Rhydypenau Allotment Association

Newsletter Autumn 2011

Issue 3 of 2011

Chairmans message
As I write this - the last message of my term of office - I'm again looking out of my window and, guess what, it's raining! We haven't had much luck with the weather, have we! That said we have done somewhat better with our projects during the year. Yes, we have finally managed to install a permanent toilet on site. We have also managed to carry out some major repairs and to consider plans for a resurfacing of the road on the far side of the stream. I'm also pleased to announce that we have reinstated some plots so that now almost all of our plots are being worked. Add to that the positive work which has taken place in our wildlife areas and I'm sure you will agree that things are really moving here at Rhydypenau. There will be more information provided during our AGM in October. I look forward to meeting you there. In the meantime, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your help and support during the year. In particular I want to say a big "thank you" to my colleagues on the Committee. They really have worked so hard and given so much in order to make sure that Rhydypenau is a happy place where we can pass our leisure time. Thank you all. Liam Affley Liams report on the Annual Show is on page 3

Kings Seeds
Discount seed scheme for RAA Members
Kings catalogues and order forms are now available in the RAA Summerhouse Further details on page 3 Last date for placing orders: Saturday 19th November

Janet & Allan Bond (left & right) will be coordinating the Kings seed orders. Ruth & Cliff West, RAA President and Treasurer respectively, are in the centre, with Kiki the dog, by the RAA Summerhouse.

RAA AGM: Wednesday 19th October, 7pm - see page 2

Rhydypenau Allotment Association 2011 Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 19th October 2011, Start Time: 7pm
Please arrive early so we can start promptly at 7pm. Tea and coffee will be served during the evening.

Venue: Christchurch Hall, Lake Road North

We encourage you all to attend the 2011 Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 19 th October because its an important opportunity for you to have a say about the running of our site, especially as Rhydypenau is a self-managed site. The agenda will include reports from the committees officers, presentation of the accounts, and the election of the committee and honorary officers for the coming year. Please give some thought to offering your services as a committee member. All good committees rely on a healthy combination of experienced hands and new blood. A committee nomination form is included with this newsletter. Nominations need to be submitted by Wednesday 12th October. You can deliver them to the red post box next to the Summerhouse, near the Heath Halt gates. As well as the more formal business of the AGM, the committee will present the prize for Most Improved Plot in recognition of the plotholder who has made the most significant difference to their plot within the past year, e.g. a plotholder who has inherited an underused plot and transformed it into a well-cultivated one. We look forward to seeing you all there! The Committee

Site Gates
Please remember that the site gates should always be closed and locked behind you, when entering and leaving the site. There are only occasional exceptions to this rule. The committee will leave the gates open on Saturday mornings during the summer months when the shop is open and there is someone present to watch the gates. If a delivery is expected, the committee can arrange for a temporary sign to be placed on the gates.

Manure Orders
Cow manure can be ordered from John Rees, Heol Hir, Llanishen, Tel: (029) 2075 3678. Last year he charged 45 per trailer load. Horse manure can be ordered from John, St Mellons, Tel: 07816 356645. The price was 30 per load in 2010. The committee cant accept responsibility for the quality of manure deliveries so its wise to do a bit of research about the merits of cow and horse manure, and ask around to find out who supplies the best quality dung!

First Aid Kit

RAA has purchased a First Aid kit and this is kept in the top drawer of the filing cabinet in the Summerhouse. The front of the drawer is marked with a green cross.

Work Parties
Work parties will resume in October and continue through the autumn and winter months. The work will be coordinated by Claire Edwards (plot 24) who will be on site every Friday, 10am onwards, except when the weather makes work particularly difficult, i.e. heavy rain or snow. One of the tasks for this season will be to continue clearing the wildlife area on the other side of Llanishen Brook (the former plots 107-111). Everyone is welcome to join in and once particular projects are under way, volunteers can continue the work whenever it fits in with their spare time.

