Horticultural Experiment

Trials are underway to develop a self-tinning tomato.

The first seedlings have been planted out at a secret location in Cheshire. They are growing on a deep bed of well rotted horse manure. The fruits from these plants are expected to provide the perfect accompaniment to burgers bought from most super markets.

Virtual Shed Project

This is my current 3D experimentation. I could easily adapt and build new 3D models to have a virtual representation of the Tatton plot?

Hello everyone,

I'm a current MA Photography student at MMU, although a lot of my recent work has been using virtual representations of nature, particularly in 3D modelling. Just been reading through all of the posts so far. Sounds really interesting. Some great ideas going on. I'm currently working on a 3D virtual shed for a project I'm doing and was wondering whether I could 3D model some of the features of the Tatton plot? I could create some virtual representations that could be hosted on a website or created into a virtual video tour of the plot? Or something along those lines?! (open to suggestions).

Will post some screenshots of my shed so far and you can take a look see. I'm still fairly new to the software but I'm learning new stuff all the time.

Thanks,

Julian.

Meeting with the RHS

Had a lovely meeting with Kris and Katie from the RHS earlier today. They are so enthusiastic about what we are trying to do it is lovely to be doing this with their passion for creativity behind us.

This follows an from inspiring week of lunchtimes with my fellow allotment makers discussing their ideas and plans for the plot.
Clare has been planning a bed of flowers, usually they are neckpieces and brooches, but they are soon to become a bed of Chrysanths or Dahlias. She has also offered to help with the seedlings I am aiming for and has offered to help Kirsteen with Glass blowing assistance if needed for her Glass seed Heads ( might be a bit ambitious , but we will see. )
Hazel also is keen to produce a tray of seedlings, so with these and my Hosta tips (protruding spikes of tin, pushing their way through the ground), we should have some tidy beds.
Jane McK has definite plans for seed packets, but with a looming deadline for a major exhibition she will be holding off until June to get things going.
Steve is planning a wheelbarrow with a difference, using the ceramic flowers he has developed in previous projects. If anyone has a beautifully formed wheelbarrow they can donate, please let him know.
Lisa has been photographing the plants and flowers in the hothouse at Tatton to use in a rockery she aims to create, using a paint that can be photographically printed (I'm sure I'm not explaining this correctly) so that she can bring us a hothouse border out into the garden.
Anna is keen to do slugs(!) which with her intention to make them in cast glass will I'm sure be beautiful (for slugs).
Penny is already onto growing her growing fabric test pieces, and David has been researching wartime allotments to inspire his ideas, one for a shed wall, the other for some 'growing text'.
I'm seeing Alice on Friday about French beans and bindweed, so another great week.
And finally, Steve suggested we have a day making ceramic cabbages...we don't have many veg!
So.....we will plan a date, sort the materials and invite you all to come and make our prizewinning greens!

A back wall. The collection of shed parts.

The Architecture Shed holds treasures! These panels from the Atelier project last summer will provide us with the materials for our entrance and rear walls. The plan is to use them in a concertina to form a rear boundary to the plot. 

Two of them linked together at an angle will be sited at the front of the space. Helen and Laura have plans for these 'entrances'. 

These rear walls will be suitable for pieces that need leaning/hanging or shelves. Ian Roberts is planning a Spade and Fork combination that looks like a good candidate. Seed packets form Jane McKeating also might find a home here as will graphic imagery from Professor David Crow.

testing the beds

Boxes are being donated by the Eight Day Cafe and the Fruit van. They are happy for us to collect what they have at the end of any day and we can then pair them together to make our raised beds.
If you take the strip from the top edge away you are left with four corner posts that when inverted become pegs for fixing into the ground. The bases of the boxes then tie together to make a module to construct our (slightly) raised beds.

Some advice for wives

Knitted Cauliflower by Audrey Jones

I mentioned the project to my sister, Audrey, who knits a LOT....so she decided she was going to  work out how to knit a cauliflower...prototype number one...around a tennis ball...this could be bigger..but she made a copy of a real tiny one she had in the fridge.

which one would be nice in a cheese sauce?

Instructions if you want to knit your own Cauliflower...anyone want to design a knitting pattern for this , to give away at Tatton?