Sunflower Allotment Podcast (Peter, Tim and Rachel)

Welcome to the Sunflower Allotment Pocast!

During this preview episode Peter and Tim discuss the aims for the podcast and Peter explains the process of chitting and the difference between,first earlies, second earlies and main crop potatoes! 

We hope you enjoy sharing our enthusiasm on all things allotments and vegetable gardening. 

00:00 - Introduction and preview
03:55 - Potatoes: types and chitting
12:08 - Final thoughts


Any questions? Email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Or get in touch and follow on Twitter:
@sunflowerpod1

Thanks for listening! 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This week we reflect on a windy winter, explain the process of acquiring an allotment, discuss indoor seed germinating, marvel in our love for tomatoes and mull over the jobs for March. 

We hope you enjoy sharing our enthusiasm on all things allotments and vegetable gardening. 

00:00 - Reflections on a windy winter
10:16 - How to get an allotment
14:36 - Seeds glorious seeds! 
22:38 - Tomatoes 
31:12 - The plans for March 
37:08 - The great potato update

Any questions? Email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Or get in touch and follow on Twitter:
@sunflowerpod1

Thanks for listening!  

 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This week Peter visits Tim's plot and shows him how to plant his onions and shallots. We also discuss the preparation of onions (including topping) and how to best prepare your onion bed.

Peter also explains the importance of chasing down weeds (especially the dreaded couch grass) and we share in the enthusiasm of Peter planting his firs early potatoes...in mid-March!

00:00 - The week on the plot
02:58 - Weeds and chasing couch
09:22 - Onions overview
18:46 - Preparing and topping onions
22:37 - Planting onions
36:20 - Planting first early potates 

Any question? Or want to get in touch?
Twiter: @sunflowerpod1
Email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Thanks for listening! 

 Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!  

Sat in the Spring sun underneath a parosol, Peter and Tim take a break from their digging to discuss allotment planning and a brief history of allotments. Later on, the two are also joined by Peter's daugher Fleur who shares her stories of Woofing (world wide opporotunities on organic farms) in New Zealand. 

00:00 - The week on the plot
10:30 - A brief history of allotments 
16:30 - Planning continued 
31:55 - Woofing adventures 

Please do get in touch!
Twiter: @sunflowerpod1
Email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!  

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!  

This week Peter and Tim plant the potatoes! From chitting in episode 1 back in February, the potatoes are now ready and Peter walks-through with Tim how to plant his first earlies.

00:00 - Intro and the week on the plot
10:25 - Planting potatoes preamble
15:22 - Planting first earlies on the plot 


Please do get in touch!
Twiter: @sunflowerpod1
Email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!   

 Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!   

Today's episode is recorded overlooking Peter's plot on another warm and dry April day. This week we focus our chat on strawberries - one of Tim's favourite fruit plants. We also discuss surprise allotment finds as well as our week on the plot!

00:00 - Introduction
04:55 - Surprise finds on the allotment - including Rhubarb and Twitter contributions.
14:09 - Strawberries 
26:50 - Plans for the week 

Please do get in touch!
Twiter: @sunflowerpod1
Email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!    

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!  
 
This week Peter and Tim start by discussing their week on the plot but fall into a deep and meaningful conversation about gardening philosophy! Are you influenced in your gardening by tradition, superstitions or science? Or all three? 

Peter then attempts to persuade Tim to plant carrots by sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm on our small orange friends. Peter also discusses the importance of a cloche and the dreaded carrot fly! 
  
 00:00 - Intro
 02:35 - What type of gardener are you?
 14:16 - Carrots  
 
 
 Please do get in touch!
 Twitter: @sunflowerpod1
 Email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
 
 Thanks for listening!    

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast

This week we celebrate the beautiful beetroot by discussing the history, planting, storing and eating of the hardy and versitile vegetable.  We also follow up on last week's converastion on gardening philosophy, chat about our week on the plot and even fit in a short section on planting courgettes which includes the return of woofer extrodinaire Fleur. 

00:00 - Introduction
11:20 - Our week on the plot
17:56 - Beetroot: history and planting
33:19 - Beetroot storage 
37:42 - The week ahead

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

This week Peter and Tim discuss one of their summer favourites, Sweetcorn. From germinating to planting and eating, the pair explore tips and ideas to growing healthy and tasty sweetcorn. They also discuss their shared sweetcorn plot.

Peter and Tim also discuss the week on the plot, sharing the spare and their plans for the upcoming week!