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Kings Seed Order Scheme 2011-12

Allan and Janet Bond (Plot 53b) are kindly coordinating the Kings Seed Orders this year. They have already given a considerable amount of time to setting this up, and are keen to make sure we all benefit from the discounts that are available. Here is their explanation of the order scheme: We are pleased to announce that the discounts available for the bulk order of seeds will be shared equally with those plotholders ordering seeds and the RAA. That will make them an even better deal than before and very competitive with local stores and garden centres. This year, Kings are offering a discount of 50% on the prices printed in their order forms if we have a total order value of over 175. That total was reached easily last year with orders from just seven plotholders. So we encourage everyone to participate in the scheme to maximise the discount. Please pay the full amount at the prices in the order form and then you will get a whacking 25% refund on your order when it is delivered. Please make cheques payable to Rhydypenau Allotment Association. There is no delivery charge and we will contact you when the orders are delivered and you can pick them up from the site on a Saturday morning or we can deliver them to your home, if there is a problem. We will put a notice on the gates when the orders have been delivered to us. Seed potatoes are separate from the seed discount structure but are an even better deal this year as we have negotiated a lower bulk order price of 4.25 per bag, most of which are 2.5kg bags. If you have a small plot and you think that is too much for you, why not share an order with your neighbouring plotholders. Sundry products, plant food, netting, etc, listed at the back of the order form are, unfortunately, not discounted. We have also obtained more colour catalogues from Kings this year so that plotholders can browse and see what they are buying rather than just picking names from the order forms. The catalogues and order forms are available from the RAA chalet on site and we would be grateful if the colour catalogues could be returned when you have completed your order, so that everyone has a chance to see them. We are happy to help you with filling out your order forms and you can find us often on our plot or just pop your order in the red letter box near the chalet. You can also call us at home if you have any questions (Tel: 029 20761167). The last date for getting your order to us is Saturday 19th November.

Allan & Janet Bond, Plot 53b

Annual Show and Barbecue

Our annual Summer Show and Barbecue was held at Christchurch on 13th August. It was extremely successful, for several reasons. Firstly, the weather was good and it didnt rain, thank goodness! Secondly, the number and quality of the vegetables entered for the competition classes were outstanding. The entrants really excelled themselves this year. Indeed the size of the exhibits, particularly onions and beans, left some of us quite breathless, if not a shade envious. It must have been very difficult for our judge, Mr Bob Webb, whose judging skills were first class and very much appreciated. Congratulations to Ian Kendall (plot 58) whose onions won the Best in Show prize. Thirdly, the food was excellent; well cooked, well served and extremely tasty. But events like this dont just happen. Careful planning and preparation have to take place in advance and additional help is needed on the day itself. And so Id like to thank all those who made the Show such a success. It is very difficult to thank our many helpers by name; someone is always forgotten. Suffice to say that there were many willing helpers - real friends - who came and gave generously of their time and energy to help prepare the site, cook the food, clear up afterwards, gave prizes for the raffle ... I could go on! My sincere thanks to you all for your contribution to a great day.

Liam Affley, Chairman

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Plot Secretarys Messages

Make the most of Autumn!
Autumn is an important season for all of us. Many of us are still harvesting and storing the fruits (and veg!) of this years labour. But even if our crops may be coming to an end, its important to start thinking ahead and do some preparation work for next years growing season, before the winter sets in the extra effort will pay off next year. Clear away the weeds and spent crops to reduce the chance of diseases lurking in the remaining vegetation, and to stop weeds spreading to your neighbours. A clear plot will also give the birds a chance to pick over the soil and act as natural pest controllers. If you have problems with heavy clay soil (the natural soil type at Rhydypenau), turn over the soil and leave the problem areas exposed to the winter frosts. Frosts help to break up the soil and also kill off pests. If you are going to apply manure or other mulches such as compost or leaf mould, autumn is the perfect time because the layer of manure will suppress weed growth and the goodness will be washed into the soil over the winter, with help from the worms too. Dont forget that we have had fairly severe winters over the last two or three years, so I would advise everybody to do as much as possible during October and November before the rain and snow arrives! As I mentioned at this time last year, allotments are like GOLD, the waiting lists in Cardiff are as long as ever, so please make good use of your plot and appreciate how lucky we are to have our plots at Rhydypenau.

