Sandgate Community Garden

The last sowings of Broad beans have now been planted and are already starting to romp away, a little disconcerting for the end of November.  It is still not too late to sow or plant broad beans, or garlic if you fancy giving it a go.  The autumn peas were planted too.  Some of them will be for pea pods, the others for early pea shoots.  Never good to sow peas direct as they often attract rodents and get dug up and eaten before they get the chance to sprout.  We have not tried autumn peas before now so it will be interesting to see if it is worth the effort compared to spring sown peas.   We have noticed that the pigeons have turned their attention to the cabbages and purple sprouting, so plants had to be covered with netting once more.  We had hoped to get away with them uncovered.

One of the Oca or New Zealand yam plants was lifted to see if they are ready, but they still seem a little small, and will be left alone for a few more weeks to get bigger with any luck!  However the leeks and celeriac are ready and we should all be able to have just one or two, enough to make a soup or a welcome addition to a meal.  The winter purslane or claytonia is ready for picking, that is if you have the patience as it is quite tiny and very fiddly to collect.

Following a couple of birthdays, we had carrot muffins and beetroot brownies to share – so many excellent recipes out there, and always grateful to be eating cake on a cold morning to help make the work that much easier.

The assumption was that our new fleece covering would arrive this week, but it has now been delayed again, so our fingers are remaining crossed for the continuation of this milder weather for the time of year.

At very short notice we were offered a free delivery of wood chips from a tree surgeon working locally.  Rather than have to take the chips back to his yard, he was looking to find homes for a few deliveries.  Although wood chips are a waste product, a load can cost in the region of £100 by the time you consider the transport costs and time for a driver to load up and deliver.  We gratefully accepted a load, and have started to lay down more paths as well as add a layer to the current compost bin as it could do with some drier, ‘brown’ content as it is too ‘green’ or moist.  This should help to make the balance.

On Monday some of us attended the virtual summit – Kent’s Plan Bee, to find out about the plight of insects throughout the UK, and how Kent ‘s council is able to respond and help wildlife in the county by making a few changes to how the parkland and grass verges are managed.  We were surprised to learn that Kent has over 130 miles of bee and insect friendly planting along the coastline, which is linked to a network of wildlife zones throughout the county.  We also heard from a local farmer concerned about farming methods having such an impact on wildlife numbers and how he is putting in place some steps to change the way he farms.  Some of the plans are still at early stages, and it has made us think about things we can add to the garden to help out.  We already have wildlife areas, but one thing that did strike us was that it was important to have something in flower in the garden all year round.  We have more ideas to work on, and are going to work towards a ‘neighbourhood with the best buzz’ award.

What’s next?

• We still have strawberry compost bags to open

• We have beds waiting for a layer of compost mulch

• Continue to barrow wood chips up to the garden

• If the fleece arrives, start to put it over the plants

• Continue to keep the weeds down

• Collect last few leaves blowing about

There are still some people who are yet to find us in Enbrook Park, and it can be quite lengthy to explain exactly where we are too!  However, not any more as we have appeared on the maps at the entrances of the park – so there is no excuse, we are on the map!

Again this week we have been very busy clearing beds and fallen leaves, putting down new compost and paths, and planting broad beans.  The fleece needed to protect the plants from wind and frost is yet to arrive in the post, so thank goodness for the continuing mild weather.  The sun is lower in the sky these days, when it can be seen; the days are shorter, and the plant growth is very much reduced and slower.  The addition of fleece further reduces the light by 15 to 30%, and worse with a covering of fallen leaves, it is all important to keep the plot tidy.  Such moist warm weather has been perfect for fungi, and we are noticing some of the most amazing fungal structures – they do no harm within the garden, and are thought to be of great benefit, so we leave them be wherever they choose to pop up.

A welcome bonus has been a few raspberries; they are still fruiting in November, and as young plants need time to mature for a worthy crop – all in good time.  They are autumn raspberry varieties, hence the late fruiting at a time when all other soft fruit finished some time ago.

The hops have lost all their leaves now and are just showing their climbing stems, so it has been time to cover the crown of the plants with a good layer of compost to protect the plant from winter weather and feed the roots for next year when new growth will appear in the spring.  We have now heard that Docker brewery are about to release the Hythe Pale Ale from the scheme hops, and a further brew has been started to make a Christmas stout, we are looking forward to trying it all.  We will let you all know where and when any of these beers can be bought.

Talking about buying local goods – some of us were pleased to buy the new Sandgate bags from the Sandgate Society, made of cloth, not plastic, for a bargain price of £3 with a competition winning picture of the beach on the front.  Beautifully wrapped they make a brilliant present and perfect for us to carry our tools and veg.  All the profits go towards local projects – an even better reason to make a purchase.

