Tales from Terry's Allotment

As it has been quite a long time since we last heard from him a lot of things have come and gone on Terrys allotment no thanks to the strange weather this year which the pair soon start to moan about

This months Podcast should really be credited to Richard as we quickly learn that Terry has been unable to make it Instead Richard is taking a tour of his Great Uncle Jim039s Allotment This allotment is just a baby compared to Terry039s having only been kept for three years and is built on land by the flood plane which was originally marshland Richard and Jim reminisce the old vegetable patch at Richard039s childhood home which used to get pigeons caught in the netting all the time Jim would come over and dispose of them They also discuss how they used to fish in the river for their dinner but the fish have since depleted due to otters increasing in numbers As Richard and Jim wander through the allotments they come across a lady called Beth who is picking Blackcurrants from a brilliant crop She has been trying to grow sweet peas for her daughter039s wedding but as they haven039t grown as well as her blackcurrants she fears she may have to call in a last minute favour They continue to walk and marvel at how different each plot is Coming across some wild growing raspberries Richard mentions how fond his baby daughter Lily is of the fruit Though it has been a wet summer and terrible for snails and slugs Richard mentions how nice it is to see some butterflies whilst the rain lets up a little He also notes some fantastic carrots growing in a plot and bemoans the fact that his never come out right - Jim recommends well cultivated ground After a quick debate about broad beans - skin on or off when eating The boys call it a day Richard expresses his excitement to be back on Terry039s plot for next month039s episode and wishes listeners the plumpest of potatoes and biggest of beans

Welcome back to the Rhondda Terry and Richard have a host of treats tips and titbits for you this month but first a shout out to Dafydd a fan of our garden gurus to begin the pair evaluate the fantastic crop of tomatos that Mr Walton has been blessed with this year and explore a few tricks for getting the most out of your tomato plants The cucumbers seem to be coming along nicely as well It039s not all success though in fact a lot has succumbed to the odd set of seasons we039ve had recently The weather has turned the slugs into even more of a nuisance than usual and the boys have given up on their garlic bulbs which seem to sprouted and become casualties of the climate Terry039s leeks are even a month behind the size they should be but even so are bigger than Richards As Terry bemoans the lack of floral display however it becomes apparent that one thing in particular has begun to take over the plot So sit back and relax or get your gloves on and get outside either way make sure you give the boys a listen

This year Richard Fishbourne is attending Chelsea solo and is audibly excited to be surrounded by the celebs of press day We are quickly reminded of Terrys absence however when Richard comes across a stand that he knows Terry would have loved and describes as a real treat Thats right a display made up entirely of veggies This is no ordinary veg though as the pair responsible for the display have come all the way from Jersey in the Channel Islands The warmer climate means that their vegetables have grown almost perfectly and are very aesthetically pleasing Having won gold at the show a few years priors this stand has high hopes for an award

Terry and Richard are back after what seems like an enormously long time Straight away we get all the gory details of Terrys tale of toe-woe and lost shoes which is followed by an in depth discussion of Terrys persistent pursuit of his nemesis the humble cauliflower Richard has brought along a gift for Terrys garden in the form of potash to fertilise the allegedly pea sized gooseberries In explanation for the slightly barren looking nature of his plot Terry explains his philosophy regarding his potatoes which are nestling under the soil at present waiting to spring up as an early crop Keeping his potato growth to early sets means that he never has to deal with the blights that affect main-crop potatoes and thus never has to deal with the deadly spread from plant to plant Richard weighs in with some folk wisdom and his mantra of Ash before the oak in for a soak is proving to be unexpectedly accurate given the recent droughtflood mix The pair go on to discuss the relative merits of broad beans the explosion and then withdrawal of Richards asparagus and finally the profusion of plants that have gone to seed in the odd weather Finally there is just enough time for Richard to escape with a full batch of Terrys red mammoth onions and a pack or two of defender courgette seeds So relax keep out of the wet and pop on this months podcast

Terry Walton and Richard Fishbourne return for another fabulous podcast with an arrary of features being discussed all in preparation for the new growing season Join them first peering into Terry039s airing cupboard an ideal place for propagating seedlings especially during the winter months It allows the compost to remain warm evenly around the seedling helping it to have the best start possible Terry says that the seed determines the end size of the vegetable - generally the larger the seed the larger the vegetable Do you agree Down on the allotment Terry first has to deal with business - with it being a working allotment he helps to provide other growers supplies from compost to seedlings already growing Terry and Richard provide invaluable information on the array of vegetables which can be grown from beetroot to shallots Last but not least join us in voting Terry for the next Eurovision song content - we think it039s a winner

Terry and Richard come to us this month from the depths of the Rhondda snow the allotment having reached temperatures of -12 This month discussion of what to do while the ground is frozen is on the cards and Terry extols the virtues of having done your winter digging Terry and Richard also cover the benefits of chicken droppings as a fertiliser and explain why its so good for the nitrogen content of your soil On top of that Terry tries to impress upon us all the importance of planning and crucially of optimism Having chatted about each others bean patch and argued over whose cabbages are better Terry and Richard escape the cold to hide out in the greenhouse and evaluate the progress of the shoots that have started breaking their way through the soil The closing note is fittingly optimistic if the seedlings are starting up it means that they know better than us that warmer weather is on the way So pop the podcast onto your mp3 player wrap up brave the tail end of the winter and get those last little jobs done Remember above all stay optimistic Thanks to Ronvalley for the image

