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DIARY
2004
Come rain or
shine we are back on the plot for the start of a new
gardening season and
welcome you all to come and join us.
JANUARY
Plot 22
The plot
looks bleak and bare this time of the year but we
still have Kale, Celeriac, Leeks and Parsnips to keep us well fed. |
|
John has
prepared a second deep raised bed for me to experiment with later this year. |
Plot
34 -
We have now been able to finish the paths with second-hand paving and as soon
as John has erected the framework, I have 2 new cherry trees waiting to be
planted. These I will fan train to make picking easier and to net from the
greedy birds.
Plot 34 |
I
am thankful we are not flooded as we were this time last year. There is little
for me to do for now but I have ordered all my new seeds and will be trying
some new varieties together with some old favourites later in the season. I
also plan on growing pumpkins for the first time.
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY.
In conjunction with the Gosport Borough
Councils entry to the In Bloom Competition for 2004, the G.A.H.&G.A. will be holding a further Gardening Talk entitled
'Colour in the Garden'. To be given by Mr Ray Broughton who is member of the
Lecturing Staff of the Hampshire Agricultural & Horticultural College at Sparsholt. It will be held at HEDCA, Coombe Road, Gosport on
Tuesday March 16th at 7.30 pm. All are very welcome.
Admission is free to members and £1.00 to non-members
including light refreshments.
llth January - I
think I spoke to early. With the heavy rain and gales of the last few days our
plot is once again, for the 3rd year running flooded. However, I have made a
start in the greenhouse, sowing a few onion seeds, 'Golden Bear' and 'Hysam' and set out seed potatoes to chit in trays.
Foremost,
Kestral, Romano and Pink Fir Apple.
I have been asked for my Beetroot Chutney recipe. You can find it
on the Tips page.
We spent a very enjoyable day at the Whitchurch Potato Day. Over
100 varieties were on display to purchase by the 3 kg net or as individual
tubers. I came away with 2 new early varieties for us to try 'Pearl' and
'Anastasia'.
The month ended with the 'big freeze' then more heavy rain and
gales. Hopefully February will bring more spring like weather
FEBRUARY
AN IMPORTANT DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
The Allotment Holders Public Meeting, '
Borough - Wide Review of Allotments' will be held in the Council Chamber at
Gosport Town Hall, on February 18th at 6.30 pm. It is very important that as
many plotholders as possible attend this meeting to
ensure that our views are made known. This will have an important bearing on
the future of our allotments in Gosport.
14th of the month and we have at last had a week of no rain. The
plot is drying out and I have been busy tidying up. The purple sprouting is now
producing some succulent spears so I have removed all the yellowing leaves and
firmed in the stems. The last of the parsnips have been harvested and the patch
dug over. I have planted 20 more new strawberry plants 'Maxim'. This now
completes the new bed for the next 3 years. All fruit with the exception of the
strawberries (they are fed after fruiting) have been given a top dressing of
potash. The 2 cherry trees have been planted on plot 34. We have taken delivery
of a trailer load of manure which needs to be moved to the compost bins. A job
to keep us occupied for a day or so.
I feel it is still too early to be sowing seeds direct but I have
prepared a piece ready for parsnips at the end of the month.
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
Following on from the very successful evening
talks given by Mr. Trim in 2003, we are pleased to welcome Mr. Ray Broughton
from the Sparsholt College to give a talk on 'Colour
in the Garden' on March 16th at 7.30 pm at H.E.D.C.A. Coombe Road. Elson,
Gosport. Admission is free to members and £l. to non- members. All are
very welcome.
MARCH
I have delayed sowing the parsnips; it is still much too cold to
be sowing or planting direct yet. In the meantime I am getting underway in the
greenhouse sowing peas 'Hurst Greenshaft'. 5 peas to
a 3" square pot, covered with a sheet of black polythene till they have
germinated. In modules onions 'Bedford Champion', spring
onions 'White Lisbon' and beetroot 'Libero'. In seed trays, lettuce
'Density', leeks 'Pot', 'Giant Mamouth' and a new one
to try from Thomas Etty 'Giant Carentan'.
