Sadly our longest serving plotter Frank Laird passed away on Tuesday 19th July. Frank started at Garthdee allotments in 1968 on Plot 26. Frank was well respected at the allotment and always had a friendly greeting for other plotters. As you might guess he accumulated a lot of helpful information regarding growing vegetables which he readily shared with other plotters. Our sympathies go to his wife Peggy and family.
We had a great turnout for today’s Community Sunday and so managed to get an amazing amount done. Thanks to everyone who turned out, and apologies to Helen and Peter who somehow managed to avoid getting into any of the pictures.
Big efforts went into building up the southern pathway, strimming, weeding, litter collection and of course, cake eating.
The good news was we got a whole lot of important work done: the bad news is that following our success on restoring the southern pathway, Stuart has decided we should tender for building the final phase of the Western Peripheral Road.
We continue to attract volunteer helpers on the GFAA site. The latest is Magda Borek.
Magda learned her gardening first in her native Poland, working alongside her Grandmother. She will offer any help she can around our site, but will be pleased to hear from any plotter needing a hand to look after their plot. In the meantime Madga will be helping out with site maintenance, working a patch on Plot 81 and a vacant raised bed down by the Orchard. I am sure we will all offer her a big welcome to GFAA.
I bumped into Sandy heading home on Saturday with this wonderful days crop. He tells me these are Marsh Mellow and he thinks this has been one of the best ever years for strawberries. These certainly look marvellous.
Mr Murray and his Primary 3/4 Class visited yesterday and helped do a power of work, weeding, helping on the Macmillan Charity Plot paths and learning about fruit and veggies.
A big thanks to everyone!
Our Garthdee Field site is a wonderful open space, existing as it does so close to the city centre. It is also a haven for lots of wildlife, not least the very many birds that live on and around it. It’s been great to see more and more plots encouraging small birds to nest on them – in all sorts and shapes of nest boxes.
We have all had reason to curse the pigeons and crows that seem to get cleverer every year in the battle for our brassicas, but having the smaller song birds about is a real pleasure. Not every box can expect to attract residents, but this year Sandy has been doubly lucky with a brood of Bluetits on site by his clematis and, better still, a family of wrens – who have taken up home in the most unusual of nesting spots.
If anyone who can offer advice on the building of nest boxes and their positioning – it would be great to hear from you.
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