The plot is looking a real picture, quite literally, as the before and after Instagram posting shows. What an incredible difference a few weeks makes!
In the fight to keep most of the crops for human consumption, and not the wildlife, we are checking for eggs laid on the brassicas, and any green or blackfly. No need to feel guilty about moving them on as we have planted sacrificial offerings such as nasturtiums and calendulas for them to feast on! Chris has been collecting coffee grounds from work to sprinkle around the site as it is a fertiliser, which slugs and snails do not like, and we are wondering if the coffee smell disguises the smell of the vegetable plants! Any more coffee grounds can be composted in our soon to be constructed compost heap, a must for every garden!
Kalpana from the Nepalese community visited again this week bringing two friends to help with the watering and sowing. We planted lentils, Nepalese string beans, Rayo spinach, mustard seeds, and red hot chilli seeds, all grown and harvested from the back yard of Kalpana’s family home! Learning so much from Kalpana’s visits!
Thanks go out this week also to Rosie for investing in some new bean canes for the future, to Paula and Andrew for six pepper plants, and to Paul the head gardener at Saga, for getting to grips with the water tank plumbing and fixing a proper tap! One of the pictures attached is of Paula’s rose, looking amazing.
Now for the great announcement!! Our first event is planned for the afternoon of Sunday 22nd September, from midday – a picnic at the garden, to celebrate our achievements so far, and to say thank you to everybody that makes it all possible – if you are reading this, you are invited, so put the date in your diary. Fresh salad, runner bean pickle, beetroot and horseradish hummus, tomatoes, courgette cake and chocolate beetroot brownies on the menu already, so if you are coming, which of course you are, bring a dish to share.
What’s next –
- Watering – we need to keep an eye on the water level as there will be no refill available this week
- Check for aphids, caterpillars, and tomato side shoots
- Keep weeding and working on the ground to the left of the fruit trees, and the construction of the compost heap
- Put the 22nd September in your diary and plan a dish of food to share!
Ladybird on patrol Colourful salad Kalpana and family member Kale and purple sprouting
