Sun 26 Sep 2010
AGM and BBQ - September 2010
After much negotiation over dates, Tatnam Organic Patch held our AGM on 26 Sept 2010, followed by the annual barbacue. There was a good turnout, and a great spread of food, as always, far too much to eat.
The AGM apparently saw two new posts created;
Brendan was voted Head of composting, and Gary as primary contact for the LAND project, passing his wider secretarial duties to Kate.
Given Kate is just taking possession of an old house in need of much repair, not sure where she’ll find the time, but isnt that always the way ?
Tat and Brendan had visitors from New Zealand. Not sure what they made of the patch, or whether it will colour their view of how folks in the Old Country are living.
A little work was done, mostly cropping. We had some fantastic maincrop potatoes – individually big enough to bake one to share between two, and a vast array of squashes, including Sharks Fin Melon, which apparently makes good soup.
Shark's Fin Melon squash
Aside from various meaty things cooked in the kitchen sink over the local Dorset charcoal, there was Mark’s famous bean stew, a variety of appetising salads, and dazzling sweets, including an apple cake, a ginger and fruit cake (I’m going to be corrected on that one), and Jan’s summer pudding and crumble.
Looking back in my folder, I chanced across an email from 2003, from Kirsten Robb, who was involved in the patch in the early days. Writing from home in East Kilbride, having spent a while volunteering in Africa, she wrote “Is there a good crop of blackberries this year? And more importantly, is Jan going to make her crumble ?” – and that’s how far back the tradition goes. It wouldn’t be a workday, or even an AGM without Jan’s famous crumble !
And having turned up a day early, Andy did eventually make the BBQ, if not the AGM.
Sat 25 Sep 2010
Herb group 12th Sept 2010 – photos
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Thu 1 Jul 2010
Workday Sun 4th July 2010
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When we get to it
Gary is hoping to do some work on the triangular patch see
http://tatnampatch.org.uk/?page_id=532
Tue 22 Jun 2010
Workday 19th June 2010 – photos
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bee on cow parsley
view
Jan & Ken & weeds
poppy
preparing for tea time...
pond
wild strawberries growing near pond
Brendan and Lilian
weeding with baby...
old tub...
..and apples growing nearby
kiwi tree
strawberry picking
Ruth & strawberries
Jan
Ken
grapes in the greenhouse
teacosy
Gary practicing shaolin...
borage unfolding...
view 2
ladybird
Andy & Gary & elderflowers
Ken's lovely herb signs
Ruth & mullein
beetle on mullein
blackcurrents
Mon 7 Jun 2010
Work day 6th June 2010 photos
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caterpillar on mullein leaf
Gary debating while making tea...
gooseberries ripening
irises growing by the pond
Jan with broccoli leaves
sweet cicely's very tasty & edible seed pods
Gary and Brendan exploring...
Squashes were being planted
and much weeding being done...
cow parsley...
and elderflower in bloom
Ken protecting beans from pigeons
the tomatoes are coming on really well
Tat...
and Kate on their way home...
Sat 15 May 2010
Workday 15th May – some photos
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Sat 15 May 2010
Workday 15 May
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Oh No, disaster.
Mark and Gary aren’t here. It is probably time to panic. Or maybe time to play with fire, as the storm kettle needs someone else to tend it.
Brendan had previously found one of the bird boxes made by Barry’s brother Bill, which had left its perch in a tree by the compound. He resited it at head height in the willow by the main pond, and two blue-tits were busy to-and-fro, presumably with a clutch in the nest, even with a conversation going on nearby.
And our youngest ever visitor, Lilian Picknell at under 10 days old, made her presence felt in the patch, with regular appeal to either or both parents for attention, and to everyone else for curiosity and admiration.
The beeman – Dave ? made a couple of appearances, saying he is concerned that his bees have dysentry. Not sure whether he disappeared for more gear, or for a quieter time to investigate their plight. They seem active to me.
More beans were planted – the ones from two weeks ago seem to be struggling to take off – no Jack in the Beanstalk this year. So more runner beans, and Manuela brought down french beans too.
Kate, Kat and Harriet made further valient attempts to turn the new beds from bindweed nursery to productive garden.
The new Asparagus bed has made it easier to spot the weeds, and produced at least a few spears worth having.
Asparagaus beds seem successful
And me ? well I managed to make 3 pots of tea with the storm kettle, and in Jan’s absence, a passable rhubarb crumble that seemed to disappear fast enough, and the occasional dilemma to decision to support.
Perhaps that should be the motto of TOP – we’ll muddle through !
Sun 2 May 2010
Workday 2/5
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The workday started wet, which is good for the plants, but galling after the sunny weather last week. Andy was there first, trying to re-fit the watering system before all the rain finished.
May workday teabreak sheltering from rain
Soon the greenhouse was full of people sipping tea and sheltering from the rain, but as the sun broke through, much weeding was done, Brussel Sprouts planted, and another attempt to erradicate the perenniel bindweed in the new bed was made. The bindweed probably won.
Bindweed regrowth from short stem
Brendan and Tat brought down a splendid new sign, in need of varnishing and mounting, both well underway.
Marks great soupy stew contained nettles, dandelion, good king henry, and diverse other weeds. Afraid the bindweed isn’t known for culinary qualities, Gary was wondering if there is any good reason for it to exist other than to frustrate our efforts at eradication.
Tatnam Patch new sign painted by Tat
Sat 17 Apr 2010
Worday 17/4
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Another busy workday down the patch, with a good turnout, and plenty of sun.
Busy preparing the site for upcoming school visits, planting potatoes, and redigging the new beds -bindweed has a nasty habit of re-sprouting from the tinyest root, so you have to dig deep, and pick out all the bits carefully to minimise the regrowth.
Brendan has a new bike, dutch variety, so he had to park it in the middle of the site, looking very fetching near the daffodils. And Gary was either busy making tea, or coming to/from making tea. Again.
A few of us had to disappear, to go and litterpick at Turners Field. Maybe our experience on TOP will help to inspire and support a community allotment/garden on that site.