Julia and Elaine know how to entertain an audience as Ticknall Garden Club discovered when they attended their March meeting. They are a couple of larger-than-life personalities who have developed a loyal following on Radio Derby and their podcasts under the striking title of The Potty Plotters.
They challenged the audience to answer questions in the form of an acrostic using the initial letters of POTTY PLOTTERS.
P is for Potty Plotters; not potters which would be a different subject entirely!
O is for the onions that Julia stores in the legs of her worn-out tights! And the seats can be stretched over pots of bulbs to deter any marauding squirrels or mice. The legs are ideal for storing empty plant pots which can be dispensed from the bottom.
T is for Twiggy, the nickname for Andy Twigge who encouraged them to appear on Radio Derby. The programme is broadcast live from their allotment, an oasis of little plots hidden out of sight on Ashbourne Road, Mackworth.
T is for the tangerinery, the structure they built which is bigger than a greenhouse but smaller than an orangery! This inspired a pantomime moment when tangerines were thrown into the audience! Naturally the mesh bag was recommended for use as a support for melons or hair clippings for nesting birds.
Y is for yellow tomatoes; in fact, tomatoes of many colours. Black tomatoes are difficult to ripen. Novices are best to start with bush varieties, some of which like Red Robin, can be grown in a container or even on a windowsill. Julia is known as the Beefsteak Queen as she has grown a record-breaking beefsteak tomato of 3lb 4oz! Rob Smith, the allotment king, is a good source of advice and Suttons a great source of seeds.
P stands for their “plotcast” which can be found on the podcast app. It features topical advice and interviews with interesting people.
L is for loofah which can be grown so easily that you can bore anyone with copious photographs and free seeds.
O is for the ‘os manure essential for their many dahlias.
T is for the tubers from which they grow.
T for takeaway containers which are handy for germinating sweet peas. Line with slightly dampened kitchen towel; add the seeds and close the airtight lid. They should germinate in 5 days. Parsnip seeds take 3 weeks though.
E is for erection, a word forbidden on air, they claimed! Julia is addicted to greenhouses and so far has erected 22 of them for one reason or another!
R for radishes which are good starter seeds for children. For foolproof results, seed tapes work well. Carrots do well this way.
S for Sunday mornings to serve as a final reminder when we can catch up with all their news and gossip live on Radio Derby.
Their final farewell act was to hurl chocolates into the audience!
Elaine and Julia turned out to be the perfect tonic to cheer us on a wet and dismal evening. People went home not only with a smile on their face but also with some clever and helpful ideas to try out.