00:00 - Introduction
07:55 - Super sweetcorn
23:25 - The week ahead

Please do get in touch!
Twitter: @sunflowerpod1
Email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
 
Thanks for listening!    

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

It's May, one of our favourite times on the plot. We therefore decided to record an episode walking around Tim's plot. We discuss this seasons progress, the growth and the relevant jobs that need to be done. Peter also gives Tim some great advice on potatoes and the pair discuss plot design, wild fennel , our shared sweetcont plot and the importance of the allotment during lockdown. 

Finally, Peter poses the question, what are the skills and qualities needed on the allotment? An interesting question and we would also love to hear your thoughts. Please do contact us email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com or through Twitter: @sunflowerpod1 

00:00 - The joy of wandering and Tim's plot location 
06:50 - Our shared sweetcorn progress and surprise fennel
12:47 - Potato progress and tips
16:10 - Lockdown on the allotment
19:22 - Pheasant sightings on the allotment
21:10 - Final section of the plot
26:28 - What are the important skills on the allotment? 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

This week we were delighted to welcome Clare Birkett on the show for a special episode to discuss the important topic of the cost of living crisis and how it affects gardening and allotment holders.

As an educational economist, Clare gives us the lowdown on the crisis and how we might spot it in our gardening purchases through the effect of shrinkflation. As a group we then discuss how to save money on the allotment (planting expensive fruits and maximising productivity) as well as the all important gardening hacks including Clare's vertible beds and bicycle helmets for hanging baskets! Links to websites and radio programmes discussed below.

00:00 - Introduction
02:33 - The cost of living crisis
10:20 - Shrinkflation
14:28 - The cost saving of growing your own versus supermaket shopping
16:55 - Practical tips on our vegetable plots
 24:45 - Clare's gardening hacks and tips

Links discussed in the episode:

BBC The Food Programme: Jack Monroe:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0016pjy

Jack Monroe Twitter Thread:
https://twitter.com/bootstrapcook/status/1492538937067606016?lang=en

BBC Money Box:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0016xr9

Sunflower Allotment Podcast Thread:
https://mobile.twitter.com/SunflowerPod1/status/1519657598567469058?cxt=HHwWhMCy7Zmi9JYqAAAA

Grow it yourself Ieland:
https://giy.ie/

Growing Communities London (great blogs):
https://growingcommunities.org/

Welcome back to the Sunflowe Allotment Podcast! 

Summer is offically here and boy don't we know it! Summer storms, rising temperatures and endless weeds. This week Peter and Tim discuss their week on the plot, some holiday reading and importantly beans! From their fascinating Incan history, to planting, cooking and storage. Peter also shares his creative tips on making an arch to best support the beans.  In the final section, Peter poses the question for the week: apart from plastic pipe, what do people use to make hoops (for covering) that's cheap, economic, recycling or reusing?

00:00 - Introduction 
14:24 - Beans and their history 
25:00 - Planting beans 
35:17 -  Storing beans 
37:20 - The week ahead 

Please do get in touch:
Sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Twitter: @sunflowerpod1  

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This week we start by discussing the ups-and-downs of life on the allotment as both Peter and Tim have had enforced time away from their plots. We also discuss Peter's new polytunnel purchase, along with tips on growing comfrey and we endulge in our love for trees on allotments. We also discuss some messages we've had including the question, what is the best perennial vegetable? If you would like to get in touch, contribute or share your allotment stories, please do get in touch via email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmailcom or Twitter: @sunflowerPod1

00:00 - 14:15 - Introduction and our weeks on the plot
14:15 - 18:26 - Comfrey - how and why
18:26 - 26:45 - Trees on allotments 
26:45 - 34:40 - Emails and Twitter correspondence

 Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This week we come full circle as we finally harvest the potatoes we chitted in episdoe 1! With great enthusiasm and celebration we recorded the moment Tim digs up his first early  potatoes while Peter offers advice on effective digging technique. We also discuss lifting onions, as well the most effective conditions for growing garlic. 

If you would like to share your allotment stories or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch via email sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com or via Twitter: @sunflowerpod1 

00:00 - 12:52 - Harvesting potatoes 
13:00 -24:49 - Lifting onions and advice on growing garlic  

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

This week we take shade under Peter's apple tree with Sharon Copple, our allotment site rep and seed buyer on our site. Amongst a host of things, Sharon discusses some allotment history of our site, as well as her thoughts on mental health and gardening, her take on soil, Potato Day, the role of a site rep and the joy of being the first plot on the allotment site! 

