Finding the plot

WHEN I arrived at Low Moor Allotments, the children were all busy weeding and planting up their allocated patches of earth.

The ten children in the group, aged between eight and 12, were regulars of the Community Kids Allotment, which was developed by Angela Johnson when she retired from teaching.

In February 2003, Angela got her own allotment which was also used by her school's gardening cub. The kids came about a year later after an appeal to other plot owners for help and a grant from Awards For All to fund the plot, including a shelter.

This year the club has been given funding by Local Network York and North Yorkshire Community Fund. This has enabled the group to develop a pond and bog area. One of the members, Hannah, said they had designed the area themselves with help from Deans Garden Centre and dug out the hole for the pond. "It was about two feet deep and very hard work," she said.

A stout fence, built by one of the fathers, against which grow blackberries, surrounds the allotment. Inside, the pathways are gravelled and there are neat rectangles of earth for the children to work on. They can choose items for their gardens from a table covered in vegetable and flower seedlings.

Courtney had already planted broad beans while Lucy was putting in cosmos and watering them in. She pointed out the lettuce and red and white onions, which had been put in earlier in the year, and explained that the broken eggshells on the soil were an attempt to stop slugs from eating her crop.

The group had also tried 'slug pubs', jam jars half filled with beer and sunk up to their necks into the earth. Angela said these had very successful.

Along one side of the fence, a row of fruit trees has been planted and Ian, one of the adult helpers, was mulching the area to suppress the weeds. Helped by Ben, who was cutting lengths of wire, Ian laid down sheets of porous membrane, which Ben held in place with the wire.

Meanwhile, some of the children were dispatched to pick rhubarb at the end of the allotment. Courtney was keen on this since she 'loves rhubarb and custard' and was hoping to take some home to cook.

Others were picking spinach, potting up tomato seedlings and re-sowing courgette seeds the first batch of which had germinated poorly.

As well as running the kids' allotment, Angela also organises a weekly walk on Wednesday from 6-7.30pm which looks at the biodiversity of the Low Moor area.

There are still a few places left in this group and also to join the allotment. Any child interested should come with an adult to the community allotment either on Saturday at 2pm or Wednesday at 6pm.

The allotment is the first one on the left from the Kilburn Road entrance.

Weekend catch-up

INSPIRED by the children at the allotment, I vowed to dig out my chard seeds out and get them sown.

Despite having a great crop last year, I am ashamed to say I just haven't got around to doing another sowing.

It is not too late so the job will be done this weekend.

Incidentally, the chard lasted all winter giving several patches of brightly coloured stems of red, pink, orange and yellow and, although the leaves looked unappetisingly tatty, it was good to have something interesting in the garden.

Fast-growing annuals such as nasturtium, candytuft and pot marigold can still be sown. Put them directly into the garden or in trays outside, planting them into a permanent spot once big enough.

Biennials such as sweet William, Brompton stock and wallflower can also be sown this month.

Although they can be sown in a seedbed most have a better success rate when started off in trays and kept inside or in a greenhouse. They should be transplanted into pots or boxes once large enough and grown on and hardened off before being put into the garden at the end of the summer.

Brompton stocks may need to be protected through the winter in cold areas and planted out in spring.

Gardening TV and radio

Tomorrow

9am, Radio York, Down To Earth. With William Jenkyns. (Repeated 8pm Wednesday).

9am, Radio Leeds, Joe Maiden and Tim Crowther.

2pm, R4, Gardeners' Question Time. Lord Heseltine talks to Roy Lancaster about the arboretum he has created in Northampton-shire. Meanwhile the rest of the team answers listeners questions sent in by post.

7pm, BBC1, RHS Chelsea Flower Show. A preview of the show which begins this week.

Monday-Friday

12.30pm BBC1/8pm BBC2, RHS Chelsea Flower Show. News from the show.

Monday-Wednesday

12.30pm, C4, The Great Garden Challenge. More teams battle it out in the grounds of Blenheim Palace.

Friday

7.30pm, BBC2, A Year At Kew. A heating system breakdown threatens the water lilies.

Open gardens

Tomorrow

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Denwell, 2, Derwent Park, Wheldrake, turn off the A19 at Crockey Hill into the village. Mature garden created over 16 years with mixed shrub and herbaceous borders, hosta and fern border, 125 clematis, pond and small gravel garden. Open 1-5pm. Admission £2 adult, accompanied children free.

Rye Hill, 15 Station Road, Helmsley, signed at Helmsley Bridge on the A170. Garden divided into compartments each planted in a different style with unusual specimens for year round colour and interest. Also conservatory, ponds and architectural features. (Also open Wednesday). Open 2-5pm. Admission £2 adult, accompanied children free.

Saltmarshe Hall, Saltmarshe, six miles east of Goole. Ten-acre garden with large lawns, fine old trees, pond and walled gardens, large herbaceous border, shrubs and climbers. Open 12-5pm. Admission £2.50.

In aid of British Red Cross

Hessle Open Gardens, Hessle, from the Humber Bridge follow signs to viewing area and Hessle West, balloons and banners mark all the gardens. Some 20 private village gardens of varying size and style. Also: maze, haunted woodland walk, children's 'hare hunt' and garden tombola. Open 11am-5pm. Combined admission £2.50.

Nawton Tower, Highfield Lane, Nawton, turn off the A170 between Helmsley and Nawton at Beadlam. Large garden with bulbs, bluebells, rhododendrons, azaleas, flowering trees, grassy walks, topiary and woodland. Open 2-6pm. Admission £1.50 adult, 50p accompanied child.

Scriven Hall, Old Scriven, one mile from Knaresborough centre off the A6055 Boroughbridge road. Garden surrounding former C17th coach house and over-looking parkland. Features include lawns, herbaceous border, ornamental trees, flowering shrubs and terrace with fountain.Open 2-5pm. Admiss-ion £3 adult, accompanied children free.

In aid of St John Ambulance

Rudding Park, Follifoot, three miles south of Harrogate just off the A658. Ten-acre garden with a large variety of rhododendrons, azaleas and extensive lawns. Open 1-5pm. Admission £3 adult, 50p child.

Jackson's Wold, Sherburn, from the A64 in Sherburn at the traffic lights take the Weatherthorpe Road then right fork to Heslerton Wold. Walled garden with mixed borders, old shrub roses, unusual perennials, woodland walk, wild flower meadow, box edged potager and restored Victorian greenhouse. Open 2-6pm. Admission £3 adult, accompanied children free.

Wednesday

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Hunmanby Grange, Wold Newton,12.5 miles south of Scarborough. Three-acre garden created from an exposed field and now sheltered by hedges and fences which make a series of gardens with year round interest and seasonal highlights. Open 1-5pm. Admission £2.50.

Londesborough Cross, Shiptonthorpe, off the A1079 York-Hull road. Former railways goods yard transformed into a garden with island beds, bog area, hostas, clematis, new woodland garden and many more interesting features. Open 1-4pm. Admission £2.50 adult, accompanied children free.

Rye Hill, Helmsley: details above

In aid of British Red Cross

Stillingfleet Lodge, Stillingfleet, six miles south off York off the B1222. Plantswoman's garden divided into small areas each based on a colour. Also wild flower meadow, natural pond, 50 metre double herbaceous borders and nature trail. There will also be an opportunity to buy a new plant, Helenium 'Chelsea' which will be on sale in aid of the British Red Cross and also in memory of Terry Lloyd the ITN newsman killed in Iraq. The plant will be launched at the Chelsea Flower Show this week. Open 1-5pm. Admission £2.50 adult, accompanied children 50p.

Updated: 16:12 Friday, May 20, 2005