Paths
This is a polite reminder that all shared paths adjoining your plot have to be kept in good condition. Rather than have shared responsibility for any given path, a sort of gentlemans agreement was put in place some years ago that each plotholder should be responsible for the surrounding paths that are closest to the RAA Summerhouse (next to the Heath Halt gates). If you are unsure which path(s) should be your responsibility, feel free to contact me on the phone numbers below or talk to me on site. Im at my plot (plot 41, with the green arch) on most weekday and Saturday mornings.

More childrens entries please

I agree with our Chairmans comments about the success of the Annual Show & BBQ and the quality of the exhibits. But I have to say it was a bit disappointing to see only two entries for the childrens classes. We see a lot of children on site now, and there was a good turnout of plotholders children on the day of the Show, so it would have been nice to see more show entries from them. Lets encourage all children to take part next year. If you have any suggestions for some new competition classes that would appeal to children, please let me know.

Derek Salmoni, Plot Secretary

Tel: 029 2063 2277 / Mobile: 07939 216020

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Cardiff in Bloom 2011 Results

Best Site category:
Rhydypenau came 3rd in the Best Site category, so we have maintained the same position for three years in a row. Its a great result especially when you consider Rhydypenau is one of the older sites in Cardiff, with a more natural (you could say wilder) feel than some of the newer sites. Actually, the natural setting of our site seems to be one of the main reasons we plotholders love it so much. Thank you to everyone who made an effort to tidy up their plots and to those who worked hard to improve the communal areas.

Best Plot category:

We are thrilled to announce that Janet and Allan Bond, plot 53b, who were nominated to represent Rhydypenau this year, came first in the Best Plot category. We understand they scored 99 points out of 100! Its an impressive achievement in light of the stiff competition, and a well-deserved reward for their dedication and hard work. Congratulations to both of them. Janet and Allan will attend a prize-giving ceremony at the City Hall in early October. Interestingly, two of our committee members have also won the Best Plot prize in the past: Vice President Ted Barrett for plot 27, and Colin Smith, who won the Best Plot prize in 1996 for plot 53.

Photos: Allan Bond

Make Your Own Seed Packets

If you are collecting seeds and want to share them among friends and neighbours, there is a template for making your own seed packets on the website of Gardens Illustrated magazine www.gardensillustrated.com Enter DIY seed packets into the search box and follow the link to the seed packets template. You will need a printer, scissors and double-sided sticky tape or glue. The polka dot design includes a space on the front for you to write the plants name and other notes such as the date the seed was harvested and sowing instructions.

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Runner Beans: Easy Peasy? By Angus Mayer, Plot 71

If you look around any allotment complex at this time of year, you will hardly find a plot that does not have a frame of beansticks and consequently a crop of runner beans. Runner beans must qualify as one of our most popular summer greens. Are they an easy crop? No! Most good gardening books rate runner beans as a difficult crop to do well with. First of all you must have a good trench of muck kitchen waste, manure or even newspaper will make a big difference. Dont be tempted to plant them too early. They are rated as half-hardy and they hate cold and wind. So if you plant out in April, youre in with a good chance of having a poor crop. You can sow seed directly into the soil, or you can bring on your plants in 3-inch pots. I prefer the latter, but you must harden off the plants outside for a week or so and time your planting out before they get too leggy. Always sow more seeds than you need - as with all large seeds you will get a percentage that will rot before they germinate. The plants must be well supported and when the beans are cropping, you must pick every other day. The cardinal sin with runner beans is if you go on holiday and dont arrange for someone to pick your beans. You dont lose by it, you in fact gain by it because picking the beans will encourage more to be produced. Once your plants have managed to make seed (which will happen if the bean pods are left on the plant for a while), there will be no more production of flowers and hence no more beans.
Thanks very much to Angus for writing this helpful article. Some gardening books try to make it all sound so easy and often miss out important information that can be crucial for a successful crop. An allotment is the perfect place to share knowledge with fellow gardeners, so please send in your tips for future newsletters.