Cauliflower 'Lateman' and cabbage (an old favourite,
very reliable and stands well) 'Earliest of All'. Sown under
gentle heat celeriac, 'Prinz', and tomatoes. Some old favourites and some new ones to try; 'Banana Cream' 'Lemon
Tree' Vintage Wine', 'Tropical Ruby' (baby plum) and 'Sweet Million'.
I
am harvesting purple sprouting and kale. We still have some leeks left and
celeriac which I lifted in January and has kept very well stored in the
greenhouse.
Week-end of 6th and 7th. I have now sown the
parsnips, 'Countess F1' 'Gladiator F1' and a trial packet from the NVS. Medwyn’s 'Albion'; and made a start on planting the
potatoes with 'Foremost' and 'Kestral'. I shall
continue over the next few weeks or so now taking it slowly a few at a time as
this is heavy work, until all main crop are planted.
First take
out a trench a spade depth, add a good layer of rotted
compost then set the potatoes about 12" apart. |
Fill in
and slightly mound up to protect any early
shoots from late frosts. |
In
the raised bed, I have sown the first carrots. I am experimenting with a wider
drill, just over a spade width, watered well then broadcasting the seed at
random. I am hoping this will give me a bigger crop without the need for any
thinning.
In
the greenhouse, it is a busy time with many seedlings needing to be pricked out
and potted on.
A summary of the salient points and concerns raised at the public
meeting on the 18th February, has been issued by the
Borough Council and can be read by clicking here.
For those of you who are into companion planting; I would like to
share a tip from Mr Ray Broughton of the Sparsholt
College who entertained us with his talk on 'Colour in the Garden'. If you grow
Tagetes to deter aphids, it is the strong smell of
'dead flowers' that they don't like, so dead head regularly and leave small
piles of them around your plot/plants.
I have now taken advantage of some warmer weather and planted out
the first of the onions 'Golden
Bear' and John is busy helping Steve our store man, to build a new
shop shed.
The last week-end in March; I have finished planting all main crop
potatoes now and I have continued with more onions 'Bedford Champion'. I have
lifted the last of the winter leeks and we are enjoying some succulent 'Purple
sprouting' spears.
It is a busy time in the greenhouse, the leeks need pricking out
into cell trays while they are still at the 'crook' stage. If you don't have a
greenhouse, these can be sown direct outside in a seed bed of finely tilled
soil and then transplanted later. Tomatoes, cabbage and cauliflower have been
potted on into 3" pots; again cab. & cauli
can be started off in a seed bed outside but I would wait until the soil is
much warmer before doing so.
APRIL
First week-end of the month and I have planted out the first
of the peas.
Inserted twiggy branches for support and covered with fleece as there is still
a chance of a late frost. (You can see how I plant peas by checking out my Diary for 2002 and Diary
2003) Also red onions 'Brunswick' which were
started off in modules and trial onion sets from T & M. The carrots I sowed
earlier are now through so I have continued with 2 more, both from Thomas Etty, 'Spanish Black' (the flesh is white with purple flames)
and 'Jaune Obtuse du Doubs' (a lemon rooted variety).
I have not grown these before so it will be interesting to see the results.
Beetroot 'Tardel' from modules and the first of the
cabbage and cauliflower plants have been harden off and set out under fleece.
In
the greenhouse I have made sowings of baby sweetcorn 'Mini Pop', french beans 'Cropper Tepee',
lettuce
'Little Gem Cos', spring onion 'White Lisbon', squashes, (new for me to try)
'Butter Nut'. Turks Turban' and Sweet Dumpling', yellow courgettes 'Jemmer F1' and cauliflower 'Veitch's Self Protecting'
another new one for me to try from Thomas Etty.
I
like to plant lots of brightly coloured flowers to attract the bees etc. so I
have sown french marigolds, stocks, statice, rudbeckia, asters, gaillardia,
coreopsis and cincineria; taken cuttings of spray chrysanths, bedding mums and fuchsia. Through lack of space
I have purchased plug plants from T & M geraniums, bizzie
lizzie and begonia which I have pricked out into
modules. Red poppies which seeded themselves on my plot last year I collected
the seed and sowed them last autumn in modules and have now planted out on plot
34.
Easter week-end. John has prepared the frame ready for runner beans. As our
plot is so exposed and tends to get very windy just when the beans are setting
we find this is the best way of supporting them.
Beans
can be picked easily from either side and through the centre forming an
archway.