What’s next?

• Plant the peas in the prepared bed, and find another space for more

• Tidy up around the tool box

• Continue to pick up leaves and weed

• Spaces for posts to be put in

• How is the pond doing?  Continue to get out any rotting leaves

• Separate recycled compost from the grow bags and add to the compost pile

• If the fleece arrives, cover the new plantings

Such a contrast to the weather in the last few newsletters, this week we have had some beautiful sunny and warm weather, encouraging more gardeners to get to the garden and make the most of it, especially as we are now in another lockdown.  However this one is very different to the first where we could only work on our own – this time we can follow community garden rules for food gardens, which explain in detail how we can work in the space.  We certainly feel glad that we can carry on as long as we are careful, and we know of the benefits the garden brings to mental and physical health.  How timely that we should receive yet another certificate from the RHS Britain in Bloom, in recognition of how important community gardens are, and how valuable our work is in such difficult times as we have experienced this year.  Always glad to receive a certificate and we shall have to consider where it could be displayed!

Just as we are being given such an accolade, we are then contacted by a Social Prescribing Service for West Kent.  We are being asked to be part of a support service to help people reduce social isolation and loneliness and improve health and wellbeing.  We will be very glad to register.

In the meantime, there is still much to be done.  The first of the fleece covers have been put down and more has been ordered, to protect any vegetables overwintering, to shelter from the wind and frost.  It takes a while to get to know your fleece and what should be avoided.  For this garden there is no point buying a lightweight fleece of less than 30g m2 as it will tear and be useless in no time at all.  It is also wise to make sure the fleece has good UV tolerance as the sunlight makes the fleece turn to dust and simply disintegrate in less than a season.  Who would have thought that fleece can create such a minefield of issues.

All the wooden boxes got their final coats of wood treatment for the year, and the compost area is nearing completion.  Two more packets of broad bean seeds have been sown as have the last of the autumn peas.  They have been quick to germinate and we will soon be planting them out once we have put down more compost on the beds.  The leaf compost bin is nearly full already but leaves fished out from the pond are not added until any wildlife has had the chance to escape back to the water.  

Now is a chance to look at the bare bones of the garden and review how the permanent plants are growing.  Last autumn we planted the smallest of twigs claiming to be gooseberry plants – they had been decimated by sawfly and looked very sorry for themselves, so we got them for pennies, a real bargain as they now resemble good sturdy plants and should be cropping next summer.

You really would have thought that the brassicas would have been given a break from caterpillars by now in November, but unfortunately they are still enjoying making holes in the leaves – even in the vegetation of the High Street planter!   Unbelievable!

What’s next?

• We need to consider a wild flower seed bomb for behind the compost area

• Continue to spread compost

• Continue to collect leaves from the ground and in the pond

• Put the fleece down if it has arrived in the post

• Clear some of the spent salad areas

• Clear some of the finished flowers and compost

• Put a thick layer of compost on the hops.

As we are heading into November & with shorter and cooler days now our bees are safely beginning to cluster for warmth in their hives.  We have been seeing the last of the Ivy flowers and with temperatures now below 18 DegC the start of the winter formation ensues with a loose cluster of bees which gets tighter as the temps drop further. They behave like penguins in the Antarctic & switch positions to ensure that the outside layer of bees do not get too cold. 

Bees use their indirect flight muscles to generate heat in the depth of winter and so the reliance in available food stores to survive.  The average colony can consume over 20kG of honey stores during the winter and so Chris & I have been checking on the colonies and supplying syrup for the bees to convert into their winter larder.  Lifting the corner of the hive to gauge the weight is called hefting and to assess the available internal honey stores and the need to feed. If any more food is needed, then baker’s fondant or wetted sugar can be placed for the Dec/Jan period.

The beekeeper will not open the hives for routine inspections right around to March next year and so to preserve the heat within the hive. 

The brood in the colony will be decreasing as the queen reduces her egg-laying to the point whereby there will be no brood to be fed by the end of November.  The curve below is a useful reference to the volume of adult bees throughout the year in comparison to available brood which can be seen to drop off at the end of November leaving the winter workforce to live through the winter period until the next March, when the first of the new season bees will be hatched.

The hives are also prepared externally for potential green woodpecker attacks through the hive wall and with reduced entrances with mouse guards to avoid the temptation of mice looking for a winter home!  They must also be well anchored from the Channel gales that we are likely to endure.