00:00 - Introduction including the allotment committee and her role. 
08:58 - Allotment history, including it's fight for surival in the 70s.
19:05 - Allotment committees and soil mangement .
27:40 - Allotment officers and the challenge of allotment theft
32:33 - Funny sights on the plot
34:15 - Potato day

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us:
Email - sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter - @sunflowerpod1

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This episode we discuss the searing and and soaring heat we've recently had on the plot and look at the tips and hacks to effective watering. In a time of climate change, we also discuss sensible water use and how to protect the soil. We also discuss the jobs for August and our plans for a month with time planned away from the plot.

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

After a summer hiatus, the podcast is back to reflect on an exceptionally hot summer that tested our allotment commitments. We also look ahead to the weeks and months to come as the season slows down but there's always plenty to do!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us:
Email - sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter - @sunflowerpod1 

 Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

...And welcome to Rachel, our new Sunflower Allotment co-host! Rachel joins us with real expertise and during the first section Rachel exlpains how her love for her allotments led her towards a career change towards professional gardening via an RHS course. 

This episode also focuses on butternut squash as Peter celebrates a bumper year of 50 squashes. Peter explains his process from plot to fork, including the best way to dry your butternut squash to achieve a fabulous flavour! Rachel also discusses how to preserve the last of the vegetables and fruits into those darker winter months. 

Finally, as it's the start of October, we discuss the jobs for the month ahead including weeding, adding green matter, lifting and picking the remaining fruit and planting winter veg. 

Thanks for listening. Please do get in touch:
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @Sunflowerpod1
Instagram:  @Sunflowerpod1 

Welceom back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This week we discuss that all important matter of compost! Rachel (compost enthusiast) discusses the importance of soil, green and brown compost, compost storage and leaf mould. 

As ever we also discuss our jobs on the plot this week during  and Rachel provides us with an update on her chickens! 

How do you do your compost? do you have any tips we can share next week? Please do get in  contact! Any ideas, tips or topic suggestions are always appreciated. 

Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Twitter: @sunflowerpod1
Instagram: @sunflowerpod1

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

In this episode Peter and Tim visit Rachel's allotment and walk around her beautiful plot. We meet her friendly chickens, discuss the benefits of her pond, revel in the inventiveness of her Frankenstein greenhouse and and get inspired by the endless flowers and and shrubs which makes it such a stunning space. 

To see some pictures of our visit head to our Twitter and Instagram pages!

Any questions, ideas or comments? Get in touch:
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Tweet: @sunflowerpod1 
Instagram: @sunflowerpod1 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

This week we return to Rachel's plot and discuss how we can add some colour to our plot by planting flowers, notably bulbs for Spring. Rachel also attempts to persuade Peter to plant beans and they both discuss the Autumn allotment  jobs!

To see some pictures of our visit head to our Twitter and Instagram pages!

Any questions, ideas or comments? Get in touch:
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Tweet: @sunflowerpod1 
Instagram: @sunflowerpod1

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!  

During this episode Peter and Tim have a natter with the allotment association volutneers about their annual site tradition: Potato Day. We discuss the planning for this community event, along with the importance of the assoication to the allotment community. We finish the episode discussing the jobs for December including green manure, moving ruhbarb, planting trees and the all important tidying! 

We are also delighted to announce that later in December we have an interview with the great Joy Larkcom! 

Thanks for listening, we are having a great time recording the podcast. If you would like to get in contact with any questions or episode ideas, please do get in touch:
Email - sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter - @sunflowerpod1
Instagram - @sunflowerpod1 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

This week we are celebrating National Tree Week by releasing two special episodes on fruit trees! 

In this episode, Rachel and Peter discuss choosing fruit trees and tips on how to plan trees including sighting, steaking, compost and location. 

Both Peter and Tim have been mulling over buying fruit trees this year so Rachel discusses the benefits of bare root and container trees along with potted trees for gardens and patios. 

If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, please do message via Twitter and Instagram on:
@sunflowerpod1 
Or email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 

National Tree Week Link:
https://treecouncil.org.uk/seasonal-campaigns/national-tree-week/

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

In our second installment on Fruit Trees, Tim and Peter head to the allotment to plant a plum tree! From surveying the plot, to sighting, digging, adding manure and planting, Peter and Tim discuss the process while planting a Victoria Plum.