I
have set out the first lettuce plants Density, between the carrots in the raised
bed. The blossom on the plums, cherries and damson are glorious this spring.
Runner
Bean frame |
Lettuce
'Density' |
Victoria
Plum in blossom |
Last
week in the month and making good use of the glorious warm weather I have
finished planting out the peas, 2 rows of red onion sets (free from T & M),
parsley, more carrots and spring onions. Started to earth-up
the first potatoes. The weeds are also starting to grow so regular
hoeing of all vacant ground is essential now. The purple sprouting is coming to
an end now and this has been cleared and consigned to the compost heap. The
ground has been prepared with some well-rotted compost in readiness for the
tomatoes later next month.
On
the fruit plot, checking the soft fruit canes are
well supported and all tied in as they are now in full leaf and blossom.
Gooseberries I am training as cordons and need regular tying in as they grow.
In
the greenhouse, tomatoes have been potted on from 3" to 6" pots. I
like to have good strong, approx. 12"sized plants to set out later in May.
Planted then deeply up to their seed leaves and watered well, I find on our
exposed site they have a better chance of survival.
Celeriac
has been potted on to 3" pots. Some of the squashes have failed to
germinate so I have re-sown these.
MAY
The first week and we have had some torrential rain again and it
has been impossible to get on the plot. However, it is now time to start
thinking about winter crops and I have made sowings in the greenhouse of kale,
'Dwarf Green Curled', sprouts, 'Brilliant', 'F1 Cascade', 'Rubine'
and purple sprouting 'Red Arrow'. If conditions are right these can be sown
outside now in a seed bed.
Second week and with the improvement in the weather it has been a
very busy time. John has finished mulching all the potatoes with grass
clippings and well-rotted compost. No more needs to be done now till it is time
to harvest the first early crop.
I have planted out celeriac, baby sweet corn, lettuce 'Little
Gem', climbing french beans 'Purple-podded', chard
'Rainbow'; courgettes, F1 Jemmer, squashes 'Butter
Nut' and 'Turks Turban'; sown swede 'Ruby', beetroot 'Tardel',
and bulb fennel 'Romanesco'.
Removed the fleece from the peas which are growing away nicely now
and replaced with a fine netting also removed fleece covering the first cauli and cabbage and replaced with netting.
Tomatoes planted
out.
Take out a
hole large enough to
plant up to the first seed
leaves. |
Fill hole
with water and allow to drain. |
Set in
tomato plant and firm in. Water
well again. |
Insert
cane and mulch well with
rotted compost. |
Tomatoes planted this way should not need any more watering till
the fruit has set. Tie in as they grow and pinch out the side shoots.
All the old foliage has been cut down on the daffs now and I am
starting to plant out the annual flowers. Statice,
begonias, geraniumsand french
marigolds etc.
For selection of photos taken on the plot during May
click here
Last week-end in the month and I have now sown the runner beans,
'Scarlet Emperor' and 'White Lady';
planted out and some of
the leeks. These will be planted in stages as space becomes available from digging
the potatoes which I hope to start within the next week or so. The swede
seedlings need to be thinned out. Leaving the fleece in place to protect from
the flea beetle and caterpillars; this will be done in stages till they are
about 6" apart. The strawberries are filling out and becoming heavy so to
avoid them lying on the soil I have placed clean straw beneath; this also helps
as a mulch. I am now cutting my first lettuce
'Density'.
Both sheds have had their annual turn out and the outside a coat
of wood preservative; as has the compost bins. We have taken delivery of a
further load of manure which should keep us occupied over the bank holiday
week-end.
JUNE
The plot was starting to get very dry but the month has commenced
with some very welcome rain. I have made further sowings of beetroot 'Tardel', lettuce 'Density', climbing french
beans 'Purple Podded', main crop carrots 'Danvers Half Long' and Blunt rooted Guerande' both from Thomas Etty.
We have picked our first strawberries and I am now harvesting potatoes,
beetroot, carrots, lettuce, cabbage and cauliflower.
The peas are now setting and will need regular watering to fill
out the pods.
The fox cubs have played havoc with the fleece on my carrots so I
have had to replace it all and as an extra deterrent I have put some netting on
top till they have outgrown their playtime.