Oxalis weed species

Thanks to Don Renton (plot 60) for suggesting we include something about oxalis weed species in this newsletter. Although attractive looking, with several oxalis species being grown as ornamental garden plants, certain species can become a real nuisance in the garden Oxalis corniculata, O. debilis and O. latifolia are the main problems. Like all oxalis species, they have 3-part, clover-like leaves and its easy to think they are harmless as they are so delicate and attractive. As they are able to spread via seed and bulbils, its wise to nip them in the bud if they appear on your allotment. The RHS recommends forking out in the spring when the bulbils are firmly attached to the plant. Applying thick mulches can also help to suppress them. Later in the year, forking out the plant can potentially make things worse as the bulbils on certain species are easily detached, causing the weed to spread further around the garden. The RHS also mentions glyphosate as a possible chemical treatment, but advises that non-chemical methods should be used wherever feasible. A vast amount of gardening advice is available on the RHS website www.rhs.org.uk There is an excellent search facility to help you find answers to specific questions.

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Seasonal Recipes & Serving Suggestions

Thanks to Lorna Davies (plot 22) for contributing this imaginative list of serving suggestions for leeks and to Marcia Farleigh (plot 81) for recommending two recipes from Carol Kleins book How to Cook Vegetables (Mitchell Beazley, 2008).

Luscious ways with Leeks

Leeks have a delicate yet distinctive oniony flavour that softens to a rich sweetness with cooking. Use ALL the leek if youre freezing them, freeze the green leaves and thick white parts separately. They freeze really well. Use the green part in casseroles, curries, pasta dishes and soups just add them five minutes before youre ready to serve. Put the thicker parts into a dish, sprinkle with a chicken or vegetable stock cube, add a few tablespoons of water and microwave for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off the liquid and use in a sauce or gravy. Serve the sliced leeks as a vegetable. Griddle whole baby leeks and asparagus together on a griddle pan with a little melted butter or olive oil. Slice leeks into rounds, put into boiling water with some frozen peas, cook for a few minutes, drain and refresh under the cold tap. Season, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm or hot. Halve trimmed leeks lengthways, place into an oven-proof dish, put some grated cheese and some chopped bacon or pancetta on top and put into a hot oven for about ten minutes until the leeks are soft. Top a cottage / shepherds pie with mashed potato and chopped leeks before baking. Gently saut some chopped leeks in a pan with some butter or oil, then stir into a white sauce along with some wholegrain mustard, chopped parsley and a tablespoon or so of white wine makes a delicious sauce for chicken or pasta. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caramelised Onion Jam

A good way to use up damaged onions or onions that wont store well because of poor ripening weather. Delicious with sausages, hot dogs and other meats. Makes 1 small pot: 4 or 5 large onions 100g (31/2oz) unsalted butter 1 tablespoon muscovado sugar 125ml (4fl.oz) red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar or both 300ml (10fl.oz) red wine 3 sprigs fresh thyme Sea salt and black pepper Peel and slice the onions thinly. Melt the butter in a heavy pan and soften the onion for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and dissolve it thoroughly. When it is bubbling, add the liquids, herbs and some seasoning. Let it simmer away in the pan on top of the hob, uncovered, until it is thick and syrupy a good 30 to 45 minutes. NB: You can experiment with this recipe. If you dont want to use red wine, try a mix of red wine vinegar and vegetable stock, with a slosh of balsamic vinegar, and adjust the quantity of sugar to suit your taste. Dried herbs can be used instead of fresh thyme; smoked paprika adds an extra kick to the flavour.

