Let's go digging!

As spring is just around the corner we are very excited about the Big Dig this year: in March, over 100 gardens accross the UK will welcome volunteers to get ready for the growing seasons from seed sowing to mulching and building raised beds.

The Allotment garden is part of the day, and we will welcome people to work on Saturday March 22nd- if you would like to join us, sign up here: http://www.bigdig.org.uk/london/.

We will be moving some material, clearing up an area, sowing seeds, planting seedlings and give the garden a head start for the coming season. Oh, and there will be biscuits, tea and coffee of course! See you there!!

And spring is there (eventually)!

Lots of lovely things growing at the Allotment: the asparagus, the globe artichoke and the french sorrel are the first one to make our mouth water, closely followed by strawberries and sprouting broccoli. Come and check us out sometimes!

Our new event calendar is online http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/the-regents-park/regents-park-attractions/allotment-garden, and lots of new training sessions with Capital Growth are taking place at the Allotment. for more details check the website capitalgrowth.org

Happy growing!

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The wonderful world of bees

The allotment garden attracts lots of wildlife. It's location in the heart of Regent's park certainly helps, but we also try and encourage it along with bug hotels, hedgehog boxes, and plenty of flowers. The bees love them!

Harvest Festival 2011 Part 4 (the best of the rest)

Other activities at the Harvest Festival included Ask the Experts, pizza making and apple pressing (mmmm, delicious!), tombola and the Big Raffle.....

Some July pictures

Beautiful edible Lillies

Mark from Vertical Veg talking us through compost
Phacelia

August pictures from the allotment Garden

A wasp squabble in a pumpkin flower
Tumbling Toms in a hanging basket
Scabious Flowers

The BEST raspberries. Fact.

Some of the mid August bounty
A lurking currant
More marrows and beans, late August
A shield beatle nosing around the asparagus berries
Water marrows

Tomato disaster

Last week I noticed the tomatoes weren't looking their best. This Monday I discovered that a whole bed had succumbed to blight. We had to pull the hole lot - it was a very sad day. Now how will we make sauce for our Harvest Festival pizzas? It's just as well we have some frozen and over-dried in stock. However, if any Capital Growth spaces would like to sell some of their surplus please contact Amy - amy.capitalgrowth@gmail.com

Oven dried tomatoes (part 2)

This is what the tomatoes looked like this morning, after a night in the oven on a very low heat...

...and this is what they look like with some fresh thyme and extra virgin olive oil... yum!

Oven-dried tomatoes....

In preparation for our 2011 Harvest Festival we're trying out various preserves to make sure there's plenty of produce to enjoy for all. These tomatoes were harvested today by our volunteers, and will last in the cupboard to make lovely pizzas toppings or salad ingredients.

Oven-dried tomato recipe

1. Harvest tomatoes of any variety, shape or size.

2. Leave small ones whole, but medium ones in half lengthways, cut large ones into quarters lengthways.

3. Place in a baking tray (cut ones should be placed cut-side up).

4. Place in the oven on a very low heat (between 50-100 degrees C).

5. Cook for 4-6 hours depending on the size of the tomatoes.

6. They are ready when they look shrivelled up like sun-dried tomatoes.

7. Leave to cool then store in a jar with a few springs of thyme (or rosemary or garlic etc), completely covered with a good olive oil.

Getting reading for the Green Fair - Regents Park 4th June

Plants don't need flower pots or allotments to grow...