The winter period is a time for the beekeeper to look ahead to training needs & the participation in several Zoom Beekeeping informative sessions, cleaning and also the preparation of equipment & hardware in readiness for the 2021 season & hopefully a happy & safe one at that.

With thanks & regards from Chris & Ray – The SAGA Beekeeping Team.

How very timely that we should receive news from Kent County Council about Kent’s Plan Bee with an invitation to the official launch online.  This is a virtual summit to discuss the council’s action plan for pollinators to reverse ‘serious declines in forage and habitat which harms them and us’.  Please take a look at the information on the poster shown below in the photographs, for information on how you can register for this important, free summit.

Not much movement from the bees in the garden this week, and not much from the gardeners either, thwarted by wind and rain.  According to a local rain gauge, we have had 230.4 mm of rain in October; apparently the average rainfall for this month is around 60mm.  We usually complain about the lack of water, but certainly not this month as it seems we have had more than our fair share!

What’s next?

• Tidy the space around the new composting area

• If it stops raining, finish wood treatment on compost bins

• Sow last of the broad beans and few last peas

• Continue to fish leaves out of the pond and leave on the side for wildlife to get back in pond!

• Continue to tidy space ready for the big compost spread.

The clocks have gone back this Saturday.  Daylight hours are reducing fast as time goes on, but there is an abundance of free food out there if you are a forager, and apparently this year is a ‘mast year’ which is a superabundance that occurs every five to ten years.  The trees synchronise their most productive years, giving so much fruit and nuts that the animals can never eat them all, and there is the best chance for new saplings to establish themselves.   Apparently this is an evolutionary tactic that happens with some insects and animals too.  Nature is just amazing!  We are inundated by sycamore seeds again this autumn and are doing our best to pick up as many of them as we can with the leaves, or in the spring we will have a forest starting to grow.  We certainly had experience of that this year, and had to put the hoes to good use.  If any of the saplings get a hold, the roots go down very deep.

Exciting news of this week is that we have had a delivery of a couple of bottles of beer from the local Hythe brewery Hop Fuzz made with the hops from the Hythe Hops scheme, and so contains some of our own grown hops.  Both bottles were put into a lottery and were won by two of our gardeners, Julie and Rosie.  In the photograph below of the two bottles, you can read on the label that the brew is made with Hythe hops from ‘a team of interested people from the local community who together, want to grow hops and turn them into beer’.   Some of the proceeds also go towards supporting the local bumblebee conservation trust.   More brews from Hop Fuzz and Docker breweries will be happening before Christmas, and will be appearing in bottles and cans somewhere near you.

Docker brewery made another delivery of spent hops to our compost bins this week, and very glad we are to have them.  The smell coming from the bins was something wonderful for a change.  We are investing in another stacked wooden compost bin so that we can continue to make even more ‘black gold’, the most important bit of the garden that nourishes all the fruit and vegetables.

Rain was very much the feature of this week, which completely washed out our Wednesday meeting and half of Saturday too.  However we got broad beans and autumn peas sown, and the winter purslane got planted.  Winter purslane or claytonia is very rich in vitamin c and prefers to grow in the winter months.  We shall see if we like it enough to make it a regular feature.

What’s next?

• Finish the wood treatment on the new and old compost bins

• Sow a few more broad beans

• Are we going to net this pond?

• Order the fleece

• Dig up strawberry plants

• Move herbs to herb garden area

Both the garlic and the elephant garlic got planted this week, and still time to plant more, as well as broad beans which could happen next week.  All the garlic had been saved from last year. 

The biggest job of the week was to turn out all of the compost bins, move and then repack them.  It is always a good opportunity to see if the compost is too dry or too wet, and to make adjustments.  Fallen leaves get collected every session, and it will take several months to fill the leaf mould compost bin.  We are thinking it would be a good idea to cover the pond surface with netting to catch falling leaves that will pollute the pond, but we have to think of the wildlife that use it and make it safe for them too.

The strawberry planters got planted up, and so we have many strawberry plants left, a few will go to some of the Incredible Edible projects in the area, and perhaps others will go to the Fremantle park project.  Nothing gets wasted, and even if things get delegated to the compost bin, it goes to make excellent compost. 

Below is a picture of one of the Fremantle Park planters being well looked after by locals.  Pleased to say, everything is currently looking lush and green there.

Now we have had plenty of rain, and beds are being cleared we can continue easily with the ‘big weed’ and work through the entire plot catching things before they have a chance to flower – again they get added to the compost bin.  Something is also making the most of the softer, pliable soil and trying to dig several holes up against the wall.  Perhaps they are trying to dig their way to the other side.  Always interesting to see and wonder at what the wildlife are up to, and the abandoned chewed up trainer left behind on the path leads you to imagine all sorts of things going on when we are not around!

