BARNET FEDERATION OF ALLOTMENT AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES
SOURCES OF SUPPLY AND USEFUL INFORMATIONAugust 2012
This list of suppliers is not intended to be comprehensive, nor are the suppliers recommended by BFAHS. This is a list of suppliers drawn to our attention by member allotment societies. Some of the suppliers would fall into more than one category and they are placed here in the principal category to which they relate. Further information about suppliers should be sent to BFAHS Secretariat at E-mail:
General Horticultural Supplies
Horticultural Supplies
Ahorticultural supplier with a special catalogue for allotment societies. General supplies, seed potatoes and onion sets:
Horticultural Supplies Ltd, Inghams Barn, Valley Road, Little Blakenham, Ipswich IP8 4LR.
Tel: 01473 830027.
Taylors Choice
Taylors Choice offers a wide range of horticultural supplies. There is a part of their website for trade/allotment societies and free delivery for orders over £250.
Taylors Choice, Gresty Lane, Shavington, Crewe, Cheshire CW2 5DD
Tel: 01270 252530 Fax: 01270 211065 Web:
Plants and Seeds
Kings Seeds
Ahorticultural supplier with a special catalogue for allotment societies, the same catalogue as that available from the NSALG. Seeds etc:
Kings Seeds, Coggeshall Road, Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex CO5 9PG.
Tel: 01376 570000. Web:
Plants of Distinction
Plants of Distinction is a small family seed business seeking to build up business with allotment societies. They offer a 50% discount for collective orders of £200+.
Plants of Distinction, Abacus House, Station Yard, Needham Market, Suffolk IP6 8AS
Tel: 01449 721720 (orders 0844 856 0763) Web:
Thompson & Morgan
This is a well established company able to offer enhanced discounts to those Clubs/Associations who are able to place bulk orders for their members from T&M’s three main catalogues – Seeds, Kitchen Garden and Fruit catalogues. For 2011, the discounts are 50% off seeds, and 15% off plants, potatoes, onions, bulbs, fruit and gardening equipment. The minimum order is £100 on the first order of the season (after discounts have been taken off) and £25 on any subsequent orders throughout the year.
Thompson & Morgan, Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 3BU
Tel: 0844 248 5383 Web:
Contact: Alison Gifford on email or society discounts.
Bulk Supplies
Arboricultural Wood Chip
There are lots of local arboricultural contractors operating throughout the Borough. If they cannot dispose of the woodchip from the tree trash on their work site it becomes a waste product which costs them money to dispose of legally. Most of them are eager to supply allotments at no cost with a heap which is topped up whenever they are working in your area.
Composted Wood Chip
A firm of landscape contractors has partly composted wood chip available to allotment societies in their area. They generally deliver in loads of 16 cubic metres, and if you are not too far away from them, both mulch and delivery are free. Allotment holders are also welcome to go and collect – by appointment only.
The Landscape Garden Company Ltd
Dudden Hill Nurseries, 82 Dudden Hill Lane, London NW10 1DD
Tel: 020 8830 7777
East Horticulture Ltd
East Horticulture Ltd offers bulk supplies oftop soil, bark, sand & aggregates, mulches, turf, chemicals and fertilizers as well as tools, pots and other horticultural supplies. You can obtain a price list from them.
East Horticulture Ltd, The Landscape Centre, Leydenhatch Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7PS.
Tel: 01322 662130 Web:
Municipal Compost
Many allotment sites already get recycled garden waste from the Ecopark at Edmonton. This material is what everyone puts in their green wheelie bins so it also contains some kitchen waste and a sprinkling of rubbish. It has been composted at high temperatures and has no viable plant material such as weed seeds. Allotments in Barnet get the material free if they register with the North London Waste Authority as the Council is a shareholder in the Authority. After registration you then deal directly with the operating subsidiary LondonWaste Limited. The smallest lorry is very large and delivers 37m3so access to your site will need to be checked. The Ecopark also offers a commercial service to deliver loose or bagged compost in bulk loads, from two to fifteen tonnes by prior arrangement. There is an approximate cost of £20 per tonne plus VAT, but anyone interested should call fora quote as the costdepends on the delivery postcode.