The fruit plot now needs some attention. Aphids are on the plum
and apple trees so I am pinching out the soft tips. This does help to deter
them. The new growth on the cordon red currants, which are just turning pink,
needs pruning back by about 2 thirds before covering with netting.
11th of the month - I have now pricked out my winter cabbage
'Tundra' and kale 'Dwarf Green Curled' into 3" pots. As I am short of
space for planting out just yet the sprouts and purple sprouting have been
potted on into 6" pots. I am in the process of clearing and preparing an
old strawberry bed with lots of rotted compost for them. The return of the hot
weather is slowing me down and watering is again a priority. Leeks are being planted
as space becomes available from digging the potatoes.
The first of the cherries are just turning pink so have been
covered with netting before the birds get a chance to enjoy them before we do.
Last week-end of the month and we have at last had some very
welcome rain. Fortunately the strong gale force winds have not caused any
damage. I believe June has been the driest month since 1976 here in Portsmouth.
The plot is now looking much fresher. Strawberries are all but finished now but
the raspberries are starting to crop well. The last of the first sowing of
lettuce has bolted and has been consigned to the compost heap but we still have
plenty of Little Gems ready for harvesting.
Peas are filling out well and need harvesting regularly every few
days. I find cutting them with scissors is best to avoid pulling up the plants.
Sprouts 'Brilliant' and 'Cascade F1' have now been planted out.
First digging a large hole, filling with water and allowing it to drain before
planting up to the first seed leaves and firming in well. Another good
'puddling' and then a thick mulch with rotted compost
and finally covering with netting.
. . . . . . . . .
.
Sprouts
'Brilliant' and 'Cascade F1' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Leeks 'Pot' and 'Giant Carentan'
For more
photos taken on June 21st click here
JULY
The
rain has finally arrived in Gosport but nowhere nearly enough. The plot is
still very dry and the high winds recently have taken their toll. The sweet williams were flattened and have
now been taken out and replaced with the winter cabbage 'Tundra'. Peas are also
finished and have been consigned to the compost bin and replaced with purple
sprouting 'Red Alert'. Planted deeply between the frame
with a strong cane for support as our soil is very light. I have also been
clearing out the strawberry bed now they are finished. The old straw has gone
to the compost bin and the plants have been given a 'hair cut'. They will soon
recover with new growth; continuing to plant out more lettuce 'Little Gem' and
spring onions; and a final sowing of main crop carrots 'Autumn King' (under
fleece).
I
have heard that downy mildew on onions is a big problem in the south this year
and has been wiping out complete crops - one to watch out for.
On
the fruit plot the red currants have ripened early, so have the loganberries
and tayberries. All are now picked and safely in the freezer. Blackberries are
starting to ripen and have been covered with netting. We are enjoying a bumper
crop of cherries - these should be picked carefully with scissors to avoid
damaging next year’s growth buds. Raspberries have suffered with wind
burn but the fruit is large and plentiful.
New
growth on the gooseberry has been pruned and tied in as I am fan training them
for easier picking.
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
The G.A.&G.A. will be holding their
stall at the forth coming celebrations of Gosport's 800th Anniversay
in conjunction with the bi-annual event 'Alive & Kicking'. To be held in
Walpole Park on Saturday 24th July.
22nd of the month and we are very pleased to have been awarded 3rd
place in the Hampshire Federation of Horticultural Societies competition this
year. We send our warmest congratulations to the winner Miss E. Jones of Woolston.
Despite
the very dry weather this year carrots in the raised beds have produced an
exceptional crop. All grown under fleece with the exception of one row sown
between onions as an experiment. These have succumbed to the carrot fly. I
will in future always
grow with the protection of fleece from seed sowing to harvesting. Carrots - orange - 'Sytan', Purple
- Spanish Black', Yellow 'Jaune Obtuse du Doubs'. |
|
The results of the Gosport Allotments Working Group Scrutiny
Committee are now available and can be read by clicking the link below.
AUGUST.
Watering is still a priority. We have not had any appreciable rain
for 2 months or more now.
The early cabbage and cauliflowers are now finished and all the
summer veg. is cropping very well. Beetroot, lettuce, spring onions, carrots, french beans, runner beans courgettes, tomatoes and fennel.
Of the 2 new varieties of early potatoes we tried, Pearl and Anastasia -
Anastasia we thought was far superior, firm waxy and a distinct flavour of
their own. One we will definitely grow again. Pearl broke up in the pot.
