Thanks go to Ruth (Plot 22) and Graeme (Plot 48) for providing these charming photos.
If you have any other wildlife photos to share I’d love to have them for the site, or you could post them to the Garthdee Allotment’s FaceBook page. The more the merrier.
A team of our volunteers started work on a new wildlife pond up on the Mound last Sunday.
Adding the pond is one of several initiatives to encourage biodiversity on site being lead by Steve (Plot 72) on behalf of the Committee and our plotters and volunteers. Other features planned for the Mound include log piles and bug hotels. Recycled materials will be used wherever possible.
If plotters or volunteers have ideas for further projects to enhance biodiversity in our green communal spaces and across the site please get in touch with Steve directly, or by commenting below. He would love to hear from you.
This is the title of a newish book (2019) by Dave Goulson, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex. It’s subtitled, “Gardening to Save the Planet” and that pretty well tells you what to expect.
This is no dull textbook however. It’s a lively read and full of unexpected and practical ideas as well as lots of good humour.
I was surprised to read for example, that the Oxford Junior Dictionary has removed the words, newt, acorn, minnow, kingfisher and dandelion. Why? Because these words are no longer considered relevant for children.
It seems to me this is a mistake on so many levels, it’s almost criminal.
Amazon Link if you want to know more.
This month’s Keep Scotland Beautiful and It’s Your Neighbourhood e-newsletter has an interesting article on why it’s perhaps a good idea to find a wee spot for a nettle patch on our plots, or elsewhere around the site perhaps.
The Council now encourages us to promote bio-diversity around the site and allowing a nettle patch to establish can be a good and easy starting point. You might want to give careful thought to where you put it mind you.
Nettles are great for balancing out your home-made comfrey tea liquid fertiliser as well. A recent Beechgrove Garden experiment showed that these two in combination made for a more successful tomato feed than commercially available chemical feeds.
I’m told that nettles have many uses in the kitchen too, but, I have to be honest I have yet to put this to the test myself. Can any one share some suggestions?
UPDATE:
Funny the way things happen. I posted this and popped into Youtube and found this had been posted up only today.
Well perhaps. Certainly, our plots are beginning to spring into colour and are teeming with new life.
I spotted these tadpoles to be in my wildlife pond yesterday. Then these:
The two bodies of spawn are in the same small pond, but they are very different in appearance. The first are round and large in a big round ball of spawn. The second lot are small, elliptical and in a flat, thin body of spawn.
Any idea why the difference?
Other than that, all around the site we have some lovely splashes of colour.
Any more photos going? It would be great to have them.
Thanks go to Sepi on Plot 85 for suggesting this post.
This beekeeping course is offered by Aberdeen and District Beekeepers’ Association. Further information on the Council’s Beekeeping policy is available via the Advice Link above. Plotters are advised to check with Pat Wilson first if they are thinking of getting into beekeeping on site.
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