You will not be surprised to hear that we have run out of space in the garden again for everything we are trying to grow! When the onions came out last week we planted up the ground with runner and dwarf beans, soy beans, lettuces, cucumbers and leeks. We have no idea where the rest of the lettuces, kale, beetroot, purple sprouting and chicory will go as yet. With any luck we can squeeze some into a couple of spaces, and will have to wait for the rest of the broad beans and beetroot to mature, but even so, space is precious!
The compost heaps got turned, and the mint finally got potted on, along with the horseradish; carrots have been sown where the pea shoots were, and most of the leeks sown in April have finally been put where the mange tout came out! We put up a sign at the gate to say that we may have fresh vegetables available on the Wednesday and Saturday mornings, and we let some visitors have our first bunch of sweet peas, and our first globe courgette. This week we have onions, spring onions, salad leaves, beetroot, Florence fennel, a few broad beans, and perhaps a few courgettes and sweet peas, so come and ask us when we are there, or text me (Leonie) on 078 401 38308 if you are partial to something we may be growing – we know some of you are asking about marrows, they will be a while yet.
As part of the Incredible Edible project, we planted up a container in the High Street just outside The Ship. We hope you will enjoy helping yourself to the herbs and vegetables; we will be replanting and watering it from now on. We are looking for more Incredible Edible spaces so if you live or work in the High Street, have the room, and would like us to create an Incredible Edible space for you, please get in touch to talk to us about it.
With all this sowing and growing, with a view to getting more of you into seasonal, fresh fruit and veg, we are in desperate need still for greenhouse space, and although we had a great response in the spring, by the late spring, a greenhouse we were using was being filled again by the owner, and so we are still looking for anywhere that preferably is not currently used, with easy access. It could be the start of a beautiful relationship!
We hope that most of you have by now seen the lovely drone video of the garden taken by the Saga head gardener, Paul, and sent out by the Sandgate Society. How fantastic to have another perspective, and for those of you unable to get up to the garden, a chance to see it. Paul was up at silly o’clock to take that video, and catch the blackbirds having a dip in the pond. Part of it is now on our Instagram page, but get in touch and it can be forwarded to you if you have not had the opportunity to see it.
This week we have another two pictures from two of our volunteer’s gardens, to show what they are growing this year. Julie is growing all kinds of herbs and vegetables, as is Ann who has upgraded her veg plot to really go for it this year! Great stuff!
Bee News
The excitement for this week is that Chris, one of our bee keepers, has just bought her own bee hive, and is looking forward to getting a new queen and a few bees to start it up.
What’s next?
- Weed the salad cloche
- Check on the early potatoes
- Thin the carrots and parsnips
- Check if the compost heaps need watering as they are quite dry.
High Street Incredible Edible planter at the Ship High Street planter Incredible Edible sign 
Omlet bee hive structure, as bought by Chris 
Julie’s veg plots Ann’s beans and courgettes
