A November plot – Barry Cuff shares the result of careful planning with a continuing harvest from his winter allotment.

After the deluge on the last day of October, the first three weeks of November were quite dry allowing us to work on the plot. In fact the many sunny warm days meant the flowers on the ivy in the hedge were alive with Hover Flies, Bees, Peacock and Red Admiral Butterflies. Some weeds also continued to flower including Gallant Soldier, Red Deadnettle and Fumitory.

A continuing harvest

An allotment can be very productive as long as the soil is fed, and a little planning is used in the crops sown. Here at the end of November, we are currently still collecting the following fresh produce:

• Early Nantes Carrots – dug as required
• Musselburgh Leeks – dug as required
• Blue/Red Moon Autumn Radish – pulled for salads
• Various Oriental Leaves – cut for salads
• Monarch Celeriac – one plant lifted every other week
• Greensleeves Celery – dug as required and now covered with fleece to protect from frost
• Palace Parsnip – two or three roots per week
• Brendan Brussels Sprouts – picked once a week

• Cendis Cauliflower – the first curd weighed 2.5kg and lasted well over one week used in various meals

• Ironman Calabrese – all plants are producing good side shoots

• Witloof Chicory – lifted mid month, topped and tailed, and then stored in moist compost in the dark to produce tasty chicons over the winter months

• Santonio and Crokini Tomatoes – five plants of these two varieties were harvested of green fruits which are now in the greenhouse to ripen.

In additon to the fresh harvest, in store we have potatoes, onions, garlic, winter and butternut squash. While in the freezer there’s sweetcorn, French beans, broad beans, runner beans and peas.

A load of manure

The site’s delivery of well rotted horse manure arrived on the 8th – over the next two days we wheeled away our own 35 wheelbarrow loads, some being spread straight away.

A seed hoard

Our seed order from Kings Seeds arrived on the same day as the manure. As our Allotment Association is a member of the South West Counties Allotment Association, we receive a very generous 50% discount on our order of 35 packets. Most of our seeds are obtained from Kings, with just a few varieties from Fothergills and Thompson & Morgan. This amounts to about 50 packets for sowing in 2022.

At moment we have a small number of people on the Sturminster Newton Allotments waiting list. Now is the time to add your name.

by Barry Cuff

Sponsored by Thorngrove Garden Centre

Cyclamen, Wreath Making workshops, gifts for loved ones, and of course, the trees… yes, we’re embracing it all.

There’s no denying it any longer. It’s time to embrace it. We are officially full of festive cheer and are ready for Christmas!
It’s a funny time of year at Thorngrove; you might think with such cold weather, things slow down when it comes to plants…this couldn’t be further from the truth!

Not only are we putting out the seasonal plants such as poinsettias and princettias, and we have Christmas trees to make room for!
Hyacinths planted a little while ago will be making themselves known, and we continue to make sure they’re as good as they can be. Not to mention the gifts and lifestyle shop gets a bit of a seasonal makeover as we bring in a whole range of unique and exciting products!

Winter baskets and troughs have also taken up a huge amount of the glasshouse team’s time as customers look to bring vibrancy and splendour to their homes and gardens this December. It’s always a sight to behold when many of them

The work you don’t see

The shop windows, and various benches around the garden centre may feel very beautiful and seasonal, but behind the scenes there’s an immense amount of cleaning after last season
to make sure no pests make the plants their new homes, and we’re always looking ahead. Making orders for plugs of next years herbaceous and bedding plants, planning in for new products, making use of cuttings, and considering options for events to stay connected with the community.

The most wonderful time of the year

There’s no question that it can be hard work, for everyone – from the plant nursery, glasshouses, café, shop, tutors, students, and everyone else behind the scenes at EmployMyAbility and Thorngrove – but the hard work can be less noticeable this time of year as everyone knows that a much deserved break and end of year celebration is just around the corner. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and we’d love for you to make Thorngrove a stop on your rounds this December. Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year everyone, and as we previously mentioned, even if you’re not celebrating this time of year, we send our end of year well-wishes to you and look forward to seeing you in 2022!

Thorngrove Garden Centre

Here are this month’s jobs from Sherborne gardener Pete Harcom – perfect for a mild crisp December winter’s day.

• Winter digging can continue This is weather permitting – only when soil is not too wet or frozen. To feed the soil and improve the structure, use garden compost, well rotted manure and leaf mould.
• Heathers are now in bloom There are good selections available in the garden centres
• One idea for colour in the home at Christmas In early December cut shoots from your winter flowering shrubs – in the warmth of the home or greenhouse they will open up and flower in time for Christmas.
• In the greenhouse Ensure all is clean and clear of rubbish and waste – this will reduce the number of any overwintering pests. But do leave spiders alone; they’re useful predators, let them have the corners.
• Sow seeds of Alpine plants These can be very easy to grow in a cool greenhouse. Some alpine seeds need exposure to low temperatures before germination, and an average UK winter should provide the right environment.
• Cut rust-affected hollyhocks Take them right down to the ground, and dispose of the stems, don’t add them to your compst.
• Fungal spores and many pest-pupae over- winter in the soil at the base of plants, ready for action once spring arrives and growth begins again. Remove (and compost) old mulches in all areas of the garden, and lightly dig around the base of plants to expose pests to predators (birds love grubs!) and winter weather.
• Avoid disturbing large piles of leaves now. Leaf piles are amazing for wildlife, providing shelter and a great nesting spot for hibernating animals, such as hedgehogs, small mammals, frogs and countless insects. Birds will also peck through leaf piles looking for worms and grubs.
• Hang fat-balls and bird feeders Hang them all around the garden; birds who are coming in to feed will also enjoy feasting on your troublesome overwintering aphids and other pests.

• Scrub pots and seed trays Do this before stacking away, to get rid of any lingering pests and diseases.
• Last chance to protect plants with fleece It’s a simple way to help those in exposed spots in the garden
• Now is a good time to clean up those gardening tools! Bring them into the shed – clean, sharpen, and oil them, and then you are ready for Spring!
  
  Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Pete

by Pete Harcom – Head Gardener at Sherton Abbas Gardening

Sponsored by Thorngrove Garden Centre