Weeder’s Digest

For many years, Trevor Taylor (the Society’s Honorary President) produced a regular allotment newsletter called Weeder’s Digest, which usually included growing tips, general allotment news and recipes. Here is our equivalent. Members are very welcome to write for it – just email things over to the Secretary.

  • 30 Jan: Next Burnside Burn Bin February 11th
    10:00 to 12:00 weather permitting as always, so please check for a late cancellation if the weather conditions or forecast, […]
  • 18 Nov: No cars + new trolley
    The site has very quickly become wet and the tracks soft. Cars soon cause muddy ruts, spoiling the look of […]
  • 7 Nov: Toilet open, new tearoom, and orchard news
    Plots As at 7 Nov 2022 there were 45 people on the waiting lists and 0 plots being prepared for […]
  • Burnside Volunteering Day
    The first Volunteering Day of the year at Burnside. It was a bright, cool day – ideal for knocking down […]
  • Early autumn morning at Burnside
    Early morning on the site, warm sun streaming, and hardly a soul around. All was good with the world!
  • Burnside Volunteering Day, July 2021
    The first Burnside Volunteering Day of the summer. Lots of tidying and clearing at Burnside – all done by a […]
  • Repairs to Ancaster Way
    Repairs have been made to the Ancaster Way gate and the area just inside it has been overhauled. To prevent […]
  • Plot clearance, March 2021
    Four half plots have recently been cleared ready for letting. A lot of metal and other debris has been removed […]
  • Slug pellets
    Non-organic Blue Pellets The most popular method of slug and snail control used in the garden is slug pellets. The […]
  • The Burnside tea room
    History During several volunteering days dating back to about 2015, an overgrown area halfway along the eastern edge of the […]
  • Using water wisely
    John McGill has been doing some research on how to make the most of an increasingly precious resource – water. […]
  • Things that go bump in the night
    Ever wondered what happens on the allotment when no-one is around? Andy K and friends from Burnside captured some really […]
  • Wildlife at Burnside
    Ever wondered what happens on your site after lights out? Andy from Burnside did and captured some great over-night images […]
  • Society Pictures
    Joan from Burnside and Suzy from Vinery have been taking some piccies around and about, including a special one which […]
  • The first day of lockdown
    The day after coronavirus caused the closure of all pubs, clubs, etc…, it is reassuring to know that life goes […]
  • Growing saffron
    Barry South writes: To John Keats, autumn was the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. He wrote the well known […]
  • Vinery Site Survey, summer 2019
    Jonathan Shanklin of the Cambridge Natural History Society took a group of interested people round Vinery to do some species […]
  • A look back at 2019
    Joan Bullock-Anderson writes: Here’s an update on my 2019 efforts to grow slightly more unusual things on the plot, with […]
  • The Burnside Orchard, summer 2019
    The Burnside orchard has been establishing itself for a couple of years, so time for an update.
  • Burnside, summer 2019
    A look around Burnside at the start of summer 2019.
  • Plant swap, summer 2019
    The ever popular plant swap was back again in 2019, with more plants and varieties than ever before.
  • Burnside Volunteering Day, April 2019
    Many Hans make light work, as the German electrician joke goes. There was a lot of standing around, staring at […]
  • Burnside Orchard, summer 2019
    Penny has spent a lot of time planning the orchard which, once established, will be available to all Society members […]
  • Rededication of the Trevor Taylor Pavilion
    There was a good turnout at Vinery Road on Sunday March 31st and the weather favoured us with warm sunshine […]
  • Squash soup
    This soup recipe is a starting point guide: you could use other types of squash and add other crops such […]
  • Vinery Burn Bin
    A good time to get rid of all the summer left-overs, before winter set in.
