The pond site is in the process of having straight sides cut into it to create a shelf for water plants to sit on once the liner has been laid. The bottom of the pond has been trawled for any more sharp rubble and was starting to resemble the Somme. The continuing rain is making progress more of a challenge and it is probably just as well that it starts to coincide with a holiday period! We saw the Saga gardeners shredding a pile of hedge cuttings, and once finished, we moved in quickly to start putting the chippings down to make some paths. Fresh wood chippings should not be used as mulch around plants as they can affect the soil pH and the soil nitrogen levels which means that plants can struggle to grow. It needs to be composted first or used for making paths.
The bird boxes have been prepared, ready to be put up in the trees nearby the garden. This will need to be done soon to allow the birds time to check them over and decide if they would like to move in and make a nest when the time comes. Since our last newsletter, it now seems we have secured a good supply of cardboard for the ‘no dig’ plans.
Saturday was so wet we decided to meet up at the farmers market to indulge in mulled wine and mince pies, and there were even more mulled wine and mince pies to be had at the Fire Station with the Sandgate Society. It was disappointing not to be at the garden, but it is all about the people involved, and community at the end of the day. Some of us are, and will be on holiday now for a short while. Our Theresa has been busy playing the part of Dolly, the love interest of Mike Nolan in the Tower Theatre production of Jack and the Beanstalk, and very good she is too…. Well done Theresa.
Discussions around live honey bees being sited at the garden continue to go well, and there seems to be a great deal of interest in the possibility already. It would be a wonderful thing if a Sandgate bee community develops over this coming new year. We wait and watch with interest.
What’s next?
No arrangements have been made to meet up on Christmas Day strangely enough; however one or two of us might feel like a bit of a workout on the Saturday, moving a few more wood chippings and some of those mince pies off the waistline!
Merry Christmas to you from the Sandgate Community Gardeners.
Theresa in panto 
New wood chip path Mulled wine at the Chichester Hall
