Sandgate Community Garden

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 27th March: Sowing and more sowing, tomatoes coming soon and reclassifying snails.

The days seem to be racing along, so much to do and little time to squeeze it all in.  We did manage to catch up with ourselves this week and finished the list of jobs from the week before.  We can tell that the keen gardeners out there are responding to the warm weather and getting tasks done in the garden.  Many thanks to Enid, Peter and Isobel for the donations of terracotta and decorative pots for which we are grateful as we are working towards gathering plants for our plant sales later on in the year; larger pots are always useful for displays or some larger plants.  Talking of plant sales, our usual tomato plant sale will be announced soon as we will have many spares for sure.  This year we have at least ten varieties on the go, but you will need to be patient as we grow for planting outside, and plants will not be available for at least another four weeks.

The parsnips all got sown, and the last of the seed potatoes planted. More seeds sown in February are now ready to take their chances outside such as coriander, many varieties of lettuce, mange tout, spring onions, and spring cabbages.  Celeriac got sown as did more coriander, and bulb fennel.  The purple sprouting is looking fantastic, and in spite of being got at by pigeons along the way, they are producing some lovely broccoli spears as shown in the picture below.  This is the first time we have tried this variety called ‘Claret’, and we will be sticking with it for sure when sowing again this year.  Some of the kale got completely stripped by pigeons during the winter, but sheltered under some netting, has recovered just in time to give us some more leaves.

Some of us have been continuing work on a new patch of land in a back street of Sandgate.  It got covered in card and compost some months ago and will soon be ready to be planted up.  It is close to one of our gardeners house, and the neighbours have been commenting on how loved it looks already, and appreciate the few daffodils that have popped up there.  It is always possible to transform a scruffy overgrown area with a little bit of love and attention, it just takes time and the will to make it happen.

Talking of transformations, Fremantle Park just gets better and better.  The picnic benches have been in place for a while now, and much appreciated by families and visitors to the park.  We have had several comments from locals that they really appreciate the space and how much more attractive it has become with all the recent plantings and care, so thank you to the Parish Council and the community gardeners, the park is a real asset to the area and seems to be very well used.

On Saturday afternoon, some of us went to visit a ‘no dig’ allotment at Newington, hosted by a good friend of ours, Erica.  It was inspiring to see so many different growing styles going on at the allotment site, and of course, we had to partake in plenty of cake eating, washed down with tea made on site in a little shed with a tiny stove and kettle.  The sun was shining and it was bliss.  We hope to make more visits to different gardens later on in the year.

ITV Meridian got in touch this week and came to Sandgate Community Garden at Enbrook to film a short piece based on the fact that the RHS have decided that slugs and snails are no longer classified as pests in the garden.  The article could well be shown sometime next week but who knows!

What’s next?

• Prick out all the tomato plants

• Lots more seeds to sow this week

• Start to clear the mustards

• Clear the old Romanesco bed

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 20th March: Sunshine, Sandwich Spread, Sahara Dust and Volunteers

Yippee!  It looks like there is wall to wall sunshine on the horizon for a little while and everything is starting to perk up and look just that much greener. 

Rosie has been tantalising us with her homemade sandwich spread made with all sorts from the garden, chopped up fine and mixed with mayo, a little bit of tomato and grated cheese.  It is the sort of thing that you can make from whatever is available at the time, but has loads of flavour.  Rosie has also been roasting some of the dark kale or broccoli leaves to make ‘crisps’ which can be seasoned with all sorts of herbs and spices – absolutely delicious.

It has been one of those weeks where we did not manage to clear the list of things needing to be done from last week, but did manage to get rather a lot done all the same.  Wednesday was a particularly busy day as we had hired a drop side truck in order to collect compost from our friends at Hope Farm.  The farm make compost from green waste and very kindly allow us to come and collect some for free which is an incredible bonus as compost these days is so expensive.  The farm does not sell compost commercially, but supplies their farm plus a few others based in Kent.  Collecting the compost is always an easy business as the farm has all the right equipment and can load us up with a couple of bulldozer buckets in a matter of a couple of minutes. 

