas.The plots are beginning to spring to life the birds are going mad nest building and the early spring flowers are showing off their finery.
Are you looking for an allotment in Glasgow? I have put details at the bottom of this page that may assist.
Here is an introduction to some of the plot holders .Alistair is one of our stalwarts, we all watch for his potato trenches being dug, and follow suit. Each year he tries something out of the ordinary, one of the most successful trials was the tomantillo a south american fruit. He grew them in the polytunnel, no-one had any idea how large they would grow, here are the resulting plants.
.
They were enormous. Eventually they turn purple and make the most delightful salsa .
I have for years taken photographs, unfortunately I lost a lot of early photos,borrowed and never returned. Here are some my more recent efforts.
I shall put some up for you to view, we would love to hear from other members I will add as many as I can .
Michael, preparing for the potato crop!
You can't say we don't know our onions! These sunflowers will keep the birds fed all winter.
A lovely shot of the wildlife plot,thanks Wendy.
Early March 2008
contact details-
Trinley Braes allotments are situated on Knightswood road,Knightswood, Glasgow we have 28 plots and at present have a large waiting list 80=.
if you wish to have your details added to our list please contact myself by telephone or by email
eleanor mackay on 0141 576 9072
eleanor.mackay@dovetails-glasgow.co.uk
if you are interested in an allotment in Glasgow please contact
The allotments and recycling officer
Land and Enviromental services.
37 High St.
Glasgow
G1 1LX
Phone 0141 287 5729
Fax 0141 287 4142
there is a large section on the Glasgow District council website giving contact information and plot availability .
This information and more can be found at the Scottish Allotment Gardens Society (S.A.G.S.)site
http://www.glasgowwestend.co.uk/outdoors/kirkleeallotment.php