Scrumping Sprouts
This way of cooking sprouts tempers their brassicaciousness with a mellow sweetness. Serves 4: 1kg (21/4lb) Brussels sprouts 1 small onion or shallot 1 eating apple, preferably Cox 55g (2oz) butter 125ml (4fl.oz) cloudy apple juice 125ml (4fl.oz) dry cider, preferably organic Take any damaged leaves off the sprouts but leave as many of the dark green leaves intact as you can. Peel and dice the onion and apple and sweat gently in the butter until soft. Add apple juice as necessary to this while cooking to prevent frying or burning. Tip in the sprouts and the rest of the apple juice on a high heat with the lid closed. Add the cider as necessary to keep the sprouts boiling in cider but not drowning. By the time they are cooked al dente about 5 minutes the liquor should be reduced to a lively sauce.

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Little gems from old books

Here is a short extract from an old book, that might appeal to anyone who knows the simple pleasures of gardening. Grandmothers Secrets: Her Green Guide to Health from Plants was written in 1972 by Jean Palaiseul who left his job as editor of a leading French weekly to start a new life in a remote valley in the Auvergne, where he devoted himself to his garden and his books. LETTUCE: For me, the tranquil happiness that one feels when one gets away from the world of illusory honours and false pleasures is admirably expressed by the reply made by the emperor Diocletian, after his abdication, to a friend who was begging him to return to power: My friend, if you could see what fine lettuces I am growing, you would not urge me so hard to take up that burden again. I often think of his remark as I tend my own, and reflect that for that alone, the lettuce deserves a place in the honours list of plants; but it can happily justify its place of honour with other claims Jean Palaiseul goes on to say that since ancient times the lettuce has been known for its sedative properties which facilitate sleep. Its a fascinating book that covers the healthgiving properties of such diverse plants as parsley, comfrey, burdock, holly, bilberry, and even couchgrass, bindweed and horsetail.

___________________________________________ Grandmothers Secrets: Her Green Guide to Health from Plants, by Jean Palaiseul, translated from the French by Pamela Swinglehurst, Penguin, 1972 (Second-hand copies available from various internet booksellers).

RAA Committee for 2011:

President: Chairman: Vice Chairman: Treasurer: Admin Secretary: Plot Secretary Other Committee Members: Ruth West Liam Affley Ted Barrett Cliff West Penny Owen Derek Salmoni Colin Smith Claire Edwards Lorna Davies John Stanton Karen Allen Plot 52a Plot 74 Plot 27 Plot 52a Plot 85b Plot 41 Plot 53a Plot 24 Plot 22 Plot 28b Plot 68b Tel: 2075 4477 Tel: 20770161 Tel: 20259476 Tel: 2075 4477 Tel: 2062 3972 Tel: 2063 2277 Mob: 07939 216020 Tel: 20764248 Tel: 20756493 Tel: 20618516 Tel: 20764649 Tel: 20455866

Next Newsletter:
The next newsletter will be produced in spring 2012. Please send any newsletter contributions to Karen Allen by 8th February (contact details below). Your ideas, suggestions, questions and articles will be genuinely welcomed.

Who to Contact:
Plot queries & advice, waiting lists for plots, brick cubicles, etc: Derek Salmoni, Plot Secretary, 32 May Street, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4EX / Tel: 2063 2277 / 07939 216020 General correspondence: Penny Owen, Admin Sec, mail via the Red Post Box next to the Association Shed, near Heath Halt entrance. Tel: 2062 3972 / penny.owen@btinternet.com Newsletter & website contributions: Karen Allen, 6 Jellicoe Court, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff CF10 4AJ / 029 2045 5866 / ka.allen@btinternet.com

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