Squash - Turks Turban have some fine specimens on them. The
Butternut and Sweet Dumpling are also producing lots of fruit. I have placed an
old tile beneath each one to keep them off the soil. Photos
below. The first of the onions, the tops are falling over and starting
to dry off in the sun. I have just eased them from the ground, breaking the
roots gently with a fork.
On the fruit plot - the raspberries are now finished and the old
canes have been cut back and the new ones tied in. Strawberries cut back
earlier are making good new growth and I shall be pegging down a few more
runners. Plums and blackberries we are picking and enjoying before the birds
help themselves to too many.
I have planted out Sweet Williams for next year and I am cutting
spray chrysanths and statice
for the house.
We have acquired a second-hand shed for plot 34 which John will be
erecting in the next week or so. We intend to use this one to store potatoes,
onions, squash etc. for Winter use.
Squash - 6th Aug.
04
'Turks
Turban' |
'Sweet
Dumpling' |
'Butternut' |
Bank
Holiday week-end and the plot has taken a battering
with the storms and the much needed heavy rain. However, the shed has got built
and I have lifted most of the onions and finished drying them off in the
greenhouse. Now I am plaiting them on to strings ready to hang in the shed. If
you would like to see how I do this click here.
New shed on plot 34 and
winter leeks.
Runner
beans, White Lady are cropping exceedingly well and I would say are far
superior to the Scarlet Emperor. All the other vegetables are doing well apart
from the lettuce which has bolted. John has now started to lift main crop
potatoes Kestral, Romano and Pink Fir Apple.
On
the fruit plot, the Victoria plums and Damsons are ripening in abundance.
There
is now plenty to do tidying up. John has dug a deep trench and all rotting
vegetation etc. will be piled in before filling in with soil.
SEPTEMBER
This is a good month to plant up a new strawberry bed. While the
soil is still warm the plants will establish well. I have prepared the new bed
with some good rotted compost and set out the plants I raised from runners
earlier in July.
A date for your Diary
The G.A.H.& G. Assoc. will be
holding their usual stall at the Michaelmas Fayre, selling a wide range of
produce donated from Gosport's allotment-holders. This year the Fayre will be
held in Walpole Park, Gosport on the 18th September from 10.am. till approx. 4 pm. All proceeds from the stall will go to
the Association's funds.
Leek Moth
This pest has again been very wide-spread this year devastating
whole crops. There is nothing on the market for us home-growers to use and the
only way to prevent this happening is to grow the entire crop under
horticultural fleece or enviromesh. A letter received
from RHS at Wisley in September 2002 on the subject
can be read by clicking here.
Despite the inclement weather a very enjoyable day was had by all
at the Michaelmas Fayre The approximate sum of £260.00 was raised from
the sale of of produce and plants donated by
Gosport's generous plot holders.
|
|
Back
on the plot we have taken delivery of some more wood chippings and topped up
about half of our paths. It is now time to be thinking about planting Autumn onion sets. I have prepared a piece of ground and set
out 'Senshyu' about 4" apart planting with a trowel
with the tips of the onions just covered. This will deter the birds pulling
them out until they are established. Broad Beans to over winter can also be
sown now and any Spring cabbages.
On
the fruit plot the 'Williams' pears have all ripened and been harvested. These
do not keep and need to be used as soon as they are picked. Conference and Corncorde will not be ready till next month.
The
spray Chrysanths are still giving us a lovely display
of colour and a continuous supply of cut flowers. Click here for more photos.
The
weeds are growing fast again so I am keeping up with the hoeing and gathering
up any dead and rotting vegetation.
OCTOBER
A Date for your Diary.
The G.A.& G. A. are pleased to welcome Mr. Peter Collett, President of the Hampshire Federation of Horticultural
Societies, to give a talk on 'Fruit for a Small Garden', on Tuesday October
12th at 7.30 pm. at H.E.D.C.A, Coombe Road, Gosport. Admission is free to
members and £1.00 to non-members. Light refreshments included. All are
very welcome.
The weather this year is causing some very unusual growing
patterns. The Sweet Williams I planted out in August for next year have been
flowering now for 3 weeks or more.