The work is at the other end when we have to unload.  Fortunately we had some amazing hard working and delightful volunteers from the Napier Barracks who soon had the compost unloaded and started wheelbarrowing it up to Sandgate Community Garden whilst another load was being collected.  In the afternoon they came to Fremantle Park and helped us to start work on the mulching of the area in-between the new orchard trees.  There is still much to do there, but soon we can begin to plant up this area with fruit bushes, herbs and flowers.  We are grateful to the ‘Friends of Napier Barracks’ for making such a task a much easier one for us at the garden, and we look forward to working with them again.

The family vegetable plots at Fremantle Park had their paths weeded and another layer of wood chips put down.  The chips from last year had all but disappeared into the ground, broken down over time, and it was getting difficult to work out where the paths should have been.

On Saturday, more coriander seeds got sown and the first batch of Florence fennel.  Early carrots got sown direct into one of the empty beds, watered in and covered in Enviromesh.  Carrots and parsnips are the only small seeds sown direct as their tap roots prefer not to be restrained in small sowing modules, but do not mind being in large pots with space.  There was not enough time to sow the parsnips so that will be another task for next Wednesday. 

As the weather was looking fine and the seed potatoes had sprouted, they got duly planted.  We only have the space for first earlies and managed to plant two beds with enough left to create another next Wednesday which is looking like a busy day already.

The winds bringing in the orange dust from the deserts of Africa did not get missed in the garden, our tool box was completely smothered in the stuff and the slugs and snails lurking in the compost bins next door had a fine time making orange dust trails all over it.  No rain on the horizon to be washing that off and so the phenomenon will be remaining with us for a while.

What’s next?

• Cut back the butterfly bush this week

• Pot up more seedlings just starting to appear, for relocation

• Tidy up the chard beds ready for their last fling

• Random onions still need removing from the Choke berry bushes

• Collect new hop twine and re-string the hops

• Sow the parsnip seeds

• Finish planting the potatoes

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 13th March: the Spring of Deception

One of our gardeners sent through a very appropriate reminder that we are currently experiencing the ‘Spring of deception’ where you get all excited and raring to get going, but that it could all go horribly wrong if we get too carried away.  The problem is the weather on the horizon is looking reasonable, and we have filled practically all of our seed trays and the cold frames are full.  It is so exciting to see all the little shoots starting to pop up above ground both in the trays and in the garden.  New this week is the very first hop and asparagus shoots; however we will have to remain most patient about the asparagus as the beds still have another year to mature until we can start to harvest just a few spears in April 2023. 

Many of the buds on the fruit bushes and vines are starting to burst, and the kiwi vines poised to scamper up the canes.  The Goji berries are already in acid green leaf and are under threat of being relocated if they do not perform and produce more berries this year.  To be fair they did get attacked by climbing snails last year which probably ate all the flowering buds. 

Many thanks to Diane who contacted us with a gift of a blackcurrant bush dug up from her Sandgate garden which was surplus to requirements.  We certainly have a place to put that!

Seeds sown this week were dill and chervil, peas for pea shoots as well as Mange tout peas, more radishes, beetroot, spring onions, lettuces and spinach.  The broccoli which failed the week before has been replaced by a new sprouting batch which will be thinned out this week to give them more room. 

The kale which had gone to flower last week was removed and the stalks composted, all the autumn raspberries were cut down to the ground as the new shoots are just starting to show through, (however, summer raspberries are not cut right back in this manner).  The enclosure containing the last of the wood chips was emptied, and the wood chips spread about on the paths. 

We are pleased to welcome Miracle to the garden, not quite our youngest member but certainly younger than most of us.  She is working on her Duke of Edinburgh award and has been busy sowing seeds and tending to the hop plants so far.  We hope she will enjoy her visits and gets to absorb what community gardening is all about. 

What’s next?

• Cut back the butterfly bush this week

• Pot up more seedlings just starting to appear, for relocation

• Tidy up the chard beds ready for their last fling

• Random onions still need removing from the Choke berry bushes

• Collect new hop twine and re-string the hops

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 6th March: All Systems Go

It is all systems go from now on; it remains reasonably warm here in the South East, with no frosts on the horizon to knock any of the growth back.  In fact we had to remove the fleece covers from all the broad beans as they have already started to flower and it would not be possible for any of the pollinators to reach them with the covers still on.  Flowers are what we definitely look for as regards broad beans but not what we want with the kale.  As soon as the kale starts to go to flower it means the beginning of the end for that crop.  However the flowers can be eaten before they are fully open, and so we picked as many off as we could and the rest of the crop will be salvaged and removed next week.