Terry and Richard are back after the festive break with an all new Tales from the Allotment In this instalment theyve been driven into Terrys greenhouse by the worst of the welsh weather and their chat is accompanied by the tapping of hailstones on the roof

This months podcast brings festive goodness in the form of a Terry Walton original Christmas carol and a good lashing of Welsh rain As any Welshman will tell you its good for the soul and the veggies but it does slightly stymie the time one can spend out and about on the plot In light of the rugged weather Richard settles into Casa Walton to do a little bit of housekeeping and Terry explores the ever present mystery that is Richards lack of vegetables on his Herefordshire holdings The need for extra veggies is put down to the most recent addition to the Fishbourne household Of course our two podcasters give thanks to their audience for their recent triumph at the Horticultural Channel Awards and were all rewarded with an interesting segment about cooking road kill for Christmas Its not for everyone but comes highly recommended So settle down with Terry and Richard whether it be outside with the iPod on the plot or cosy and warm up against the radiators and enjoy this months festive offering from the Rhondda

This podcast from Terry Walton and Richard Fishbourne sees the return of the Cooking Corner The pair chat about ways to keep your garlic from rotting Terrys world of tasty looking goodies and keeping tomatoes in the boot or was it freezer before being turfed out to the allotment as the cooking commences On the menu today are a variety of home grown veggies and much to Terry and Richards dismay Quorn When they reach the allotment Terry and Richard mull over the problems involved in dealing with the remnants of the seasons tomato foliage the dangers of blight from said foliage and finally the benefits of the companion planting techniques Finally our intrepid gardeners return for the tasting of the marrow and it is universally agreed that even with the much maligned Quorn the meal is a triumph So have a listen while you garden away and harvest those last bits and pieces and think about what you might be using your harvest for in your own kitchen

Its time to join Terry Walton and Richard Fishbourne in another tour of Terrys allotment After a brief time away from podcasting the pair have decided to give gardeners something to listen to while they battle with the big autumn clear up Terry and Richard review this years crop in the heat of the recent Indian summer and discuss topics ranging from the use of green manure all the way through to an ingenious technique for perfect parsnip planting And of course what gardening podcast would be complete without an in depth analysis of the weather

We start this months podcast in good old Antheas Kitchen Yes she is back This month she is making a splendid carrot and artichoke soup to warm everyone up through the winter After learning that Richard cant cook we swiftly move on to the frosty allotment where there are a few patches of ice still around This is definitely the quietest time of year for vegetable growers as the majority of the garden is suffering still from frost bite Terry tells us all about how his wormery has managed to survive through the bitterly cold weather after which he reads the wonderful comments from gc members We end with an extremely catchy rendition of the Twelve Veg of Christmas a glorious Christmas song to get us into the festive spirit As you will hear Terry and Richard are being filmed during the podcast which will be available to watch on gardenersclick in the near future so watch this space Terry and Richard wish us all a very Happy Christmasand a Bramley in an apple tree

Terry gives some great advice in this month039s podcast on changing our gardening plans due to the gradual climate changes He and Richard trundle from the allotment to the greenhouse and finally we hear a wonderful rendition

Terry Walton and Richard Fishbourne this month spend some time at the luxury pigeon apartments collecting an essential ingredient for use on his allotment pigeon poo Terry states pigeon manure is great for using on your allotments which he has been doing for the past 2 and a half years but is something which has become a rarity with other allotmenteers We then wonder down to Terrys shed on the allotment where he is in the middle of a seasonal clearout and his greenhouse isnt looking so tidy either However his mammoth sized tomatoes are still looking great during this wonderful time of autumn with rustic oranges and browns around After a quick visit from his friend Alfie who pleasantly accepts some tips for growing beans we hear all about chunky swedes pot leeks and berries Also some invaluable tips from Terry and Richard on growing some beautiful flowers and getting next years stock cleverly perpetuated too So why not grow some pretty flowers for yourself or your loved ones and bring some colour to your warm home year after year We end with a lovely rendition by Terry of a 60s song by Trini Lopez

You039re in for a special treat in this months podcast as after being down on the allotment and listening to another wonderful rendition we visit Antheas kitchen for a tasty recipe Terry Walton and Richard Fishbourne discuss how the crops are not looking as droopy as expected for this time of the year espcially after the changes in weather we have had lately As they take a look at some of the beans growing on the alloment Terry asks for some runner bean recipes so if any of you GC members have any ideas please get posting Besides giving some tips about the Brassica family as well as boasting about his 10 foot Jerusalem artichoke Terry sadly admits his defeat in the marrowthon this year After a quick coffee and singsong we join Anthea in the kitchen cooking up a delicious trout with garlic celery leaves carrots and parsley As always we hope you all enjoy another allotment adventure with some great tips from the entertaining duo