If you have any questions or ideas for a an episode, please do get in touch via email or social media
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Twitter and Instagram: @sunflowerpod1

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

We are absolutely delighted to bring you an interview with Joy Larkcom, renown gardener, journalist and author of a host of influential gardening books including Grown Your Own Vegetables and Oriental Vegetables.

When Peter and Tim first met back in March 2021, Peter swiftly placed a book into Tim's hands and said, "this will be your allotment bible", it was Joy Larkcom's Grow Your Own Vegetables.  Tim, like Peter before him, has used it religiously and they were both therefore delighted when Joy agreed to record two episodes. 

This episode focuses on the Grand Vegetable Tour that Joy and her family embarked upon in 1977. It was a pioneering adventure-on-a-shoestring that focused on the research of native salad plants. The results would be seismic and changed the commercial salad industry forever. In this episode Peter, Rachel and Tim discuss her vegetable tour as well as her career as a journalist and author, along with her continual passion for gardening.  

If you have any questions, please do get in touch via email or social media:
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Twitter and Instagram: @sunflowerpod1

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

In the second of our two-part series with incredible gardener and author Joy Larkcom, Tim and Peter discuss Joy's general garden observations and tips. This includes her passion for tomatoes, chilies, and sweet peas  along with her advice for sowing direct v modules. Joy also shares her advice and enthusiasm on intercropping, mulching, organic gardening and saving seeds.

We feel so privileged to have chatted to Joy these past two episodes and we can't recommend her books highly enough for anyone interested in the practicalities of gardening advice in Grow Your Own Vegetables and to indulge yourself in writing of her memoir and travel journal of Just Vegetating: A Memoir.

Joy Larkcom, Just Vegetating: A Memoir :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Vegetating-Memoir-Joy-Larkcom/dp/071122935X

Joy Larkcom, Grow Your Own Vegetables:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grow-Your-Own-Vegetables-Larkcom/dp/071121963X/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=grow+your+own+vegetables&qid=1671655275&s=books&sprefix=grow+your+own+%2Cstripbooks%2C96&sr=1-3

Notes: Joy's Favourites and Tips:
Sweet peas: Matucana, Cupani, Emilia Fox
Tomato plants: Mountain Magic, Ferline and San Marzano
Sweetcorn: Supersweet varieties

Garden Museum Archive:
https://gardenmuseum.org.uk/archive/

Alys Fowler: ode to Joy Larkom (The Guardian 2012)
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/oct/19/alys-fowler-joy-larkcom

A message from Joy after listening to the first podcast in relation to the set up of her garden:

The other thing that occurred to me, at the beginning of the first podcast when I’m talking about the garden, that I never mentioned the main windbreak, which was crucial to us growing anything here. I just talked about the ‘inner windbreak’ of the fan, and the spokes of the fan protecting espalier fruit etc. 

Essentially, our first line of defence against the salt laden winds was a mighty windbreak on the two most vulnerable sides of the garden. We first put up an artificial windbreak, about 6 ft high, of very strong net battened to substantial posts concreted into the ground. Part of this was zigzagging - giving it extra strength and increased protection for the trees we then planted. 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

It's the end of 2022 so Peter, Rachel and Tim sit down to reflect on the year and run through their allotment resolutions for 2023!

As part of the reflection we discuss the changing cliamte focusing on the  summer drought and February storms. We also explore the three categories of: 'top performers', 'could do betters' and our 'grow more of'.  We triumph in our tomatoes, sulk on sweetcorns and commit to looking after our soil as it feels the pressure of our heating climate.

Inspired by Joy Larkcom's piece title 'New Year Resolutions' from 1974 article for 'Kitchen Garden' that can be found in her book, Just Vegetating,  we also run through our own allotment resolutions for 2023. 

It has been a fantastic first year podcasting. Thank you to everyone who has subscrbed, commented on twitter, left reviews and shared allotment inspiration. If you have any questions or requests for episodes please do get in touch:

Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter / Instagram: @sunflowerpod1 

 Welcome and back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 
 
The New Year is here and with it plenty of allotment jobs! During this episode we discuss allotment jobs as well as planning for the planting of a fantastic and rewarding perennial: asparagus.
 
January is a quiet month but a  great month to prepare the plot for the future. Peter and Tim discuss January jobs such as buying seeds, tool inventories, cleaning pots, putting manure on the beds, pruning fruit trees as well as two important community days coming up: Potato Day and Norwich Community Seed Swap. 
 