Also cropping early are the spring onions sown last September, we were not expecting to be harvesting them until the end of this month and into April.  Most of the Romanesco broccoli and the Kaibroc have been harvested, but as the ground is not required as yet for the next crop, they have been allowed to stay put and send out some side shoots with miniature flowering heads, as an added bonus.  If you have the time, space and decent weather to allow them to do this, they will reward you. 

Just when you think there can be no more parsnips in the ground, four more suddenly put on some top growth and make an appearance above the ground.  To be fair, three of them must have slid down into the path early on in life to have escaped the final collection, but there was still one more to be found actually in the bed.

The peas and radishes sown just seventeen days before, got planted in the week, and we got to try out our brand new super-sized dibbers we had treated ourselves to before Christmas.  They will make life much easier as they can be used without having to be on your knees, not always possible for some of our gardeners.

We had an invite to visit a new garden project by Touchbase Care in Tontine Street.  For the past year they have been working very hard on the main design and structure of their garden in the corner of a field on a farm.  Nearing completion, they have made it wheelchair accessible, there are some beautifully built raised beds, a tool shed, a greenhouse, a classroom or summer house, plus they are now starting work on the all-important compost toilet!  We first heard about the project this time last year and are delighted that they are realising the dream and now reaching completion.  It has been a lot of hard work to put all the structures in place, but it will be an amazing space once it is up and running and such a beautiful spot too. 

What’s next?

• Take up the kale and strip anything edible

• Sow spring onions, more radishes and herbs

• Cut back the butterfly bush

• Remove more of the woodchips in store

• Remove some random onions growing near the raspberries

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 27th February: Lettuces, compost, pruning and facility envy.

Luckily, Covid had decided to move on by the end of this week, just leaving the usual after-effects, and appreciation that it could have been much worse.  Regardless, the seeds sown over the last week have popped up and many have been ‘pricked out’ into individual modules to continue growing.  Now starts the juggling with the available space and watching the temperatures, weather conditions and pesky slugs.

Paul, the Saga grounds manager, has very kindly brought the water bowser back to the garden, as it had spent the winter parked up in his yard until planting time came around once more.  He was just in the nick of time as we think we should be planting the pea shoots and radishes, the fastest growing vegetables, this coming Wednesday, just seventeen days after they were sown, incredible.

You may recall that just before Christmas we were tantalised by a call from Waitrose in Hythe with the wonderful news that they had decided to give us some funds; however before we could hold the cheque in our grubby hands it got whisked away back to head office because it was written incorrectly.  The good news is we do now have it in our grubby hands and most grateful we are for £333.00 which will be going towards all the plans we have for this coming year – thank you Waitrose!

The Incredible Edibles have had a busy week making a brilliant start on the dismantling and rebuilding of the big composting area at the back of All Souls churchyard.  No small task as it involves pulling out all the compost in the bins, but it will be fabulous to have a system which is large enough to cope with all the plant matter being generated, from grass cuttings to leaves and weeds.

On Saturday, some of our community gardeners were involved in helping to prune an orchard of some 70 fruit trees, mainly cherry, a few plum and pear trees owned by the community farm ‘Muddy Wellies’ just outside Ashford on the A20.  This community space is part of a series of gardens under Brogdale CIC, serving six college sites across Kent providing horticultural education for disabled young people.   The event was organised by the Hythe Environmental Group, and we had guidance and instruction from a professional commercial orchard manager.

The trees had not been pruned for several years, and so will take a good three years to get them back into good shape.  The weather was just beautiful which was important on the day as well as settled weather thereafter, so this weekend was perfect.  The day was amazing, once we got over the facility envy of polytunnels, kitchen, indoor working spaces and even two toilets!

A great time was had by all, excellent company and such a worthwhile project.  We are hoping to stay in touch and with any luck get involved with the pruning next year as it will be interesting to be able to follow the project through.

