February

February in the Kitchen Garden

I sense excitement in the air already amongst our plot holders as the first yearly contract comes to an end and a new one comes up for grabs.

Due to the roaring success of the kitchen garden last year and the interest we have off Newbies,  POBL will be allocating  plots differently  this time round. Unlike last year when it was done on a first come first served basis, this year, those on the waiting list will have priority and then if there are more people left  than plots we will fall back on the good old fashioned way of doing things fairly – names in a hat.

Some folk have opted out this year voluntarily so hopefully there will be enough plots to go around but please ensure that you comply with our Loftus rules as this year Pobl are getting tough.

We will be carrying out regular inspections of the plots and will be using a traffic light system to record the results.  Red, Amber and Green tags will be given to plots after inspection.

Green –   will mean well done, Pobl are happy with your plot and keep up the good work

Amber – will mean not bad but something needs addressing and we will give advice .

Red –       will mean unacceptable and a time limit will be put in place to rectify the problem.

Please do not ignore a red tag, talk to us, or you might find you have lost your plot! (literally)

This inspection system will also apply to front gardens so again anyone ignoring a red card could find themselves plotless. At the end of the day Loftus is not your average housing estate it is something unique and very special so our aim is to encourage high standards throughout.

Paul and I have made a few changes in the kitchen garden over the winter, one being the removal of the Hornbeam hedge. We felt that it was taking up valuable space where something more productive could grow and we recycled the plants to fill gaps in the street beds where plants had died.

We now have space to plant a grape vine along the fence and maybe something else if there is room.   We will also be replacing the herbs that didn’t make it through the winter. The fees for the plots will be used for these sort of things.