Asparagus is a superb vegetable that, in time, can be extremely rewarding. Rachel and Peter discuss the winter soil preparation for planting Asparagus in the Spring as well as tips for planting the crowns in April. 
 
 00:00 - 11:46 - January Jobs
 11:46 - 19:30 - Asparagus 
 19:30 - 21:05 - Closing comments
 
 If you have any questions or episode ideas for this year, please do get in contact. 
 Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
 Twitter / Instagram: @sunflowerpod1  

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

In this very special episode we welcome Stina Lindholm, a community gardern and community worker from Oslo to talk about allotments in Norway. Stina explains the differences between an allotment in Norway to the UK as well as the impact the differing climate has on her vegetable growing.

In her job  as a community manager in Oslo, Stina also discusses her role and we touch on the impact local politics has in advocating for green space and vegetable growing. Stina also reveals her romantic intention for getting into gardening! 

Links:
Edible Cities: https://www.edicitnet.com/
Norwegian Allotments 

If you would like to get in touch with Stina her instagram tag is: @stina_lindholm

If you would like to get in touch with the podcast, please do. We are on social media too! Find us on Instagram and Twitter @sunflowerpod1 

You can also email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

After recnetly acquiring a polytunnel which they plan to  share, Peter and Tim discuss the benefits of using a polytunnel on your plot. They discuss the advantages such as: longer growing season, a chance to plant more variety and verticle planting. They also discuss the position on the plot, soil preparation and some tips for purchasing! 

As it's the middle of January, they also discuss their allotment jobs this week.

Some useful links on polytunnels:
Charles Dowding, Advice on Buyging: https://charlesdowding.co.uk/polytunnels-advice-on-buying/
Vegetable Growinf, Five Best Polytunnels for an Allotment, https://vegetablegrowing.co.uk/best-polytunnels-for-an-allotment/

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

It's been a wet old January but Rachel and Tim have found shelter in Rachel's shed to record an episode of seed varierties, particularly F1 Hybrid. Rachel and Tim also discuss a bit of seed history, purchasing seeds and seed swapping - including a seed swap of their own! 

00:00 - 03:57 - Introduction
03:57 - 10:16 - Bit of history on seeds
10:16 - 22:20 -  Seed variesties - F1 Hybrid  
22:20 - 26:25 - Where do we buy our seeds?
26:25 - 33:36 - Seed Swapping! 

Please do get in touch through social media on Twitter and Instagram: @sunflowerpod1 
Or you can email us: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

One of the highlights of the allotment year is here – Potato day! It is a fantastic morning on the site as the allotment association opens-up to offer potatoes at a cheap price and plot holders have a chance to renew their membership at the same time.

Peter has offered to volunteer and Tim is around with the microphone asking plot holders about potatoes and also the all important question: why do you have an allotment? This questions provides some lovely responses that all allotment lovers will relate to. 

In the upcoming episodes we are asking the question, what tips would you give someone who has just taken on a new plot? Please do write in with any advice or allotment anecdotes!

We love hearing your comments and questions as well as any episode ideas you may have! You can contact us through the following ways:
Twitter and Instagram: @sunflowerpod1 
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

In response to a Twitter question, this week Peter talks through with Tim how to grow onions from seed, including the benefits and drawbacks. We also discuss our social media responses to the question, 'what have you found on your plot while gardening?'.  Thank you to all your fantastic replies includng Guy who described how he found an artillery shell on his plot! Amazing. 

In the last section Peter and Tim discuss their week ahead on the plot and pose the question, 'what tips or advice would you give to someone for the first week on their plot?' Please do get in touch if you have any advice. 

Thank you for all your social media responses and emails. If you have any questions, allotment stories or acedotes, please don't hesitate to get in touch! Our contact details:

Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter and Instagram: @sunflowerpod1 

Thanks for listening! 

Welcome to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

During this special episode we talk to Jack First, a gardner, horticulturalist and author of Hotbeds: how to grow early crops using an age-old technique. Using hotbeds is becoming increasingly popular due to the ability to lengthen the growing season, as well as their cost-effectiveness, productivity and eco-friendly approach. 

We chat with Jack about hotbed history, building a hotbed, vegetables that grow well in hotbeds, as well as a fascinating discussion on the types of manure you can use. Jack has been gardening for 50 years and is convinced that hotbeds is the answer for productive gardening in every climate.

