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Leisure Garden Newsletter
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Welcome to our quarterly bulletin.
Inside this issue:
Dates for your diaries / Annual Leisure Garden Competition / Summer Social information
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For all Leisure Garden enquiries please contact Jackie Fawcett by email:
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admin@haydonwick.gov.uk or telephone: 01793 722446
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I already have a glut of tomatoes in my greenhouse, especially the cherry tomatoes. I use this recipe as a side dish or dipping sauce or spread on toasted ciabatta - add balsamic vinegar or a red chilli or basil to lift it to another level.
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John from Rusland Cookery School
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Pinch of ground black pepper
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Add 1 tbspn balsamic vinegar
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Finely chopped red chilli
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Place the tomatoes on a sheet of foil.
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Season with the salt and pepper.
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Drizzle the tomatoes with the oil.
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Wrap the foil up and seal like a parcel then place on a baking tray.
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Bake in a hot oven for 12-15 minutes until the tomatoes are tender.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the foil.
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Once cool, add to a bowl and gently crush leaving some whole for texture.
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Use as a side dish or a dipping source.
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John Sheppard's Top Tip:
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If you have a top tip - please send it to Jackie to be included in the next edition.
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"Only grow what you need and what you are going to eat".
- Succession planting - to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the growing season
- Explore different storage ideas to extend the shelf life
- Make chutneys, Jams and spreads
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A concerned plot holder would like ideas on how we can facilitate an 'In / Out' system for the gardens so you don't get locked in!
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Please send me your suggestions.
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Inspection Dates 2025
- Friday 4th July
- Friday 15th August
- Friday 3rd October
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Save the Date: Annual Leisure Garden Meeting: Monday 6th October 2025
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Could the Kaletts Rock your Plot?
No, not a sixties music group, but one of the many unusual vegetables to be found on the allotments these days.
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For most plot holders, a good crop of runner beans, onions or carrots is all our gardening heart desires, as we reap the rewards of all that hard work we put in over a long season. However, why not try something a little different for your next sowing or planting. Having an allotment plot to tend presents many pleasures, and one of these is the opportunity to do your own thing, especially when it comes to growing edibles rarely seen on your average supermarket shelves. Tasty treats to tempt the palette or challenge your skills, are always great to try for yourself, no matter how much care and attention they might require.
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Having a partner who is diabetic means that quite a few of the regular veg is out of bounds and in my case that means, it’s only me eating the potatoes! This led me to discover a small tuber called OCA (also known as New Zealand Yams), which is said to have half the carbohydrates and a third of the calories of regular potatoes. Like tatties it grows mainly underground, but with the added bonus of clover like leaves, that taste of lemon and which can be added to salads. Other benefits include the fact that OCA will not go green in sunlight and will take the first frost and still continue to swell in size. Cooking is similar to potatoes in that they can be boiled or roasted without peeling, but they can also be eaten raw, with a lovely nutty flavour.
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So, what about Kalettes I hear you ask. These are grown by one of my plot neighbours, who likes the taste of Kale but in a sort of Brussel Sprout form i.e. on a tall stem, bite-sized and with an attractive purple colour. So, whether your choice of veg is driven by flavour, health or just fun, make a small space for the unusual and rock your plot.
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Fly Tipping
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I don't know about you, but I like to see the allotment sites looking as neat and tidy as reasonably possible. Far too often however things get thrown into the hedges. Not only vegetation but plastic sacks, netting, wood etc. This means that the Parish workforce have to clear it up.
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The allotment terms and conditions Number 6 state: No dumping of waste materials into the hedgerow.
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Only new plot holders are allowed to put out bagged rubbish to be taken away. The rest of us should dispose of waste responsibly.
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If possible compost material from your plot. At Ventnor close there is a trial community composting area, this could be rolled out to the other sites if it is successful. For those that do not have a compost bin it should be taken home to your green bin or failing that to the HWRC.
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Keep a small bin or bin bag at your plot to put any plastic or other rubbish, if you take it away frequently it doesn't become a problem.
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This is your environment - please respect it.
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Ventnor Close Leisure Garden Representative
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"Thank you for your cooperation"
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Click on the link below for National Allotments Week 2025 activities.
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Leisure Garden Representatives Update:
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An update from our latest meeting:
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Communal Composting Areas
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The communal composter is now in position at the top of our Ventnor Site. It has been such a success, we are looking at expanding it.
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The water trough has now been reinstated at Goodearl Site.
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The HWPC Parks and Projects team is regularly strimming the community areas and orchard.
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Costs will be approved at the Parks and Open Spaces Committee on Tuesday 8th July.
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Ways to increase Biodiversity
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- Companion Planting: practice of growing different plants close to each other for mutual benefit (such as Calendulas with certain vegetables)
- Bug Hotels / Ponds – to attract native bees.
- Leave bare patches of soil – this is crucial for supporting biodiversity
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Our Grounds Maintenance Facility will be opening at the end of August 2025
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A reminder from Ann to join SALGA the Swindon Allotments and Leisure Gardens Association. Even if you are not a member you are able to join their monthly meetings, cake mornings. On their website you can also find out when their next 'blade sharpening' session will be.
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Water Usage
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I understand the difficulty in keeping your plots watered during this very long dry, hot spell. Our T&C's clearly state that a hose pipe use is not allowed - please try to harvest water in other ways.
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Useful Websites:
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We have recently met with Neil Pullen from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust who has given us some valuable pointers on how to use our community areas and plots that are unmanageable. We hope to be implementing his ideas in the near future - and would welcome your support.
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We have revamped the raised beds at Ventnor Close and a group of young children braved the rain for a creative morning of bug painting, sunflower planting and even a 'Bear Hunt' through the gardens.
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Your Leisure Gardens are all looking wonderful and we really can see how hard your have all worked to achieve these wonderful results. I am sure the judging panel will find it extremely difficult this year.
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We really would like to see as many of you as possible at our social Picnic on the 1st August, so please do drop by.
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Can you guess how many Leisure Garden / Allotment sites we have in our Parish?
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Please be vigilant and remember to lock your tools away and to ensure the gates are shut when you leave.
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