Child's Hill Allotments Society invites it's members to share their views, opions and experiences with the rest of the membership. From time to time these will be included in either or possibly both the website and the newsletter.
If you have any contributions to make please let us know by contacting your Newsletter Editor Anna Kochan email
If you don't already make your own compost, now is the time to start. With all the restrictions on bonfires, and the possibility they will be tightened up even further, composting is becoming more and more crucial. And there really is no easier way of disposing of garden and kitchen waste than chucking it in the compost bin - unless, of course, you've got diseased material such as blight-ridden tomato plants that must either be burnt or sealed in a plastic bag and thrown into the skip.
Vegetable and fruit peelings, Tea leaves, coffee grounds, crushed egg shells.
All weeds (except for pernicious weeds - couch grass, bindweed, creeping buttercup)
Grass cuttings, evergreen clippings, leaves, prunings, straw and hay,
Hair (human and pet), Animal manure
Paper (scrunching it up creates air pockets which speeds up the process)
Nettles and comfrey (high in nitrogen, will speed up the process)
Diseased plant material such as blighted potato halms or Tomatoes.
Cooked food or raw meat, as will attract animals such as rats.
Body fluids (so no used nappies or hankies, could carry disease)
Excrement (human, cat or dog, could carry disease).
Brightly coloured or shiny card or paper.
Hard objects, stones, glass, metal, plastic, Cleaning fluids and other household/garden chemicals.
The composting process works all on its own. You don't need to add the products that garden centres sell. But, getting the composting process to work well, it needs heat, air and moisture.
To start composting, you can just throw things on a heap ö and if you keep it covered with old carpet, it will keep the heat in and the rainwater out. Better to use a container. You can make one yourself using wood, bricks, netting·. You could use an old dustbin or you could get a compost bin. The London Boroughs sometimes offer subsidised bins (see below).
TIPS:- If your compost looks slimy (which happens when there is a lot of grass) add newspaper. If it looks very dry, add water. Stir the rotting material (use a stick) from time to time.
It should take 6-12 months to make a compost that is brown, crumbly, sweet smelling, and in no way resembles any of the things you made it from. Use as a mulch or soil improver. You can dig it into the soil, in late autumn or early spring, to improve the soil structure (it will act as a slow release fertiliser) or just spread on the surface and let the worms do the work! They will pull the mulch down and mix it into the soil.
More Info From:-
Nearly FREE Compost Bins are available through London Boroughs, as follows:
Barnet (Tel: 020 8359 4600): offers a range of bins, costing from £10 to £24.30.
Brent (Tel: 020 8937 5050) - offers large and small bins at £5 each.
Camden: has a scheme with Blackwall (Tel: 0870 849 4880) who will deliver you a decent sized compost bin on payment of £5. Tell Blackwall that you are a Camden resident and you are calling about the Camden scheme
Haringey (Tel: 020 8489 5651): no bins available at the moment. But possibly in the future.
After several days of pondering which of the hundreds of possible herbs I could choose to write about, I suddenly found the answer staring me in the face as I weeded between the sweet corn stalks. If your plot is anything like mine you are no doubt plagued with the cheery yellow heads but very persistent roots of the Dandelion. By no means a gardener’s delight, the Dandelion is invaluable to herbalists. Since we all have such an abundance of the plant, I thought it would be interesting to write about. I doubt you will cast aside the trusty Parsley and Thyme to make room for your new Dandelion patch but you may wish to preserve the odd plant whilst weeding away.
A wonderful thing about the Dandelion is that the whole plant can be used for medicinal reasons. The leaves, stalks, flowers and roots each have a use. One word of warning though, if you have gall stones, you should not take any Dandelion product.
Young Dandelion leaves (especially if blanched) make an agreeable addition to spring salads. Medicinally the leaves are used for their cleansing benefits. They act as a strong diuretic and are of great value in conditions varying from high blood pressure to arthritis. Being naturally very high in potassium, Dandelions prevent this mineral from being leeched from the body, which can be the case with other diuretics. The young leaves can be picked throughout most of the year.
Dandelion stalks have a reputation for curing warts. The sap should be squeezed onto the area several times a day. Over a period of days the wart becomes suffocated and often drops of. Like the leaves, the stalks can be picked throughout most of the year.
The flowers are often used to make Dandelion wine, which has a reputation as an excellent tonic, particularly good for the blood. The following is a 1930s recipe:
Pour a gallon of boiling water over a gallon of flowers (picked close to when they open). Stir, cover with a blanket and allow to stand for 3 days stirring at intervals. Strain and boil the liquor for 30 minutes, with the addition of 3½ lb of loafsugar, a little ginger sliced, the rind of one lemon and one orange sliced. When cold a little yeast is placed in it on a piece of toast for fermentation. Cover and allow to stand for 2 days. Place in a cask, well bunged down for 2 months before bottling.
The roots take some preparation to be used medicinally but are considered to be one of the most detoxifying herbs available. Working principally on the liver and gallbladder, Dandelion root helps to remove waste products from the body. It is often used as a general tonic supporting the body with its gently cleansing action but can also be part of a treatment plan for ailments such as eczema and psoriasis, acne and arthritic conditions. The root should be lifted in autumn, preferably of plants in their 2nd year. After being cleaned they should be split longitudinally then laid out to dry. Once dry Dandelion root can be used in 2 ways. Firstly it can de taken as a decoction by placing a pinch of broken up bits in a saucepan, adding 2 cups of water and simmering for 10 minutes. The volume will reduce to about 1 cup, which is then drunk. The taste is bitter so a little honey can be added, however the bitter taste is very beneficial to the digestive system and if taken 20 minutes before eating will improve the digestion and absorption of food.
To make a slightly more palatable preparation the root should be sliced thinly and left to soak in alcohol to make a tincture. 1 part root to 3 parts alcohol (vodka or brandy are commonly used) should be placed in a sealable container and put inside a brown paper bag to keep out the light. Keep in a warm place and shake most days. After 2-3 weeks the contents can be strained, throw the plant material away and bottle the liquid. You now have your Dandelion root tincture, a teaspoon of which can be taken 1-2 times daily in a little water.
If you are interested in herbal medicine you'll find many good books. However for chronic conditions it is always best to consult a qualified practitioner. To find a herbalist in your area contact: The National Institute of Medical Herbalists, 56 Longbrook St, Exeter, Devon EX4 6AH.Ê 01392 426 022.
Enjoy, Rachel Davidson MNIMH.
225g/8oz unsalted butter
125g/4oz caster sugar
175g/6oz self-raising flour
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers
Method: preheat oven to 350 deg F/ 180 deg C. Cream butter & sugar, add egg, beat well, Add flour, mix, add lavender. Put small teaspoonfuls on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake 15-20 mins. Co
225g/8oz unsalted butter
175g/6oz self-raising flour
1 egg lightly beaten
100g grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
Method: preheat oven to 350 deg F/ 180 deg C. Rub together butter & flour as for pastry, add parmesan, rosemary and egg to bind. If the mixture is too crumbly to stick together, add very little milk. Spoon with teaspoonful into small mounds on a baking tray, flatten with back of spoon. Bake 15-20 mins. Cool.