North London Waste Authority Web:
Mark Partlett Tel:020 8489 5730
LondonWaste Limited Web
Mehmet Saldiray Tel: 020 8884 5571Fax: 020 8887 6578 Mob: 07736617596
Horse Manure
Jay Wilding from Chelmsford has been in touch offering horse manure. He says that it is well rotted 100% horse manure with no bedding mixed in, collected from the fields and put through a macerator. All bags cost £1 each. He is based in Chelmsford in Essex and can deliver up to 40 miles with large orders up to 100 bags.
Jay Wilding Tel: 01245 226986 or 07540 494516.
Rabbit and Guinea Pig Manure
Manure in wood shavings from animal pens is available from a firm of breeders in Potters Bar. They can deliver to anywhere around East Barnet, Barnet, New Barnet, Southgate, Friern Barnet, or Potters Bar. For anywhere more far flung, bags can be left out to be collected. They have about 10 liftable black bags per week.
Contact Jane or Paul on 07944889444 or 02083682281 or their shop in Potters Bar on 01707652287.
Collections
Scrap Metal
If scrap metal builds up on your site and you don’t have any way to get rid of it, apart from a skip, then you may want to use the free services of either of the two following collectors who already collect from some allotment sites. Just separate the metal from other waste.
Rob Newman Tel: 07851 063756
R F Metals, Paul or John Tel: 07847 280 164 07815 456 238
Asbestos
Gemcowill collect and take away asbestos/cement board. They might also provide a stripping out service, e.g. to remove asbestos board from shed roofs but we have no experience with them of this.
Gemco, The Willows, Off Coursers Road (B556), London Colney, StAlbans, Herts AL2 1BB.
Tel: 01727 827070 / 827080 Fax: 01727 827080
Site Infrastructure
Composting Toilets
East Finchley, Gordon Road and Brook Farm allotment sites have composting toilets supplied by Kazuba. Friern Barnet Central has composting toilets from NatSol.
Kazuba UK, Arch 19 / Unit 115, Station Passage, London SE15 2JR
James Young Tel: 020 3051 0738 Web:
NatSol Ltd, Units 5 & 6, Maesyllan Enterprise Park, Llanidloes, Powys SY18 6DF
Tel: 01686 412653 Fax: 08706 221384 Web: E-mail:
Galvanised Water Tanks
The traditional 600 x 600 x 750mm (2’ x 2’ x 2’6”) galvanised steel water tank used on many allotment sites is no longer made – except to special order at silly prices. Modern plastic water tanks are not designed for exposure out of doors and do not last very well. However one supplier (RGH) of galvanised animal troughs persuaded a manufacturer (Bateman’s) to make two ‘allotment’ tanks as part of a large order for other products. The price for these was a modest £74 plus VAT including delivery. If you need such tanks for your site, the supplier contact to try is:
R G H Supplies Limited
Pallinghurst Farm House, Guildford Road, Rudgwick, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 3BQ.
Russell Hart Tel: 01403 822744 Fax: 01403 824052
The three UK manufacturers of galvanised water tanks are:
L M Bateman & Co Ltd Web:
IAE Web:
David Ritchie (Implements) Ltd Web:
Scaffold Boards
Old scaffold boardsare universally useful on allotment sites! They are sometimes available from:
Loughlin Scaffolding Supplies Ltd, 641 North Circular Road, London NW2 7AY
Tel: 020 8450 4635 Fax: 020 8452 6530 E-mail
Web:
Railway Sleepers
Wooden railway sleepers come in various sizes, timbers and qualities, both new and used. Typically they cost £20-30 each. Softwood timbers are traditionally treated with creosote and should not be used adjacent to food, children, bare skin or clothing. Untreated hardwood such as oak are available but greatest durability is likely from untreated Australian jarrah hardwood. Inspect the sleepers before ordering to make sure the quality is what you want. If ordering small quantities the delivery cost can be prohibitive but if you aren’t in a hurry the following supplier will deliver your sleepers for a modest price when delivering elsewhere in north London.