Link to Jack's Book: Hotbeds: 
https://www.waterstones.com/book/hot-beds/jack-first/9780857841063

Link to Jack's online course: 
https://abundanceacademy.online/p/hot-bed-gardening

Link to a Youtube Video: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrIldkX7nHc

Jack's instagram handle: @jackfirst42

Welcome to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This week Tim and Rachel visit the Norwich Seed Swap, a fantastic event in the local gardening calendar that really kicks off the horticultural year. 

Along with swapping seeds, we take a chance to chat to the volunteers, punters and organisations present including Norfolk Organic Group, Garden Organic and speaker Bob Flowerdew!  

If you have any questions, allotment stories or acedotes, please don't hesitate to get in touch! Our contact details:

Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter and Instagram: @sunflowerpod1  

Norfolk Organic Group:
https://norfolkorganic.org.uk

Master Composters:
https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/jobs-training-and-volunteering/work-at-norfolk-county-council/volunteering/master-composters

https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/what-we-do/supporting-volunteers/master-composters/norfolk-master-composters

Bob Flowerdew:
https://bobflowerdew.com/

Thanks for listening! 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

We've had some extremely cold weather recently but once the snow cleared, Rachel, Peter and Tim took to the allotment with a spring in their step to discuss the month of March on the allotment. 

We start by discussing Peter's inspiration trip to visit Joy Larkcom and her garden in Ireland and then continue to discuss our seeds selections, tips for sowing seeds and, most importantly, jobs for March! 

If you would like to get in touch, please do so via the following ways:
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter and Instagram @sunflowerpod1

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

In response to both a listener question and Tim's neighbour taking on an allotment, Peter and Tim discuss how to tackle the first 7 days on the plot. 

Tidying, planning, no dig, planting trees, speaking to fellow allotmenteers are all discussed along with much more. 

We would love to hear how you began your first  few days on the plot. Please let us know via our email and twitter:

Twitter and Instagram: @Sunflowerpod1 
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This episode is the first of a two-part Easter special with the amazing Stephanie Hafferty. Stephanie is an organic gardner, award-winning author, blogger and a leading authority in No-Dig gardening. 

During this first part we ask Stephanie about her origins of gardening, her movement into gardening as a profession as well as her garden planning, inter-cropping and year-round production on her Wales Homestead. We also discuss the importance of plants on the plot for pollinators, insects and predators as well as their amazing colour! 

To read Stephanie's blog, access links to her books and courses on No Dig, please see the link below to her lovely website.

https://nodighome.com/

If you would like to get in contact, please do not hesitate to with episode ideas, your experiences or questions. Our contact is: 
Email - sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Twitter and Instagram - @sunflowerpod1 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

We are delighted to bring you the second part of our Easter special with organic gardener and No Dig expert, Stephanie Hafferty. As the joint author (along with Charles Dowding) of the award winning book, No Dig Organic Home Garden, Stepahnie has a wealth of experience and enthusism on a topic that has changed the way allotment holders and vegetable gardeners have approach digging and soil managemnt in recent years. 

In this special episode we discuss with Stephanie exactly what No Dig is, the history of No Dig, the method behind a No Dig vegetable patch, the benefits to the soil and the environmental benefits. 

This is a both a perfect how-to guide for anyone considering No Dig, as well as an insightful examination of the advantages for our soil and the time-saving benefits of the process when tackling weeds. 

If you have any follow up questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at:
Email - sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Instagram / Twitter- @sunflowerpod1

To read Stephanie's blog, access links to her books and courses on No Dig, please see the link below to her lovely website.
https://nodighome.com/ 

To purcahse her book on No Dig, you can find it here!
https://www.waterstones.com/book/no-dig-organic-home-and-garden/stephanie-hafferty/charles-dowding/9781856233019

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

Inspired by a gardening book that Tim found in a charity shop earlier this year, we are joined by Claire Birkett (from episode 11 on Cost of Living) for a recording of the first of a two-part (second yet to be recorded) on gardening words and jargon! For a new gardener, or even a seasoned pro, the words and terms in gardening can be as long as a piece of cooch grass, therefore we have run through some terms we considered key to our allotment gardening. The list is below! 

We have definitely missed many words / terms / jargon! If you have any suggestions or terms you'd like us to interrogate, then please let us know and we will add them into our next jargon busing episode that will be recorded later this year. 

