Sandgate Community Garden: Update 3 July 2022

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 3rd July: 100% real unadulterated local honey.

Where is the summer going?  Time seems to be passing at a rapid pace and we are working on planting and preparing for the autumn, winter and next spring harvests.  The kale has been planted, the spring purple sprouting and Romanesco pricked out and the winter purple sprouting in the pipeline to be sown.  The mange tout has finished, the frame removed and the bed prepared for something else.

We harvested some first carrots this week, and are eagerly waiting for the courgettes to be productive and for the beans to arrive.  Some of the tomatoes have the tiniest of fruits starting to emerge so we will have to be patient and hope that we will not be hit by blight this year before we get to see any tomatoes. 

Unfortunately the first cabbage white has been spotted actually in with the brassicas as they sat in the cold frame.  So we have just this Saturday started to spray the natural bacteria known as bacillus thuringiensis to thwart the cabbage white caterpillar from making mincemeat of the brassicas even, it seems, when they are netted. 

We have started to use our own compost made in our own compost bins.  It looks pretty good for homemade stuff although it would be a challenge to get it through a sieve!  Whilst working in the compost area we were delighted to spot a slow worm lurking under one of the covers.  What a treat it is to see such amazing creatures in our locality – we were also sent a video of a hummingbird hawk-moth taken in one of our Sandgate gardeners back garden, the reward for having many flowering plants and being vigilant to spot it.

Talking of flowers and insects, Ray, our beekeeper at Enbrook Park is proud to announce that the hives there have done well this year and he has extracted quite a bit of honey.  We cannot wait to give it a try, it looks really dark in the jar pictured below, and we know the bees have been foraging all over the area collecting from a diverse range of flowers from trees, shrubs and annuals.  Unlike the honey mentioned in my newsletter a few weeks ago from well-known supermarkets that fail to mention the jars contain a high percentage of sugar syrup, this is proper 100% real unadulterated local honey which cannot be compared. You will be delighted to know that Ray is prepared to sell some of it, if you are interested, at £6 a jar with a 20p discount on the next order if you return the jar.  A bargain when you consider all the work Ray puts into his hives as well as all the gear he has to buy to do the job properly.  I am collecting orders, so text me on 078 401 38308 or email sandgatecg@gmail.com and treat yourself to something special this summer.

Rainfall for the month of June was 19.8mm, for which we are grateful, and gave a little respite from hand watering.  We are delighted still with our past purchase of an electric water pump to help with the chore, and on reflection are concluding that it may actually be saving us water as the constant water flow prevents having to keep filling up and remembering where you last were and possibly watering again or just from using up what is left in the can.  Who knows, but so far so good.

We are excited to announce that we will be at the Sandgate Sea Festival at the end of August where we hope to be raising funds for all our projects.  We will be selling plants which we are currently busy collecting and nurturing for the occasion.  This is a big fundraising event for us so please write it in the diary now to be there and support us.

What’s next?

  • Sow more sprouting broccoli and rainbow chard
  • Continue to turn the compost bins
  • Check on the gooseberries not picked
  • Looks like a warm week so keep watering the pots

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.