The New Plot Holder award is a new thing for 2023. We want to show our appreciation and encouragement for the hard work that’s often involved in taking on a new plot. Even if you are lucky and get a plot that was cultivated not too long ago It’s still amazing how quickly grass and weeds take over the soil. Conditions on the Stockingstone site are often challenging. We have heavy clay soil that has a habit of being either hard and dry as concrete, or in the early spring after heavy rain is transformed into a sea of mud. The high location of the site gives us wonderful views over the town and beautiful sunsets, but also high winds. Nearly every season there is some storm damage; roofs blow off sheds and poly tunnels go sailing off.
The Winner
The first winner of the New Plot Holder trophy is Yasmin (Plot 22C).
Judge’s comments
Yasmin took on a not very promising looking patch of land in early 2023. It was rather overgrown and the soil was in need of a lot of attention to start the transformation from ‘concrete’ into that lovely black crumbly stuff that TV gardening experts show us on their programmes. She battled against a lot of obstacles. Her new fruit cage blew down in a storm soon after it was installed and she also had to take on a lot of unexpected extra family responsibilities. But she persevered and managed to get a large part of the plot cultivated in a very short time.
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Stockingstone Road Allotment Association 