The Wee Spuds have been super busy this year. We have continued to meet outdoors at the allotments under the different COVID restrictions and had lots of fun.
We have been looking after the village tubs around Strathblane and Blanefield and filled them with Spring bulbs for everyone to enjoy after the winter had gone. We planted snowdrops along the new link path in Blanefield.
We have grown potatoes, onions, garlic, leeks, parsnips, carrots, peas, courgettes, pumpkins, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, rhubarb, and strawberries. We have started a raised bed with different herbs, made a netted cover for the brassicas, and used a corner of the allotment plot to make a small pond to encourage wildlife and maybe some frogs or toads (to eat the slugs) in the future.
The pond even has its very own gnome!
We have learnt all about how the new composting toilet at the allotment works.
With our Co-op local cause funding we have helped fund the installation of the new polytunnel at the allotments and made three ‘raised beds’ inside the tunnel by filling white tonne builders bags with a mixture of horse manure, straw and mushroom compost. We even collected and used our urine to provide nutrients for the compost! A courgette plant, pumpkin plant and three tomato plants have been planted in the beds and have grown so much and are enormous already! Bring on Halloween!
We made salad boxes from donated pallets and have taken them home to enjoy eating with our meals.
We planted lots of wild flowers to help the bees and used old wellies as plant pots!
And . . .we did a lot of weeding!!
We would like to say a BIG ‘thank-you’ to all the adults that have helped the Wee Spuds this year with their time and skills (you know who you are!)
We are always looking for new recruits, and if you are interested in joining our sessions at the allotments to give us a hand please get in touch.
Sarah Hyde
Blane Valley Allotments 