MCA Christmas Party, Shed Opening and 10 year anniversary 2017

Halloween Duck Race and Cake sale @ minnowburn car park 2017

What a great day was had for our Cake sale and Duck race the tickets sold at lightning speed and there were only a few buns left over and the kids turned up in fantastic costumes. Here are a few pictures of our day.

Chocolate Celebration

Despite drizzle and a downpour many of us enjoyed a fabulous Easter celebration at the allotment.

Trees and bees

Most literature advises to never prune more than 25%. So if a tree has 4 branches, cut 1 off, easy!

On a crisp winter's afternoon, Tomasz and Craig provided some insight on fruit tree pruning.

January things to do around the Allotments

The weather this year has been reasonably mild compared to previous years and like all Irish weather nothing is predictable so you might ask what I should be doing on my Allotment in January besides hiding in the warmth of the Polytunnel with a hot cup of coco.

Christmas Party 2016

Another year at MCA has passed. It was nice to see so many gardeners there and the feast of cakes, biscuits, cheeses, bread, beetroot guacamole,beetroot cake, crisps and gluten free treats for all to share.

 

The Hamper prizes were drawn by the lovely Lorna supervised by Martin ensuring no prizes went astray. Lots of funds were raised by the ever successful raffle prizes.

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all MCA Gardeners and their families. See you next year!!!!!!!!

 

 

Fidelma Maher
MCA

June in Bloom

It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon and after weeks of glorious sunshine I decided to take myself off to the allotments for the afternoon to do the dreaded weeding. So in between the thunder and lightning storms I had a nice walk around the allotment to see how everyone's plots were doing and to check out the fruit trees.

 The Herb Garden looking really lush and green.

Spuds, Chickens wait chickens!, Oregano, chives 

and a lovely view whilst avoiding the Rain.

 

 

There are tiny little Grapes starting to form

 if you look really close top left, Red Chilli's and the

Tomato plants are growing nicely.

 

 

Gordon Blimey Apples, Plums and Pears galore!

 

 

 

 

Despite the crazy weather today, I really enjoyed myself even the weeding part and remembered how lucky I am to have an Allotment at such a beautiful place in Minnowburn, National Trust.

 

Fidelma Maher, June 2016

New Zeland Flatworm found at Minnowburn

The New Zealand Flatworm has been discovered at the allotments in recent months. Should we be scared.

This animal is regarded as a major predator of our native earthworms and has the ability to devastate populations. However, its impact in agricultural land is unclear as earthworm populations in open fields seem to recover quickly from flatworm predation. There is no doubt that in confined or shaded places such as gardens and small woods, its effect upon earthworm numbers is greater and more permanent. It may also affect soil drainage.

It has spread rapidly in both Northern Ireland and Scotland. It is thought to have spread through plant trade and the first introduction was thought to have been in the 1950s through the trade in daffodil bulbs from New Zealand to Northern Ireland.

Control 

It is thought hot water is a cheap and easy means of disinfection of containerised plants. But research on this method has still to be determined.

 

Further Information and Photographs can be found at the following links:
Invasive New Zeland Flatworm.
CABI New Zealand Flatworm fact sheet


Fidelma Maher

Easter Egg Hunt 2016

EASTER EGG HUNT 2016

It was a glorious Spring day for the Easter Egg hunt at the allotments on 20th March 2016 . The children were out in full force in anticipation of finding lots of eggs. Magda had all the kids working together on the straw lady preparing her painted nails and all for the annual burning ceremony to say good bye to the Winter and hello to Spring. Afterwards some of the gardeners stayed around for a barbecue.

Painting the straw lady 

The girls working hard beautifying the straw lady

Bright red nails!!!!

Nice face

She's all ready

Cutie

Ian making sure every thing is painted brown including himself.

Happy Days lots of eggs

The kids were very civilised and shared the eggs equally

Arthurs collection.

Mini eggs for a mini man.

Louise and Elizabeth hard at work on the herb garden.

Lou spring cleaning the LOO!!! 

There she goes

Kids shouting "die" straw lady. 

All the fun over for another year.

Spring has Sprung

The first event of 2016 got off to a great start with sunshine after 4 months of rain! While the sun shone, the lads shovelled compost and filled in the old sand pit, mulched around trees and replenished some raised beds. The ladies tidied up the fruit trees, fruit bushes and hedges with a light prune and some weeding. 

Fruit trees pruned to perfection

Some TLC for the raspberries, the hedge and Daisy

A well deserved lunch

Some nutritious mulch for the apples.

Everyone had a great morning and worked up a good appetite. Work all complete in time for lunch and afternoon naps.

Here's to a great year and a bumper crop of fruit.

Lorna and Fidelma

International Scarecrow Day

The allotment was alive with celebrations on 19 August 2014 to mark International Scarecrow Day - the day the world over where straw stuffed men are created and sent off to do their duty - well according to Eileen Beamish at least. Find out more below.

Field Marshall Pete Potts in all his glory! 

 Eileen, Anna, Mr Potts and Jill

Jill Kent, the creator of Field Marshall Pete Potts

International Scarecrow Day all started when Eileen's friends, the Kent's from Kent, were visiting and heard all about the allotment. Jill Kent, being very arty and fantastic at all things creative, got quite excited about making a scarecrow. And so it was, Field Marshall Pete Potts is now on duty with Colonel Crow on his arm. With a sense of creation in the air it only seemed right to create International Scarecrow Day. Eileen and Magda are already in discussions about potential celebrations on 19 August 2015!

It also turns out that Jill Kent spent her final day in her 40s making Mr Potts. So Happy 50th Birthday Jill from all at Minnowburn Community Allotments.

