Moor Green In May
- Moor Green
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Just a brief one this month fellow plotters. Like you the editor is too busy sowing, planting and weeding to spare much time. Plus there's the new and unwanted commitment of praying to the rain god. But there is useful (we hope) information to be had here still.
Summer Fair - 21st June
Where did that year go? The Fayre is back and hopefully at least as glorious as ever. Book Saturday 21st June in your diary . There will a range of craft stalls open from midday - 5.00 p.m. plus a plant sale, tea and cake, and we're hoping for outdoor food. Pizza! Burgers! all afternoon. And of course the fully stocked bar will be open from 1.00 to 7.00 pm. If anyone is interested in showing off/selling their handiwork on a craft stall please contact Deborah on
Our Very Own Annual General Meeting - 17th May
This is the most important meeting of the year for the Association - and it's YOUR meeting folks. please come and contribute your thoughts – all current plot holders and social members are welcome. You will meet new people, appoint the new committee, understand better what’s going on and almost certainly get a cup of tea and a biscuit into the bargain. The bar will be open afterwards. Committee nominations is the big item, but you also get a report from the chairperson on all the things your committee has done this year and from the treasurer on how what we've spent the Association's money on. And of course you can ask us questions, or raise any matters that concern or interest you. All nominations are now in for commitee membership and we have a gratifyingly good number of volunteers. Thanks all for submitting your names and nominations. The AGM agenda will be posted on the website and all Zone noticeboards.
BDAC Annual General Meeting - 17th May
Well, this is unfortunate. Birmingham District Allotments Confederation has its AGM on the same day as us. The good news is that it's in the afternoon at 2.00 pm. at Bordesley Green Allotments, Bordesley Green, Birmingham B9 5PD. So in theory you can attend both. Your secretary will be doing the dash from one to the other and if you wish to attend he'd be glad of the company. There are some important changes to the Constitution being discussed - key among which is that each individual tenant on all sites will become a voting member of the BDAC which gives big sites like ours a better deal than one vote per association. Expect more use of IT and on-line methods as well as the traditional general meetings so as to give you all a genuine stake in decisions at the Birmingham level. Do come along and listen to the debate if you have time. BDAC has transformed itself into a useful body in the last two years and is the official representative of us all as far as Birmingham City Council is concerned. More detail at
Birmingham Plot of the Year! Cliff Jones Memorial Trophy
John Clifford “Cliff” Jones, was a keen gardener who was involved in the BDAC back in the 1960s and 70s. After he was killed along with 20 others in the Mulberry Bush Tavern (Rotunda) IRA bomb explosion in Birmingham City centre in November 1974, the Trophy was established in his name, to be awarded annually to the tenant of Birmingham’s best kept allotment. Cliff’s son George recalls those times when he was a child. When his Dad wasn’t at work in the New St Station post office, he was down on his allotment at Uplands in Handsworth where he had 3 plots. He liked to grow onions and “cabbages that could feed you for a week”
So the trophy in his memory should go to someone who is carrying on that tradition of devoting time and skill to a plot which produces good food and other benefits for others – whether family, friends or neighbours.
How to enter
As an individual you can enter yourself. Each site can enter a maximum of two plots. If you are an individual wanting to enter, just send us a message on madahal.secretary@gmail.com . And don’t miss the closing date 17th June 2025 . Even if your plot isn’t looking its best then, you’ll have at least another month to go before the judging in August, and you can always withdraw if needs be.
What will the judges be looking for?
A plot well stocked with vigorous, sturdy plants which you are nurturing through bad weather, disease, pests and weeds.
A wide range of crops – including vegetables, fruit, flowers or herbs
Good gardening practices and styles appropriate to your background and experience
Good planning and maintenance of paths, structures and leisure areas, and maximising use of space on the plot
A tidy and pleasing visual appearance, with planting aids tidied away, and no piles of weeds, litter and other items lying around.
Signs that you have taken environmental impact into account – such as composting arrangements, water harvesting, other methods of conserving water, organic methods of dealing with pests, reducing the use of plastic sheeting and accommodating wildlife and pollinators
No-one is going to have the perfect plot, so if you are proud of it and other people have complimented you too, that’s a sign it’s worth entering. Here are the benefits.
Competitions are often a spur to further efforts and finishing off things you started – generating a great feeling of achievement when they are done. Having a deadline helps. You’ve got from now till August when the judging will be done.
There will be Gold, Silver-gilt, Silver and Bronze Certificates which mean you can see how your plot compares with others. Plus an incentive to gain the next one up if you get a lower certificate this year, and try again next year. Mark your own progress!
You will get feedback on your plot from experienced judges.
CLOSING DATE: 17th June 2025
Octopus!
This is not about the possibilities of rearing octopus on site. There is a plastic lobster in the pond in the teaching plot but that's the full extent of our interetst in marine fauna. BUT The Association has just switched its electtricity supplier to Octopus and saved ourselves a useful few quid in the process. Octopus has also told us that if any of our members use the referral link below both them and us (Moorgreen) get £50 each. So if you're thinking of switiching to Octopus in the near future click on the lonk below and you get £50 and the Association gets £50. Win-win!
Joy Rider Incident -27th April
There was a nasty (and rare) occurrence of reckless driving on the main road outside the Clubhouse on Sunday 27th April. Two people drove past the Clubhouse at speed shouting slogans and then turned round to exit the site - still at speed - seconds later. Members who were present and enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon were alarmed and understandably irate. More importantly children had been playing on the road moments earlier. We encourage parents to keep children off the road but of course it happens.
The comittee discussed what action to take at its meeting the following Saturday. On balance we decided against locking the gates at the weekend: it would be extremely difficult to enforce at the most popular time for our community to work their plots. However we will be
raising this with local police and councillors at our next regular meeting and
installing new and more effective speed bumps in the stretch of road outside the Clubhouse.
If you have any knowledge of the perpetrators please talk to your Zone Rep or drop an email to madahal.secretary@gmail.com
That's all this month folks. Enjoy your plotting...
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