What’s next?

• Keep seed sowing

• Plant the pea shoots and radishes – cover

• Is the pond clear of the storm debris?

• Water the plants in the cold frames

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

It has to be said that in the whole history of this newsletter, since the Sandgate Community Garden began, this one has been the most challenging!  Having managed up to now to avoid catching Covid, it has come knocking on my door, and I (Leonie) am just going into my second week stuck at home.  Fortunately we have good communication systems amongst our lovely dedicated team of gardeners, and so I have managed to glean all that has been happening without me.

The great thing about knowing so many vegetable growers is that they are experts at making the most delicious soups.  Many thanks to Erica for a large pot of spicy veg soup / stew which was just the thing needed at that time, for the shopping delivered to the door, and all the messages offering help, it was most appreciated and just confirms that our community is truly amazing.

Parsnip soup made from our own garden parsnips was again causing some envy.  Knowing that we are frequently asked for the recipes, the maker Rosie, has already obliged:

Parsnip Soup Recipe.
– 3 parsnips
– 600 ml water
– Chicken stock cube
– Knob of butter
– Milk to taste
Prepare and chop parsnips. Fry for a short time in butter. Add chicken stock. When soft liquidise, add milk, salt, pepper.
As I used community garden parsnips I relied on their flavour so didn’t add an onion or herbs/spices. Recipe approx amounts.

St Valentine’s Day marks the beginning of the seed sowing for the year, when peas for shoots, coriander, parsley, spinach, cabbage, spring onions, broccoli and radishes got sown indoors to germinate in modules or seed trays.  This year we have at least a dozen varieties of lettuce which will be interesting.  The broccoli failed to germinate at all however the seed packet was out of date and this time the gamble of giving them a go, failed.  There is still plenty of time to try again.

Rosie has been highly delighted with her homegrown purple sprouting broccoli this week and sent a picture, shown below.  It can be true that much of growing anything is based on luck, faced with weather conditions, insects, and hungry pigeons; however the results are looking pretty good.  Her variety is earlier than ours at Enbrook Park, which is not due to be ready to pick until April.  Of course, if you have the time to plan, plus plenty of room it is possible to have broccoli in season all year round.

The Incredible Edible group have recently bought a 110 litre water bowser on large wheels which can be pulled by hand along the street to water planters.  It will be very interesting to find out just how manoeuvrable and easy to use this thing will be, as we always have issues in getting enough water to some of the other garden areas outside of Enbrook Park and have so far had to rely on carting 20 litre containers full of water about.  The only foreseen problem is that Sandgate has so many hills and a full bowser might possibly be something that only the strongest can manage.  We are looking forward to giving it a go.

I have been saved the misery of having to see the garden at Enbrook Park the day after storm Eunice which struck on Friday.  It seems there were no broken trees or branches this time, but naturally the fleece and mesh covers got a good battering as did many of the plants.  All was put right on Saturday morning by our gardeners, however the pond has got more things floating in it than it should, and it is not very clear if high winds are set to return over the next few days.  Fingers are crossed that the very worst has now passed. 

The beekeepers have just been celebrating the fact that the bees at the garden hives are able to forage and collect pollen now that spring is on the horizon.

What’s next?

• Sow broccoli seeds

• Sow more radishes

• Sort out the pond

• Check on all the other growing areas for any damage

At last the time has come to start sowing those seeds, but not all of them, just those that can tolerate cold weather and cope should there be a change in the current warm and sunny period.  We are talking about peas (for pea shoots), spring onions, radishes, lettuces, spinach, parsley, broad beans, broccoli, coriander and early cabbage.

We were contacted by a lovely lady by the name of Rosemary, keen to pass on her own locally collected flower and plant seeds.  Rosemary volunteers for the Romney Marsh community garden as well as the Hythe Environmental group, where she can be seen regularly at their seed swaps, with knowledge and support for anybody that needs it. Rosemary gave us several plants and collected seeds.  We are delighted to make yet another contact, and plan to go and visit Rosemary at her community garden in New Romney soon.  As we have learnt from our recent seed saving course, locally collected seed is more likely to thrive in the same area being used to the climate.

