Work has slowed a little this week. The main plot at Enbrook is looking tidy and as good as mulched all over, but we are waiting on certain things to happen before we can make progress. There is still a small pile of compost to be moved from the storage area below the lower wall within the park up to the garden. Some was barrowed up in the week, the rest can be done as and when. Fortunately the brassica netting canopies are doing the job of keeping the pigeons at bay and allowing some growing space too. Growing temperatures rarely get reached these days and so the overwintering crops remain at a standstill until we get to see some longer, warmer days.
One of the large brick planters at Golden Valley has been plagued with Mare’s tails, an invasive plant which can be deep rooted and quite difficult to get rid of. We have some patches of it remaining at Enbrook Park, especially in the gooseberry patch. It likes to lurk beneath the spiny stems of the gooseberries where gardeners are reluctant to put their hands!
We thought the best plan was to remove all the plants from the planter, then cover with a good thick layer of cardboard and compost. This should help to weaken the growth as well as keep cutting back any new growth which keeps appearing in the gaps between the paving outside the planter. Of course all the garden books tell you to spray with weed killer. The planter can then be replanted later in the spring once the mulches have had a chance to smother any new growth. However we suspect we will still be pulling it out throughout the year.
Fremantle Park
This area has had a bit of a tidy this week, the flowering border had been allowed to finish and shed seeds. Seeds sown in this way can often manage to overwinter and appear ultra-early. In fact it was noticed just last week there was a developing cosmos seedling growing in a crack between the pavement and one of the large brick planters at Golden Valley, which must have come from the plants growing there last year. It will be interesting to see if it can survive, and therefore manage to be in flower long before any sister plants.
On Saturday some of us went to learn all about seed saving with ‘Seed Sovereignty UK’ at the Locavore Community Garden, Martello Primary School, Folkestone. Seed saving is a fascinating subject, and can also be quite complex, in the saving of the seed itself to the political and social effects worldwide. Over the last century we have lost an enormous amount of vegetable varieties, so that now we only have a few varieties to choose from which serve all regions.
By being able to save our own seed, we can help to protect and restore seed diversity locally, particularly important at a time of climate crisis. It is a daunting matter, but along with all the other local growing groups represented at the course, we can combine to share the task by starting with just one vegetable variety each, and gradually build on our expertise. We will then, as a cooperative, share the seeds along with growing support. It is a long term project, but we understand the reasoning is a sound one in such interesting times.
What’s next?
- Barrow some more compost up to the garden
- Mulch the empty planter at Golden Valley
- Try to get out some of the leaves in the pond
- Weed around the pond
Locavore Community Garden Water winnowing Wind winnowing Identifying different plant groups within the gourd family to work out if they will cross pollinate
