This is our very last newsletter of 2021. With Christmas falling at the weekend, our next edition will be on Sunday January 2nd – so where did that year go?
Looking back we have had an amazing growing year in the main garden at Enbrook, and started several other projects. Going into spring 2022, the garden will be three years old, and it is clear as it matures that it begins to give more and more produce. There is still work to be done to improve the soil, but it is getting easier to work with as time goes on so we look with excitement to see what this new year brings. More projects, more collaborations, more links with other community groups and greater friendships.
This week the job of mulching the plots has continued, as well as putting down more wood chip paths. The soft fruit bushes got pruned, and where many of the gooseberry stems had trailed along the ground they had taken root, giving us several new plants which were potted up to mature and transfer to other places along with more self-sown flower seedlings discovered along the way.
Some of us joined up with the ‘Go Folkestone’ group as well as the Incredible Edibles to plant thirty trees at the Three Hills Sports Park in Cheriton Road on Thursday. The great thing about getting to know other voluntary community groups is that when a job needs doing, then the invitation can go out for everybody to lend a hand and make short work of a large task. Both these groups supported us with the orchard plantings in Sandgate and Fremantle parks recently, and so it was great to be able to return the favour.
The weather has been unseasonably warm again, with no sign of frost, just cloud and sometimes drizzle. There are still flowers in the garden, lettuce and broccoli to pick. On Saturday we had a Christmas gathering for our volunteers, in a time when Covid numbers are starting to sky rocket again and many other Christmas events cancelled. The fact we are working outside has its benefits, and as It was warm and dry enough we partook in mulled wine and mince pies and talked about what we hope to be getting up to during the holiday period, with luck. We have been waiting since April when the seeds were sown, to lift some of the parsnips in time to serve for Christmas lunch. Parsnips are made sweeter for being well frosted, but they looked pretty good as a crop with little or no signs of canker or root boring pests which can be an issue – they were certainly better looking than last year! Wednesday 22nd December will be our last gardening session for this year when we intend to get the mince pies and mulled wine out again as there are often different volunteers that day, and anyway…….why not?
All of us at the Sandgate Community Garden would like to wish you a very merry Christmas, and a healthy new year.
What’s next?
- Finish off the mince pies and mulled wine
- Carry on mulching
- Maybe start pruning some of the fruit trees
- The compost bin number one really will need turning and will be a good workout!
Newly rooted gooseberry plants and self sown seedlings potted up Planting trees at Three Hills Sports Park Mince pies and mulled wine outdoors The garden in December
