Friday 24 May 2013

OUR SURROUNDINGS CHANGING

We've just celebrated our 3rd birthday on this pretty, sheltered, hidden 3 acre site but this year will see a lot of changes for us as to our surroundings.
As part of a £1.6m grant to create 16 cycle trails around us there are to be new car parks, a new cafe, cycle hire facilities and a toilets too, the latter being very welcome as it's a 10 minute walk to the present loo and back. This involves removal of the existing ancient Cornish hedge between us and the adjacent road and realigning which is quite a big job as the hedge had several mature trees growing out of it. The realigning is to allow coaches and our allotmenteers to see properly when emerging from our new car park under construction this week.
The site is now very exposed to the heavy traffic as the hedge has been totally removed this week but will be rebuilt speedily on a different line.
My poor dear wife who solely handles new applications for a plot with us has been inundated over the last 10 days with emails and texts requesting details of how to apply simply because we are so exposed, no-one could see us in the past which was fine by all the existing members. We have no vacant plots to offer regrettably.

We are supportive of the new project as it will be really good once all finished with something like 5,500 more trees being planted as part of the scheme and of course being NT, everything will be landscaped and planted up soon, in fact within the next 7 months as the grant expires in December this year and all work has to be completed by then. A tough task given the scale of work.
Crops on the plots are looking healthier than last year even if about 3 weeks behind thanks to such a cold spring which is still here even if it is mid summer's day in a month. Despite requests, there is nothing I or our committee can do about it, blame the jet stream being too far South. It's forecast to only reach 12/13 degrees by day for the next week when it should be 18/20 now.
I'm pleased to say every fruit tree in our new orchard planted last month has sprung to life and will look as if it's always been there next year.

Two more visits by garden clubs in the next 3 weeks, St.Cleer and St.Teath, hope the weather is kind on both days, helps with a good impression so much.

Here at Lanhydrock there is a very efficiently run plant nursery and the 2 regular staff (both have an allotment with us too) agreed to stay behind after work one evening this week to give our members a glimpse of their working environment. Fortunately, the event was well supported by around 50 of us taking advantage of the fine evening to spend a couple of hours milling around the many polytunnels questioning the patient staff. We ended up drinking tea and coffee while watching the £12,000 potting machine in action. Thanks again Kenny and Veronica for giving us an evening to remember and to all those who came along.
 
The photos show the wall being rebuilt, our car park being made and a couple from the nursery tour.
More soon.