Please do get in touch as we love hearing your allotment stories, ideas and inspiration. Our contact for any questions or episode suggestions:
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter / Instagram: @sunflowerpod1


Terms covered in the episode: 

• Annuals
• Allotment 
• Biannuals 
• Bolting 
• Cutting 
• Corm 
• Chitting
• Companion planting
• Double digging
• Drills
• Deciduous
• Espalated tree
• Earthing up / hilling
• Earthworms 
• Fertiliser 
• F1 Hybrid
• Forcing
• Grafting 
• GMO
• Hot bed
• Healing-in
• Hardening Off 
• Humus
• Invasive Plants
• Loam
• Lifting 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast. 🌻 

On today's episode Peter and Tim return to Rachel's plot to record an episode that celebrates the end of Winter and discusses the arrival of Spring and April jobs. 

Amongst a host of things we discuss emerging from long winter, what we are planting this month, green manure, no dig, long days on the plot and Tim's brush with the allotment law! 

As ever, please do get in touch as we love to hear your feedback, opinions or anecdotes! We are planning an episode on listener questions so please so write in if you have any.

Have a great week on the plot everyone! 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

It's April and the bees are out so it is a perfect time to be joined by beekeeper Ken Hayes for this special episode on bees! In this fascinating discussion we explore a range of  topics from bees and the envrionment, pollinators, flowers to attract bees, the advantages and disadvantages of beekeeping, how bees swarm, the difference between workers and drone bees, honey harvesting and much, much more!

As a guest we also take Ken to our Desert Island Allotment! 

To find out more on bees, visit the British Beekeeping Society here: https://www.bbka.org.uk/

Please do get in touch as we love to hear your feedback, opinions or anecdotes! We are planning an episode on listener questions so please so write in if you have any.

Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Instagram / Twitter: @sunflowerpod1

Have a buzzing week on the plot busy bees! 

 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

In this mini episode we response to a fantastic listener question regarding growing tomatoes in a polytunnel. Peter addresses problems with blight, overheating, underwatering and suggests his favourite varieties of tomato.

We also touch on other questions on potatoes and asparagus planting.

We love hearing from you so if you have any questions, please do get in contact via Twitter, Instagram or email:

Twitter / Instagram: @sunflowerpod1
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

After some torrential rain and warmer weather, Peter and Tim take a walk around the allotment and discuss the explosion of growth of vegetables, fruit and weeds! Tim also discusses his love for raspberries as well explaining some tips for planting and storage.  
As we walk around we answer the question, what are our favourite allotment sounds? This includes birdsong, thunder and drumming! 

After driving over Tim's rhubarb, Peter also takes the chance to pull some of his huge rhubarb and gift to Tim.

What are you  favourite allotment sounds? We would love to hear your answers.
If you would like to get in contact, please do!  

Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Twitter / Instagram- @sunflowerpod1

Thanks for listening! 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

With the cold snaps behind us and the sunshine well and truly here, Peter and Tim sit down under Peter's apple tree to discuss one of their favourite root vegetables, Celeriac. We discuss it's rich history, it's fantastic taste and tips of how to grow this tricky vegetable. 

With the cold weather all but a distant memory, Peter and Tim also discuss their techniques for mitigating against the hot, dry weather, including mulching and soil prep. 

We also touch on our jobs for June and look forward to a summer of allotment life! 

If you have any questions, please do get in touch, we love to hear from you! 
email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Instagram / Twitter: @sunflowerpod1

 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

Summer is certainly here and so is the fruit. We therefore decided to discuss what we do we our fruit and our favourite fruit dishes. 

The episode also includes an allotment ramble with committee member Jon on his stunning plot that contains a beautiful combination of veg and fruit.

Thanks for listening! If you'd like to get in touch, please do via email or twitter and Instagram. 

Twitter / Instagram: Sunflowerpod1 
Email: Sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This week Pete interviews our fabulour allotment committe during one of their community plant swap events. During their conversation they disucss the rich history of our Norwich site and explore how preparations are going for the centenary celebrations next year! 

Peter and Tim also briefly do their own plant swap, desrcibe the joy of first getting a plot and delight in their instaible love of having an allotments and the variety it brings. 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

It's harvest time! Peter and Tim visit each others plots to pick the fruits (and veg) of their labour. Onions, sorrel, courgettes, potatoes, shallots, broad beans and herbs amongst others are picked, discussed and eaten in this early summer harvest.  

Any questions, please get in touch:
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Twitter / instagram: sunflowerpod1 

Thanks for listening! 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

With the sun setting on our allotment in Norwich, Peter and Rachel meet to discuss the wet summer so far, Rachel's chickens and upcoming jobs for late July and August. 

