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Wellington Fields Allotments - Hixon. |
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More Plough Field Allotments at Amerton
Gardening
Tips
Unusual
& Old
Unusual Environmental Issues And Going Green.
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The
Jubilee Fete. Of
course, as everyone knows we have just had the Queen’s Jubilee, and
like every other village in the country, we had a little celebratory
fete in Hixon. It was held on the “Millenium Green,” and was run in
conjunction with the Village Hall. The allotments committee decided to
have a stall, more to promote the new allotments than as a serious way
of raising funds and we were not really selling at realistic prices,
although we ended up clearing some £70 profit on the day. I was more or
less volunteered to man the stall, with another committee member,
as everyone knew of my background, when I both lived on, and
worked in a garden centre for many years before my parents sold up and
retired some 18 years ago and moved into Hixon village. As
usual with this sort of thing it was suggested that if I had any tables
of my own it would be appreciated if I could bring them. Having attended
many fetes over the years selling my books, I had two sturdy, timber
built, trestle tables stored in the garage, which I had made a long time
ago. Also I had a cheap “Woolworth’s,” Gazebo and two strong, but
collapsible chairs. The
next question was whether we would be able to provide enough plants for
a stall. My Mother has always loved plants and since retiring, has
always grown surplus to her requirements so that she could pass them on
to her friends and family. Gradually, as I have taken over more of the
gardening, I have continued the practice, also enabling Mom to donate
many plants to help with the village luncheon club’s funds as well.
Last year, whenever I planted things in my new allotment I usually gave
the “leftovers,” to any other plot holder who was on the site on the
day of planting and who would talk to me! This year, however, we knew
early on in the season that the fete was coming, so I had kept a lot of
plants back for the expected fete. A request was made by the committee
that other plot holders would bring plants on the day to add to the
quantity, but I actually took 13 large crates filled with an assortment
of plants, ranging from trays of seedlings to flowering shrubs and small
trees. From
the outset, the crowds piled onto the site and the weather was very kind
to us after the wet weekend, but as fast as we sold plants and cleared a
space, more plants appeared and filled the tables again! The other
allotment holders had really entered into the spirit of the day and were
bringing more plants as fast as we could sell them – at least for the
first hour or so, and then we started to get the upper hand!
Having said that we ended up taking 10 crates of assorted plants
away with us, but most of them were things that we hadn’t taken in the
first place! After a couple of hours people became less interested in
the plants as they were just enjoying the day generally, eating ice
creams and hot dogs, or listening to the music. We gave it 3 or 4 hours
and then decided to clear our stand, because we were directly in front
of the stage where the entertainers were housed. This then made a nice
big open space for late arrivers to take advantage of and get close to
the music. You could say that many people were pleased that we went
early! I did take home a few of the larger plants that I had brought
which had not been sold, but most of the “Leftovers,” went up to the
allotments and were put in the shade behind an old derelict building for
people to help themselves. We had the intention of putting a little
“honesty box,” next to the plants for token payments, but the
enthusiasm of the plot-holders was such that most of the plants had gone
to a good home before it could be organised!
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