May 2014 Work Day

The May work day proved to be productive with the adults doing the light work of removing weeds from the path, preparing the pizza oven, tidying the raspberry bushes, cutting the grass and removing nasty plants whilst the children took on the more serious tasks of catching frogs and building a den. Thanks to all who participated. The next work day is Sunday 1st June 2014 from noon to 4pm.

Look what we caught!

Mr Frog

One man went to mow

Big A in the thick of it

Running the show

Welcome Spring, Goodbye Winter, Find the eggs!

No better way to mark the arrival of spring than an MCA get together combining the burning of lady winter and an Easter egg hunt. It was a great occasion. Thanks to all involved in making it happen, particularly Nicola (Eggs) and Tomasz (Flames).

A perfect pose. Who's that lurking in the wings?

Celebrating a serious haul of chocolate eggs

Tomasz tickles lady winter's toes, before...

Sending her up in flames

Almost all entranced by the burning lady

Share your views in 2014

The first meeting of the year of the Minnowburn Community Allotmenteers takes place at 7.45pm on Wednesday 12 February 2014. All plot holders are encouraged to come along to share your views on plans for 2014 and support our recently elected office bearers - Jim, Martin, Nicola and Magda.

Stephens Connors adventures in Poland Summer 2013

Stephen Connor one of the MCA Gardeners visited Poland earlier this summer here is Stephens account of the trip:

From the 26^th May until 16^th of June this year I was fortunate enough to participate in a horticultural volunteering project in Poland. The project was a joint co-operation between two charities, Capacity London and Rybnik Europa Poland. This involved a reciprocal arrangement between the two charities were three volunteers from the town of Rybnik in southern Poland were on work placement in London and three volunteers, including myself were on a work placement in Rybnik.

The theme of the project was ‘Creative Uses for Communal Green Spaces and I am convinced my selection for participation in the project was influenced and decided by my involvement and experiences with MCA, which I outlined in my application for the project.

Subsequently, I have been asked to write a Blog for MCA outlining and recording my participation in the Capital London “Open Green Spaces” volunteer gardening project in Rybnik. I kept a daily log during my time in Rybnik and I have used some of this as synopsis of my visit illustrated with appropriate photographs.

 

 

 

May 27^th - Arrived at Rybnik and was given outline of the practicalities by Maria (our project co-ordinator) of our stay in Rybnik such as bus timetables shopping and banking. Taken to accommodation and had an opportunity to visit the Stodoly area where we would be working in a municipal garden nursery/garden centre for the local council.

 

May 28^th - Visit and introduction to placement at Zamyslow Wodociagi. The manager, Maria explained the work we would undertake and gave us a visit to the site and introduced us to the 17 staff. Maria also explained the nature of the work and our role in it. This included potting up composting and preparing plants for customers as well as working in the Green houses. This was a great introduction to horticulture in this area of Poland which due to heavy industrialisation had difficulties with contaminated land. We also outlined our particular areas and background in horticulture in our respective countries.

The team at the Gardening Centre

Poland appears to be a country firmly within the European Union and keen to develop cultural linguistic and economic elements of it’s society. The unemployment rate along with immigration were a constant topic of conversation, something we Irish could identify with.

 



Learning new skills and interacting with the locals.



 

June 1^st - Visit to Bison Park and Pszczyna with Grazyna, a Volunteer who had returned from London gardening project and Maria. An enjoyable visit and wonderful gardens who are great hosts.

 

June 3^rd- - June 13^th Start of volunteer work at Kompostowni civic nursery . Induction re Health and safety and work colleagues. Due to the atrocious weather we were unable to work outdoors or visit town parks or roundabouts to assess potential planting schemes. The weather deteriorated as the week progressed which restricted our work experience outdoors.

 

 

June 3^rd- - June 13^th Start of volunteer work at Kompostowni civic nursery . Induction re Health and safety and work colleagues. Due to the atrocious weather we were unable to work outdoors or visit town parks or roundabouts to assess potential planting schemes. The weather deteriorated as the week progressed which restricted our work experience outdoors.

 

Flash flood an example of the weather conditions that badly damaged the greenhouses.



However the staff were very accommodating and took time to teach and share skill with us. I was mindful that they had work to get on with yet they took time to engage with us. A lot of the plants were similar to those in Ireland despite the different climates and as the staff were very skilled they taught how to take cuttings and propagate successfully and economically.

 



We saw how the staff had developed environmental and recycling schemes with water and composting. Using purpose built heavy plant and traditional methods.

 

 

 

June 7^th - Visit to Kanios commercial garden centre. A beautiful day weather wise which added to the visit making a highlight of our trip to Poland. Amazing extensive gardens giving us an insight to plants and horticultural landscaping of Poland. Lots of ideas to take away and try out both in in my own allotment and garden.

We had ample opportunity to avail of civic life in Rybnik, The location of the accommodation was ideal for cycling, walking and jogging in around Rybnik and surrounding areas such as Rudi. I visited local sports centres to swim and went to the cinema. Everyone was so helpful despite my limited polish and it gave me an insight into life in Rybnik.

 

 

 

 

I also saw the developments in terms of infrastructure such as business and “urban” sprawl” and “modernisation” which had both positive and negative impacts. It was a bit like Ireland with the cessation of the political conflict with massive development with from such sources as European funders.

 

 



My abiding memory will be the beautiful landscape, friendly and hospital people and the support from the Grundvig project. It was a fun, eventful and excellent learning experience on many levels. I would highly recommend it.

 

http://www.grundtvig.org.uk/

 

Stephen Connor
MCA Gardener 2013