We are still busy tidying up the plot. John has dug several deep
trenches about one and half spades deep, forked over the bottom and into this
we are layering all the soft waste vegetation. when
the trench is full it is covered over with the soil. This will all have rotted
down by the spring.
. . . . . .
Runner Beans are now finished. The plants have been cut at ground
level, leaving the foliage to die down before composting. The roots will be
left in the ground to add valuable nitrogen to the soil.
The nights are now getting colder so I have picked the last of the
green tomatoes and laid them out in trays to finish ripening. Our new shed on
plot 34 is now very useful for storing potatoes, onions, the last of the
beetroot, and apples.
I am now harvesting all the winter vegetables, the first sprouts
'Brilliant', carrots, parsnip, swede, leeks, kale, cabbage and celeriac for the
3rd year running 'The Prinz' from Kings has proved to
be a real winner giving us superb large white roots. I really can recommend
this one. Click here for more photos.
The last week of October and the weather has
been against us, very wet and windy so little has been done on the plot. All
the pears, 'Conference' and 'Concorde' have now been picked and laid out in
trays to finish ripening.
NOVEMBER
ALLOTMENT WORKING GROUP
The next stage in the Gosport Council's process is to place the
report before the Community and Environment Board. This meeting,
will be held on Monday 1st November 2004 at 6.00 p.m. in the Council
Chamber at the Town Hall. It is vital that as many plot holders as possible
attend this meeting.
Please support your Committee. Click here to read the outcome of the meeting.
Back on the plot there is still lots to do while the weather is still
mild. John is busy repairing some of the edging to the beds while I have been
mulching all the tree and soft fruit with compost; gathering up any yellowing
leaves, the last of the fallen fruit etc. We have also collected more wood
chippings to complete the top-up of the paths before the winter sets in.
DECEMBER
December
is a quiet month on the plot. Time to take stock, study the new seed catalogues
and plan for next year. I would like to try growing asparagus for the first
time so John has built another raised bed and we are preparing it with lots of
good compost. I have ordered one year plants from Marshalls for delivery next
March/April. Another trailer load of manure has been delivered and used to
refill our compost bins. This will have rotted down well ready for use next
spring.
We
still have plenty left to keep us fed throughout the winter the sprouts are
particularly good this year, with parsnips, leeks, carrots, cabbage, kale and
celeriac to harvest as needed. Should we be threatened with any real bad
weather I shall lift some to store in the shed. The pears and apples have both
stored well in the shed too. Fingers crossed we will not be flooded again this
winter.
ROUND-UP
Despite the ups and downs of the weather on the whole we have had
a very good growing year. The only failure was the cauli
which matured during a very dry spell and I forgot to keep up with the
watering. The carrots, have been the best crop I have ever grown. After several
years of using fleece protection I am now convinced this is the only way (or
the use of enviromesh) to protect against the dreaded
carrot fly. I also added plenty of sand to the soil; the carrots still in the
ground now are showing no signs of any slug damage. The row I sowed between 2
rows of spring onions and left uncovered were attacked by the fly and had to be
destroyed. I have tried various other means such as moth balls to deter the fly
but have not found any of them to be successful.
Cherry plum tomato - 'Tropical Ruby' has been excellent, keeping
well in the kitchen for 6-8 weeks or more after picking. Squashes, particularly
the Butternut produced in abundance - we had plenty to sell on our Michaelmas
stall and I have some stored in the shed. The Turks Turban and Sweet Dumpling I
have used for display purposes as they are very decorative. Leeks did have some
damage from the moth but recovered well. On the fruit plot 'brown rot' was a
problem on the plums due to the weather conditions but we still had a very good
crop.
All in all I am pleased with our crops for this year.
Before I close for this year, over the past 3 years I have had
many enquiries asking as to the best way to treat and get rid of Brambles and
Horse Tail; I have been advised by email from a very experienced
horticulturalist that - and I quote "Have just been looking at the Q & A page
and noticed a query about what weed killer to use on brambles. The best I know
of is ammonium sulphumate sold under the name Root Out or Amcide. This is very
effective when applied to new growth and also works well on horsetail and what
is more is approved by Hydra I believe". I am sure many of
you will find this information useful.
I hope you to have had a good season and look forward to you
joining us again back on the plot in 2005.
Our very best wishes to you all for a Happy
Christmas and lots of good gardening in 2005.
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