If you would like to get in touch or contribute any episode ideas, then please let us know!

Email: Sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
Social media: @Sunflowerpod1

Thanks for listening! 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

This week Rachel and Tim catch up to discuss the importance of community allotment events and explore possible ideas for people looking to host community events on their site. 

The episode includes a conversation Tim had with Helen Banks, organiser of the recent NSPCC fundraising event at our Norwich Allotment. Helen discusses the importance of the event, along with the process of organising an event on the allotment site. 

Are you thinking of hosting an allotment event? Or have you recenetly held one? We'd love to hear about it. Please let us know by getting in touch:

@sunflowerpod1 - Twitter / Instagram
Sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 

Thanks for listening! 

After a bit of a break...Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

Peter and Tim meet up for a long-overdue recording reflecting on our summer on the plot, our highs and lows and the moments to remember. We revel in our squashes that are close to harvest and look forward to an Autumn, discussing jobs and upcoming harvests.

Next week we welcome David Crouch to discuss his book The Allotment: its landscape and culture which is now in it's third edition!

Please do let us know how your allotmenting is going by emailing or tweeting or instagram message:
email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
twitter and instagram: @sunflowerpod1

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

We are delighted to welcome author, allotment activist and illustrator David Crouch onto the podcast this week. Daivd co-wrote with Colin Ward the acclaimed allotment book 'The Allotment' which is out this year in a third edition, having first been published in 1988. 

The book will captivate any allotment and gardening enthusiast with the way it plots the social history of allotments and illustrates the importance of allotments to our lives way beyond gardening, from the small aspects of digging to larger ideas of conservation and community. With themes of politics, identity, class history, agricultural social movements and conservation it is a analytical book with a warm heart.

A huge thanks for David for coming onto the podcast! 

You can purchase his book here: https://www.littletoller.co.uk/shop/books/little-toller/new-books/the-allotment-by-colin-ward-and-david-crouch/

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

This week Pete is calling from his travels in New Zealand and we discuss gardening and allotments in NZ, along with our love for Autumn in the UK and jobs for November.

Thanks for all your wonderful contributions - they help spark inspiration and debate and we love hearing from allotmenteers. We'd love to hear your answers to the question, 'why do you love allotments in the Autumn?'

Instagram and Twitter:
@sunflowerpod1 

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast!

In this first episode of 2024 we have a special podcast to warm the senses! Recorded before Chrismtas from Peter's visit to New Zealand, this episode includes a beuatiful interview with his sister Vicky and partner Shaun from their bach in the south island of New Zealand. 

They roam the off-grid embankment plot disucssing garden design, drainage, the comparitive climate and their wide variety of plants. You'll recognise some familiar vegetables and plants along with some more intriguing ones such as the feijoa plant and kanuka tree. We hope you enjoy! 

In the next few weeks we hope to record a bit more regularly. If you have any requests for topics or any stories from your allotment and gardening endeavours, please do let us know! 

Sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com 
@Sunflowerpod1 (insta and Twitter)

Peter and Tim

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

In this episode, Peter and Tim catch up on a warm and windy April morning to discuss seed swapping and allotment events. Peter also shares his productive allotment plot which has a staggering 300 garlic bulbs planted! We then hear from a recording back in February when Tim popped down to the inaugral Bungay seed swap and chatted to the organiser Lydia.

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

'People think this was a dragons nest or that I'm a witch!' - Rosemary delights us with an allotment ramble around her beautiful natural allotment. Rosemary has created a space with the aim of being at-one with nature, the oppositie to a productive vegetable rich plot; much to the annoyance of the council and some of her neighbours! With 100 year old trees, a semi-circular bank inspired by old traditions and a Finish style hut for relaxing and contemplating the world around her, it is a fasctinating plot. 

Peter and Tim then discuss the contemporary need for wildlife spaces on the allotments and question if the rules should change to accomodate a more envionrmentally conscious plot. 

We would love to know your thoughts! Please let us know if you have any questions or ideas for future episodes.
 
Email: sunflowerallotmentpodcast@gmail.com
Instagram: @sunflowerpod1
Twitter: @sunflowerpod1

Welcome back to the Sunflower Allotment Podcast! 

This week we record a farewell to Tim's plot as he hands-back his oasis (of sorts) in Norwich due to his impending relocation north to Sheffield. The episode includes a reflection on his time on the plot, along with some digging up of the garlic and a visit to Peter's new asparagus plot. Happy listening!