Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 23rd April: Coming soon – tomatoes for EVERYONE.
We seem to be stuck in a weather pattern of perpetual winter/early spring; cold and wet with the odd smattering of sunshine to lull you into a false sense of security to sow more seeds and plant yet more plants before it turns cold and dismal again, and you are left wondering how anything would want to grow. The early spring flowers of daffodils and primroses seem to have been blooming for so long in these cool conditions, and it seems incredible that we will very soon be in the month of May!
Luckily we did manage to get in two gardening sessions at Enbrook Park which was just as well as it was the week to start repotting over two hundred tomato plants. It seems like a rather large amount of plants however by the time we have planted them out in various places and our gardeners have taken some to grow at home, there should probably be enough for anyone in Sandgate interested in growing some too. Too early to plant them outside just yet, they should be available in two to three weeks with luck and will advertise their availability via our newsletter.
The courgette and squash seeds did get sown, as did the leeks, chard, beetroot and more flowering annuals. The sea lavender got pricked out into larger modules, and the mange tout planted. The asparagus has made it to its third year and so we can harvest a couple of spears each session and are taking it in turns to try them.
Last Sunday there was a most interesting afternoon spent with ‘The Wild Kitchen’ in Saltwood, finding out how gourmet meals are created using foraged foods to be found in our locality. We were treated to nettle cake, acorn crackers, crispy seaweed, haw jelly, sea buckthorn jelly, cleavers tonic and violet vodka. There is an abundance of food out there if you know what you are looking for of course, and as a community garden we decided to harvest the flowers from a group of Alexanders we have growing near the bee hives, as it seems the flowers can be cooked like broccoli florets or eaten raw. The Romans introduced the plants to the UK, and it is similar in taste to celery.
Since last week, it has been announced that another Asian hornet has been discovered in Folkestone. It seems the hornet has a penchant for honey bees in particular, having already decimated many a bee hive in France. The Asian hornet is different to our own hornet, and there is a picture of one below with a brief description. The public can help by downloading the Asian hornet watch app as it has photos of the hornet as well as other insects which are commonly confused with the Asian hornet. Any sightings can be reported on the app.
If you should fancy an afternoon with lots of people interested in sustainability with a story to tell that could address our key environmental and related social challenges – then come along to the Burlington Hotel next Saturday 29th April for the Folkestone and Hythe Sustainable Futures Forum. Free tickets are available on Eventbrite – hope to see you there!
What’s next?
- Sow more leeks
- Check available space for some cauliflower/broccoli plants
- Weed at Fremantle, Golden Valley
- Fill any spaces in the spinach bed
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.