  • Quince paste
    Joan Bullock-Anderson writes: For anyone unfamiliar with quince, it’s a hard fruit related to the pear. You can’t eat it […]
  • Burnside Volunteering Day, October 2018
    Only a month on from the last one, but what a difference in weather. Wrapping up warm and working hard […]
  • Burnside Flag Week 2018
    A new event this year, flying flags – homemade and bought, serious and funny – ready for the summer party.
  • Burnside Volunteering Day, September 2018
    There’s always so much to do. Fortunately, there’s always a lot of willing volunteers to get it done. And to […]
  • Looking back on 2018
    Joan B-A writes: When I first took on a plot at Burnside in September 2012, it was all I could […]
  • From weed-full to weed-free in a morning
    Andy writes: Can you transform a 3mx5m section of overgrown plot into a productive, easily manageable and ultimately weed free […]
  • Learning to live with weeds
    Joan B-A writes: Now for the good news! Weeds are plants too. Weeds are only plants where you don’t want […]
  • Tomato blight
    Barry South writes: Pink 6 and Blue 13 10, Principe Borghese 0 Is it a football score line or a […]
  • Tomato and chilli jam
    Joan B-A writes: Summer 2018 finds me with an early glut of tomatoes, so I’ve put some of them to […]
  • Vinery Party, Summer 2018
    Good food and drink, warm weather, allotment holders socialising – who could ask for more?
  • Burnside Party, Summer 2018
    It was another lovely summer’s day for the Burnside Summer Party. Great food and a really inventive quiz by Andy […]
  • Frilly peas and beans
    Barry South writes: Ever wondered what causes this? It’s the Pea and Bean Weevil – Sitona lineatus. It’s about 3mm […]
  • Environmentally friendly slug control
    Penny Henderson writes: The recent wet weather has brought out the slugs and snails, which are now well and truly […]
  • Controlling pests
    John McGill writes: There are several things that can dampen a plot holder’s enthusiasm – weather, poor soil, etc – […]
  • Burnside Volunteering Day, March 2018
    The usual fun, if tiring, day was enjoyed by a number of seasoned and new volunteers. It all helps to […]
  • Curried parsnip soup
    Annie P writes: A flavoursome soup with a kick – serves 6 Ingredients Method
  • Burnside Burn Bin
    More than just burning stuff!
  • New to Burnside (once upon a time)
    Stella, Les and Phil write: Things wouldn’t be the same without our plot now. We started on bonfire night 2016 […]
  • Harvest 2017
    What your fellow allotmenteers were growing and harvesting in 2017.
  • S’mores
    Andy K writes: Smore n. A sweet treat. The origin of smores is unclear but the first recorded reference is in […]
  • Smita’s courgette curry
    Anyone who was at the Society’s summer BBQ will probably have enjoyed Smita’s aromatic courgette curry. For those of you […]
  • Burnside Volunteering Day, August 2017
    Much hard work by a large band of volunteers helping to keep the site in good order. Jobs included maintaing […]
  • Society BBQ, summer 2017
    It was a lovely, hot summer’s day for the Society’s summer BBQ at Burnside – made even better by fine […]
  • Construction of the Burnside Toilet
    A lot of hard thought and work went into turning the designs for the new composting toilet into a reality.
  • Store reopening, April 2017
    The store had a bit of a makeover for 2017 and some interesting new stock.
  • Burnside Volunteering Day, April 2017
    The usual fun, if tiring, day was enjoyed by a number of seasoned and new volunteers. It all helps to […]
  • The Grand Opening of the Burnside Toilet
    Much to the relief of Burnsiders everywhere, the new composting toilet was opened. A major new resource was a cause […]
  • Burnside Volunteering Day, March 2017
    An early spring start to 2017 volunteering days, making good some of the ravages of winter.
  • Summer Party 2016
    Another chance for the two sites to get together, relax, and swap tips and stories.
  • Burnside Volunteering Day 2016
    The 2016 Burnside volunteering day. Clearing, cleaning and tidying – all undertaken by a dedicated group of volunteers.
Scroll to top