We know that volunteering has several benefits, from building community and your social network to developing emotional stability and helping mental wellbeing.  Over time we have met so many inspirational and encouraging people, and made many links with local organisations and individuals all striving to improve and support our society.  The reward as a volunteer is priceless, but the need is great and there is a vast amount of choice for anybody looking to offer their services. 

Below is a picture taken by one of our volunteers of a nearby post box, enhanced by an excellent knitter which made us all smile and wonder at the incredible hidden talents out there.

We are looking for keen gardeners to help us look after various sites around Sandgate, to plant, water, and weed, maybe even grow flowering plants to make our area look its best.  We were contacted to meet an amazing trio, valiantly working hard to clear and make good the overgrown grounds surrounding our very own St Paul’s churchyard on Sandgate Hill.  Unfortunately the grounds had become quite overgrown, and being adjacent to the main road, is in full sight, and looked unloved.  Natalie took up the challenge and volunteered with two other recruits to begin the clearance and nurturing of the rescued plants, however they are looking for more help.  They are a delightful group, very friendly and chatty, so perhaps if you are looking to volunteer somewhere, this could be for you!   Please contact Leonie on 07840138308 if you would like to help – your community needs you even if you can only spare an hour or two!

The Incredible Edible group in Cheriton had a sudden influx of volunteers when many of the Nepalese community got stuck in with weeding and tidying.  Possibly the best part of the session was the mugs of tea and copious amounts of homemade cake which seemed to go down well.  The Incredible Edibles hope to be able to support the Nepalese community with a planting area or areas in the grounds of their new community centre in Cheriton.

We got some important jobs done this week.  The children’s nursery at Saga were donated a beautiful specimen apple tree for their growing area last year, and it got a pruning, supervised by the interested children, to get it back into shape for the coming season.  They were delighted to show off their spring flowers and overwintered vegetables growing in the planters.  We are hoping to be able to support them better this year now that restrictions are easing.

The large pots of mint that overflowed last year got turned out, split into smaller sections and re-potted in fresh soil, as did a very congested arum lily.  More self-sown seedlings appear every week it seems and were either planted in a better spot or potted up for use elsewhere.

We did get to pick a few mustard leaves, some broccoli shoots and some kale leaves that had been netted and left to recover for some weeks after being practically shredded to bits by the pigeons.  They are currently eying up the purple sprouting and have managed to strip a few plants if any strong winds displace the protective netting.

What’s next?

• Get sowing

• Sort out those tayberry plants

• Keep an eye on the fleece and net covers if it is windy

• Some signs need replacing

The snowdrops are out in Enbrook Park, and Imbolc (Gaelic/pagan festival of spring) has already passed us by.  So very tempting this time of the year when the sun comes out, to go get the seeds and start sowing, but not before St Valentine’s Day!  There is just one more week to wait.

The rainfall for January was 49mm which seemed to have happened on the 8^th when it rained all day. After that we did not see any substantial rain and we have had to water the pots several times.  The plants taking shelter in the cold frames were removed this week as they can dry out too quickly once the sun starts to shine for any length of time, and the weather does not look too cold for the foreseeable future.

The pond edges got weeded, a few spare plants planted around the edges, and more time spent fishing leaves out of the water.  Another bird box was kindly donated and fixed to a nearby tree, and a wooden handmade planter, also donated, was picked up with thanks.  Time was well spent litter picking and tidying the little green outside the Fish and Chip shop in the High Street.  It is good to see that the bulbs planted back in the autumn are starting to come through. 

Although too early for sowing seeds it is certainly not too early to start off your potatoes.  Seed potatoes are available now for ‘chitting’ where the ‘eyes’ of the potato seeds are allowed to grow shoots before being planted at the end of March or early April.  Always tricky to recommend varieties as you need to consider what works best for you, as well as your growing conditions and personal taste.  All varieties have their own merits but the main thing is they are grown by us and nothing else will taste any better!  There is just no comparison with anything bought in a shop. 

Some of the netting was temporarily removed to mulch the base of the overwintering broccoli and kale to give them that extra boost now they are building up to their main cropping time in March and April, perhaps through to May.  It was surprising to find a caterpillar or two still grazing amongst the brassica leaves. It feels incredible for February but it seems not unusual as we have heard reports of other caterpillar finds in local gardens and in the UK south.

