Most of your time at this time of year is spent clearing the beds in readiness for next year’s plans, so why not get together with some of your allotment friends and celebrate the bountiful harvest we had during the summer months.

You could arrange a late summer barbeque and use some of the fantastic produce from the allotment to create wonderful salads and amazing side dishes. Why not celebrate the end of summer with a bang? You could have a bonfire and buy fireworks to turn your party into a real celebration. You could use solar lighting to create a great atmosphere down at the plot and see off the summer in style.

It is always worth checking with your allotment association if they will not mind the event taking place at the allotment. Some associations don’t mind if you can prove that numbers will be strictly limited and most people who are at the event are allotmenteers themselves.

If you are new to taking cutting don’t worry because these herbs are really easy. Fill a pot with a good potting compost and take cuttings from the shot tips about 4 inches long. Remove the bottom leaves and dip the cut end into organic rooting powder. You can fit about 4 or five cuttings into a 5 inch pot, then water well. Place these cuttings in your cold frame or greenhouse and after about seven weeks the cuttings should have established themselves enough to be transplanted into individual pots.

This year there are a wide range of inspirational garden ideas on show including classic designs, contemporary designs and visionary designs. There are also the usual magnificent marquee displays which are bound to astound and impress the visitors.

This year, the show will also feature for the first time at Tatton Park the ‘Summer Fruit and Vegetable Competition’. The competition is available to enter by everybody, so if you think your vegetables or fruit have got what it takes to beat off the competition why not have a go at entering.

The show takes place over five days and is a great day out for with your family and friends. Many people choose to take a picnic with them on the day, but if you are not organised there are food stalls selling quality home produced products and various vending machines around the site so you can grab a snack on the go.

There are many stalls where you can buy plants and accessories for your garden. So make sure you take your bank cards with you, you won’t be able to resist the tantalising offers.

The first courgettes will need picking whilst they are young and ripe and don’t forget to use the flowers as they are great stuffed with soft cheese and lightly battered. Early potatoes will feature heavily now on your menu and when mixed with some spring onions, chopped parsley and home made mayonnaise they are great a potato salad.

All your the leaf vegetables will now be big enough to pick such as wild rocket, and cut and come again lettuces. The more you cut them the more tender new growth you will get.

Don’t forget to use all the veg whilst it is young and tender. The taste will be much better than you get in supermarkets.

Advantages

Raised beds are in essence low maintenance; they can be weeded quickly and easily. You also have clearly defined boundaries for your crops meaning forward planning and hence crop rotation can be much easier. If they are raised sufficiently, people who have difficulty bending can work the beds meaning no more bad backs.

Disadvantages

They can be quite free draining so may need to be watered more regularly. They also restrict the amount of area you can grow vegetables on your plot. This will of course mean that you will have less produce. This may however not be a bad thing if you have difficulty looking after your plot. You will have to provide some sort of paths between the beds which can of course cost money; otherwise the weeds may take hold.

Tickets are priced at £27 for a full day (10am entry) and £17 for a half day (3pm entry). So to get some great ideas for your garden or to just spend a fantastic day out make sure you pencil the date into your diary.

For the plants - Nettles can produce a balanced, valuable fertiliser when utilised in liquid feed. If you gather the nettles in the spring, they have the peak mineral content. To produce the liquid feed, put the freshly picked nettles into a container and fill with water (2 gallons of water for every 2lbs of nettles). Cover the mixture and leave for a fortnight, stirring occasionally. After the 2 weeks, strain the nettle juice. Use one part of this smelly liquid with 10 parts water.

For you - Nettles contain iron, vitamins and natural histamine. They can make an excellent tonic to help improve circulation and detoxify your system. Use the young shoots as these are best for cooking.

To maximise the use of this wild crop the young leaves can be utilised raw in salads (best to be picked whilst the plant is still flowering). These leaves tend to have an intense, garlic smell but are mild in flavour. Why not try as an alternative to chives? The pretty white flowers of the garlic are also edible, and are attractive in a salad.

The bulbs can also be eaten; dug up and enjoyed as a milder version of the shop bought garlic cloves. Remember to check before you eat any wild plant as it may not be what you think, and could even be poisonous.

A local band provides music through the day and there are many stalls to visit selling allotment produce, supplies, cakes and refreshments. There are also many prizes to be won as well as the usual raffle and tombola.

The show gives an opportunity for allotment holders to show off their produce as well as promote allotments to the general public. It has now been running for many years and is always a favourite of the local community and visitors to the area.

The show always incorporates some sort of fund raising event or collection for local charities and in the last few years has raised £2,000 for Young Carer’s and £1,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Harrogate Borough council have a waiting list for anyone who would like an allotment at their three sites at Claro Road and Pearl Street in Harrogate and Ferrensby Allotments at Knaresborough. An application can be filled in online, but the current waiting list may be up to 2 years.

Most people who own a plot pride themselves in the fact that most things they have or use at the plot have either been given to them or they have acquired them for very little money. After all there is no point growing loads of produce that is immensely more expensive than if you had bought it from the supermarket. Freebies can range from seeds given away by newspapers, old fence panels from home to make a dividing fence at the allotment or free promotional mugs given away by a company who want to get their name known.

You should always try to use whatever you get for free because keeping costs at a minimum will mean that any produce that you do grow will invariably be at a lower cost than you can buy.