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🌱 Secretary’s Scribblings 🌱
Well… what a wet start to the year it’s been! 🌧️ The allotments have seen so much rain, they’re considering rebranding as a wetland reserve🦆🌿. However, the last few days of February have at least given us a welcome lift. ☀️ Teasing us with spells of crisp, bright sunshine, lighter evenings, and that little hint of warmth in the air, Spring is on its way, honestly!
It’s amazing what a bit of sunshine does for the spirits (and how quickly it tempts us to start sowing seeds a little earlier than we should!). Let’s hope it’s nature’s gentle nudge that better weather is just around the corner.
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March always feels like a turning point. There’s a renewed sense of energy on site tidying plots, checking over greenhouses, and making those all-important planting plans. Here’s hoping for a slightly drier month ahead and the start of a productive growing season for us all. 🌿
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Rent Day Reminder – Saturday 14th March 2026
⏰ 1:30–2:45 pm @ Spondon Village Hall
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Our annual rent collection will take place at Spondon Village Hall, in the conference room just to the right as you enter the main foyer (follow the scent of compost and mild panic).
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If you’re paying by cheque, please make it payable to Spondon Horticultural Society and don’t forget to pop your plot number on the back.
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If possible, please bring the correct amount.
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Payments accepted by cheque, cash, or carrier pigeon… although the pigeon may struggle with the conference room door 🐦💸😄
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- Full Plot – £35
- Half Plot – £20
- Quarter Plot – £12.50
- Associate Membership – £7
Please remember to bring your membership card for signing. While you’re there, could you also make sure we have your up-to-date contact details:
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- Telephone number
- Email address
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We promise not to spam you, only the important stuff (and the occasional allotment gossip).
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AGM 2026
A Fantastic Evening for Our Allotment Community
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A huge thank you to everyone who attended this year’s AGM. It was wonderful to see so many plot holders showing their support and interest in the running of the site.
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A special mention must go to Roz for organising a buffet that could quite honestly have fed the 5,000! 🍽️😄 The spread was absolutely superb and kept everyone well-fuelled throughout the evening. Denise, Pat, Ruth, and others also baked an amazing array of homemade treats 🧁🍰, adding that extra special touch. There was such generosity (and such variety!) that a few of us were very grateful for the opportunity to take home a little “doggy bag” afterwards 🥡😉
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The free raffle, organised by Dot, was another great success 🎟️🎉, with plenty of prizes up for grabs and lots of happy winners heading home with a bonus treat.
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Our seed swap was also a real highlight, a brilliant way to share surplus seeds, save a few pennies, and perhaps try something new this growing season.
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Thank you again to everyone who helped organise, contribute, and attend.
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🌱 Jobs for March
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March has arrived, and with it, the mud, the rain, and the ever-optimistic thoughts that spring is just around the corner! 🌧️🌿 Time to dust off your gloves, put your wellies to good use, and tackle the allotment jobs that will set you up for a fruitful season. Don’t worry, we promise some of these tasks are more fun than others, and at least there’s no snow… probably. ❄️😉
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🌾 Soil preparation: Clear winter debris, dig over vacant plots, and add compost. (Basically, give your plot a spa day!)
🌿 Weed control: Remove perennial weeds while the ground is soft. (Because weeds have no respect for your plans.)
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🐌 Pest preparation: Check for slugs, snails, and overwintering pests; set traps. (Outsmart the slow-moving invaders!)
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🌾 Soil preparation: Clear winter debris, dig over vacant plots, and add compost. (Basically, give your plot a spa day!)
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🥔 Early sowings outside: Peas, broad beans, onions, shallots, and potatoes. (Get ready to feel like a soil magician.)
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♻️ Composting: Turn compost heaps to speed decomposition. (Turning rubbish into gold — now that’s magic!)
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🪢 Plant supports: Prepare and repair supports for peas, beans, and climbing plants. (Your veggies need a climbing frame, too!)
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✂️ Pruning: Trim fruit bushes and trees before buds break. (Give your bushes a stylish haircut — they’ll thank you!)
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🌱 Sowing seeds indoors: Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, and early brassicas. (Tiny green babies in cosy trays…aww!)
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🏠 Greenhouse maintenance: Clean glass, ventilate on warmer days, check heating. (Your greenhouse deserves a little spring cleaning glamour.)
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🚶 Paths & borders: Repair and tidy paths before spring growth kicks in. (So you don’t end up knee-deep in mud during your strolls!)
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Keep a spare pair of wellies handy, one for the mud, one for looking cool in case the sun suddenly shows up! 🌞👢
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🐾 Spot It, Snap It, Save It! 🐾
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Needs You!
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The field next to our allotments could soon be a housing development, and our local wildlife needs a voice! 🦔🐦🦋
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If you’ve ever photographed or filmed birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles, bats, hedgehogs, pollinators, or anything wild and wonderful around the site, now’s the time to share your sightings. Even old photos count; they don’t have to be recent, just genuine!
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Every single sighting helps build a clearer picture of the local biodiversity and can make a real difference in planning decisions.
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A huge thank you to Janet for getting in touch with the Trust and helping us make this happen. Keep your eyes (and cameras) open together, we can help our wildlife thrive! 🌿📸
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🚫 Tyres on Plots – Action Required 🚫
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During a recent walk around the site by committee members, it was noted that car tyres have appeared on some plots.
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Just a gentle reminder to everyone that car tyres are not permitted anywhere on the allotment site. While they may once have been popular for weighing things down or creating raised planters, they are no longer allowed under site rules.
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If you currently have tyres on your plot, please arrange to remove them as soon as possible. This helps us keep the site tidy, safe, and in line with our tenancy agreement.
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Thank you for your cooperation, let’s keep Spondon Allotments looking its best! 🌱
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🌱The Secret Life of Soil 🌱
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If you’ve ever wondered what’s really going on beneath your boots at the plot, here’s a fact to make you look at that mud a little differently…
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Did you know that a single teaspoon of healthy allotment soil contains more living organisms than there are people in the World? We’re talking bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa, microscopic insects, a whole bustling underground city quietly working 24/7 to break down organic matter, release nutrients, and keep your plants alive.
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Every time it rains (which, let’s be honest, is most days), that microscopic workforce kicks into high gear. Rainwater naturally absorbs nitrogen from the atmosphere, delivering a tiny nutrient boost straight into the soil. That’s why your plot always looks a bit more lively after a downpour, even if you don’t.
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So next time you’re ankle‑deep in mud, remember: you’re standing on one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth… and probably losing a boot to it.
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"Not a lot of people know that!"
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Why do potatoes make good detectives?
"Because they keep their eyes peeled. "
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What do you call a bird that's been run over by a lawnmower?
"Shredded tweet"
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Whilst clearing out the garden shed, I found a box full of dead batteries.
"I'm giving them away free of charge"
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Most garden statuary is only 30cm tall and wears red hats.
"It's a little gnome fact."
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What sort of animal is a slug?
"A snail with a housing problem."
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Police arrested two kids yesterday,
one was drinking battery acid, & the other was eating fireworks.
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"They charged one and let the other one off."
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Toodle-pip 🫡
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