Mr Joe Johnson, St Albans Stone Limited
Albert Bygraves Centre, A414 North Orbital Road, St.Albans , Hertfordshire AL2 1DL
Tel: 01727 824461 Fax: 01727 824435
Web: E-mail:
Railway sleepers need very long screws to connect them. The standard solution is TimberLok screws and its heavy duty brother LedgerLok, both imported from the American manufacturer by
Carpenters Mate, OSC, The Forge, Wheelers Lane, Linton, Kent ME17 4BN
Tel: 0845 241 98623 Fax: 0845 241 9863 Web:
And widely available through their dealers including Lawson’s in Whetstone and Joyce’s in Finchley.
Contractors
Always obtain a copy of any contractor’s public and employers liability insurance certificates and check the sums insured and the dates of the period of insurance before allowing work to commence.
Clearance
There are plenty of small landscape contractors who will do clearance work on allotment sites. Highly recommended and an allotment holder himself is:
Paul Castignetti, 10 Oakfield Road, Finchley, London N3 2HT, Tel: 07754 101306
Fencing, Gates andPlumbing
Michael O’Leary is well known throughout the Borough’s allotments as the Council’s contractor for fencing, gates, plumbing and other works on allotments.
Mr Michael O’Leary of J O’Leary & Son
111 Jacketts Field, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire WD5 0EN
Tel: 01923 443364 Mob: 07979 853017
Tree Surgery
There are many tree surgeons operating in the Borough including:
Roger Jeffs, an allotment holder himself, will do tree work for allotment societies.
Roger Jeffs Tel: 07952 425875.
From out of the Borough but recommended by allotment societies already using their services is:
Neville Donaldson of B & N Tree Care (Arborists) Limited
The Old Dairy, Haddenham Road, Kingsey, Buckinghamshire HP17 8LR
Tel: 0800 195 9889 Mob: 07977 489787 E-mail:
Cultivating Land
John Foley has a machine available for ploughing, rotavating and harrowing land. It is about the size of a large rotavator with attachments for the three operations. John’s firm also carries out other outdoor works including tarmac and paving, and they have mini-diggers for hire.
John Foley Tel: 07506 748515.
Management and Administration
Public Liability Insurance
This is essential for allotment societies together with employers liability insurance which protects the society from claims by its own volunteers. Insurance policies especially adapted for allotment societies are available from two organisations, both of which require insured societies to become members/affiliates.
National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners
O'Dell House, Hunters Road, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 5JE.
Tel: 01536 266576 Fax: 01536 264509 Web:
The Royal Horticultural Society, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE
Tel: 020 7821 3069 Web: and
Record Keeping and Rent Collecting (for self collect sites)
Stephen Griffiths has kindly let us have a copy of the computer-based system Barfields allotments use for keeping their records of allotment holders and collecting rents. All the records are kept on a single spreadsheet and invoices can be generated automatically using a word processor. The BFAHS secretariat will send this out by e-mail to secretaries of self collect sites. If you don’t have e-mail but would like a colleague to look at the system for you, please contact BFAHS Secretariat. Stephen is willing to give advice if you have trouble getting the system up and running.
The Local Government Association
The LGA has published a booklet Growing in the Community about good practice in managing allotments. It can be purchased on-line for £15 at
A supplement to the main bookletA Place to Grow deals with managing existing allotments so as to cut down waiting lists, and bringing new growing spaces into use. It is available for free at or from the LGA on Tel: 020 7664 3131
Grants
Awards for All
AfA is theBig Lottery Fund providing easier-to-access smaller grants (up to £10,000)for worthy causes. Some allotment societies have used this to fund toilets and other site improvements.
Web:
CommUNITY Barnet
CommUNITY Barnet is the umbrella body for the voluntary sector in the Borough. It is free to join for small community groups. CommUNITY Barnet subscribes to a database of grant sources which can be searched by their members by making an appointment and visiting their office.