Since reporting last week that there were various growing projects being initiated in and around Folkestone, even more garden organisers have been getting in touch to highlight their plans which is really good news.  So much is starting to happen locally, and it is very encouraging that these projects are reaching out to make connections because as we already know, having links with other community groups has certainly helped us.  Swapping seeds, seedlings, plants, information, even just visiting different sites can inspire and give ideas.

There is a new project happening in Fremantle Park this week, as many have noticed that two concrete bases have been set into the grass close to the playground.  One of our gardener’s children thought with great excitement that they may be rocket launching pads, which sound like a brilliant idea; however, they are in fact bases for two picnic benches.  Let us hope that their disappointment of reality is short lived.

What’s next?

• Get the garden signs painted and up;

• Get those flower seedlings potted up;

• Sort out the tayberry plants;

• Start splitting up the many mint plants and repot.

There might not be much going on at the garden these days, but there certainly is plenty happening as regards planning and organising in the background, for the year ahead as well as beyond. 

This article was in the Guardian this week, stating that the ‘UK could grow up to 40% of its own fruit and vegetables by using urban green spaces’. 

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/jan/24/uk-could-grow-up-fruit-and-vegetables-urban-green-spaces

Apparently only about 1% of urban green space is made up of allotments. The thought is that we should be using more of our gardens, parkland, playing fields and open grass spaces to grow more food.  Well, our Community Gardens, and the work of the Incredible Edibles is already using and growing in public spaces. However perhaps there are a few other issues which need to be addressed first. It seems quite shocking that currently much less than 40% of our fruit and vegetables come from the UK. 

Perhaps the main sticking points are that we expect to be able to buy certain foods all year round and out of season. We expect food to:

• look perfect and therefore probably sprayed with all sorts of chemicals;

• be cheap and plentiful

• include exotic fruits and veg from abroad we cannot possibly grow here;

And of course, some do not even eat any fruit and vegetables in the first place, or very few. 

An interesting article but a complex subject which will certainly not be changed unless there is a considerable threat to our food security and we are forced to.  The last time this happened was during the two World Wars.  Let us hope we never have to cross that bridge even in these interesting times. 

However if you are the kind of person who likes sharing ideas and inspiring change, then this event could be just up your street.  Hosted by thenextstep.org.uk  at the Eleto Café in Rendezvous Street, Folkestone, a chance to find out about local green initiatives:

‘whether you’re just curious about what you could do in your own life to become that one step greener, or you want to learn about something exciting and new, we want to offer a comfortable space for us all to share ideas and learn from one another in our community’.

This is a new initiative in Folkestone, and the second meeting was held this week where the discussion was around the possibility of a ‘Repair Shop’ in the locality, and aspects of recycling.  There were representatives from many walks of life, from businesses to councilors, to community groups, and interested individuals, young and old.  We are certainly looking forward to the next meeting which will be Wednesday 23^rd February 6-8pm.  The group can be found on Instagram and Facebook too.

Enough of the soapbox lecturing and advertising for now.  January is drawing to a close, we are fast approaching the time when we will be sowing the first of the seeds for the year, and we can look forward to longer, warmer days.  We have had several enquiries about new projects being planned, and if we can advise on starting Community Gardens or spaces.  We are always delighted to share what we have learnt along the way, the pitfalls as well as the good bits, and hope we can in some way help new groups to get going. 

Some jobs did get finished this week.  The last of the compost at the lower wall was bagged up, and the final little bit we have in the garden is all but gone.  Happily we do have plans to enable us to collect more compost to keep us in good stead for the rest of the year.  The large planter at Golden Valley did get mulched with a good layer of cardboard and compost, as did some of the growing space at Fremantle Park.  And our pond was cleared of leaf debris, a fabulous Romanesco cauliflower was found and picked, and there was much surprise in the clump of rhubarb which has appeared above the mulch layer already. 

What’s next?

• Bag up the last of the compost for Fremantle
• The pond edges still need weeding
• New signs need painting and putting up
• There are some flower seedlings which need potting up
• Do not forget to water the cold frames!

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