CommUNITY Barnet, 52 Moxon Street, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 5TS
Tel: 020 8364 8400 Fax: 020 8364 8488 Web:
Advice
The Allotment Regeneration Initiative (ARI)
ARI is a fabulously rich source of advice for allotment societies. Browse their website for hours for everything from grants and composting toilets to allotment law and allotment health and safety.
Web:
National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners(NSALG)
NSALG has a wide range of advice for allotment societies on its website.
Web:
Barnet Voluntary Services Council provides a range of services to voluntary organisations in Barnet including development support for voluntary and community groups, funding advice, and training and learning opportunities. The Federation is affiliated to the BVSC and our member societies can use their services either free or at reduced cost. Members speak particularly well of the information they can help to provide, and of their training courses. You can contact BVSC at 52 Moxon Street, High Barnet, Herts EN5 5TS. Tel: 020 8364 8400. Web:
Gardening for the Less Able
Gardening for the more elderly or less able can be a challenge, yet it can still be an important and rewarding part of people’s lives. There is an extensive website all about garden designs, techniques, facilities and tools for the less able – including raised beds - set up by the charity Thrive. You can find it all at
Thrive, The Geoffrey Udall Centre, Beech Hill, Reading, RG7 2AT
Tel: 0118 988 5688 Fax 0118 988 5677 Web:
Security on Allotments
See the attached appendix.
Barnet Federation of Allotment and Horticultural Societies
APPENDIX - SECURITY MEASURES AT ALLOTMENT SITES
At the Federation’s September 2010 meeting, we discussed how we might take a set of security measures across all our allotment sites to protect allotment machinery from theft. The aim of the measures would be to deter thieves from stealing machinery in the first place and to make the kit more difficult to sell if they did pinch it. If we all take the same measures, we can brief the police and the local press about what we are doing – adding to the deterrent effect.
The measures we settled on were as follows:
-to paint machinery an outrageous colour (say, fluorescent pink) taking care to get the paint into the inaccessible areas where it would be difficult for thieves to re-paint;
-to stamp on a prominent metal part (or melt into a plastic part with a heated punch) the words “Stolen from Barnet XX allot” where XX is the initials of your site e.g. LS for Lawrence Street. The secretariat has a set of letter and number punches and a mains-powered engraving tool which sites can borrow. Please ask if you want this kit;
-spraying parts of machinery with SmartWater. This is a paint colour-coded like a DNA fingerprint so that the SmartWater you spray on can be analysed to show where the protected machine came from. A simple kit with the analysis service costs from £35 per year and comes with lots of warning notices to stick on your gates, sheds, machines etc. SmartWater are at – the website has a lot of blurb but click on “To Order” and you can choose from small kits for residents or larger ones for businesses – or you can phone 0800 521 669. SmartWater Technology Ltd, PO Box 136, Telford, Shropshire TF3 3WY.
To reinforce the security of your sheds etc:
-use close shackle padlocks which have a very short loop going through the hasp. This offers the thief very little space to get at the shackle with bolt cutters;
-use padlocks with a shackle at least 16mm in diameter. A lot of bolt cutters won’t get a grip on such a thick shackle so easily.
To deter thieves from getting into the site at all you could try:
-growing a hedge of holly, firethorn or other prickly shrubs just inside the fence or training brambles up it. But remember you may have to strip them off if the fence needs repairing;
-spraying the fence with a foul-smelling liquid such as diluted animal urine or the juice made by soaking manure in water.
In the end, a burglar alarm may be the best deterrent. If your site doesn’t have mains electricity, you could get a solar power kit – such as those available from PowerBee Solar at or tel: 0845 094 8821. Most kits deliver a 12 volt supply which could enable you to use burglar alarm kit designed for retro-fitting to cars, but some solar power outfits also come with an inverter delivering a modest supply at mains 240 volts for household alarms etc.
Andrew Brown, BFAHS Support Officer
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