What’s next?

• Sort out some netting for the pond

• Sow broad bean seeds

• Move the bench

• Re-arrange the herbs

• Start moving strawberry plants

• Order some fleece and another compost bin

Surprisingly fine sunny weather for both of our gardening sessions this week, which meant we were able to start to get to grips with making our changes to the plot over the winter.  We are following the ‘rule of six’, and are taking it in turns to come along, with some taking a half shift so that somebody else can visit later.

The rain has filled up the pond in no time at all, and with the pond plants, is looking pretty good.  We cut back some of the sides so that not so much of the plastic liner is showing, always a very dodgy exercise, and one of us nearly ended up head first in it.

Before we can cover the plots with new compost, or replant we have been getting out the hoes and clearing weeds that have a habit of turning into a monster as soon as your back is turned.  We did not get time to plant the elephant garlic, but there is still time.  We are concentrating on sorting out our compost area to make it look neater, and creating an area for the herbs to be together instead of spread out around the plot, and the bench is to be moved.  The disappointment of not getting any strawberries, probably mostly due to the visiting foxes and badgers has led us to change tack and try another way of growing them.  We have moved the salad boxes and have used them to make two high strawberry boxes with the hope that unless the mammals are good at climbing we might actually get a crop next year.  We can but hope that this might do the trick.

We have been exchanging many recipes for tomatoes, both green and red, from soups to chutneys.  Pesto making is also popular, and we are looking forward to a promised recipe that uses nasturtiums.  One of our gardeners photographed a fabulous still life with some of the produce, many of us thought it was an old painting until we looked closer – the banana squash probably gave it away (pictured below).  We are hoping to persuade her to keep taking these pictures as the seasons go on, as they would be works of art in themselves.

What’s next?

• Plant up that elephant garlic, and perhaps the ordinary garlic now sprouted in the modules.

• Keep working on the compost and strawberry areas

• Does the Chinese cabbage netting need to be removed?

• More weeding along the fence line and wall areas.

The Folkestone Docker Brewers, having made the ‘green’ brew from the Hythe scheme hops, thought to complete the hop cycle of life by bringing the spent hops back to the garden and putting them on one of our compost heaps.  When having aged appropriately, the compost will be applied back onto the garden, perhaps onto the hops themselves. 

This week we were able to work on the garden Wednesday morning, but Saturday was a complete wash out, with persistent rain, which although most welcome, put a halt to any proceedings!   We managed to get the sprouted onions (spring and bulb) planted.  The garlic, saved from the summer, was sown into modules, and will be planted up as soon as a space is ready and given a thick covering of compost.  The strong winds, apart from battering the raspberries, has turned our mini greenhouse over once again, although luckily the seedlings were quite far on, and could be easily rescued and put back into the modules with no harm done.  Not so lucky was our Folkestone Mayor who kindly grows some plants for the Incredible Edible projects, alongside her allotment plants.  Unfortunately her greenhouse was  tipped over, and the plants were sadly lost.  We certainly know how she feels.

Fortunately the Incredible Edible team has had good news this week, as a High Street Fund has been granted, for more planters to be planted up with edibles in Cheriton High Street.  Our Incredible Edible planter outside the ship in Sandgate has been cleared and planted up with some spinach and Onion seedlings.  Some kale may get planted at some point, but most of the kale has been ravaged by the cabbage white caterpillars, and they look too sorry to be on show. 

As a group we have been discussing the likes and dislikes of the year as regards what we have grown.  So far it has been conclusive that we need more green leaves such as spinach and chard, more dwarf and broad beans, courgettes, potatoes and cucumbers, more rhubarb, onions throughout the year, and about the same amount of beetroot.  The turnips and kohlrabi will be ditched, as will a high percentage of the endives.  The early crops of radish and pea shoots were greatly appreciated, and we need to be smarter with the space used by the tomatoes, strawberries and the squashes.   We would like to try sorrel and salsify again which failed for some reason this year.  Some areas of the garden are working well, and some need to be reorganised this winter – so we have plenty to work on.

Bee News

With the sudden change in the temperature and the weather, there is evidence of dead bees sprawled around the entrances to the hives.  It seems that the victims are the only male bees of the hives, the drones.  Well known for their ‘layabout’ lifestyle (their only purpose in life is to mate with queen bees), they are quickly ejected from the hive at this time of year when surplus to requirements and no longer useful – as a result they die.  A sad ending, however the girls of the hive now have to consider the survival of the basic colony in the hard months to come.  The beekeepers have been setting traps around the hive to attract wasps and hornets, well known for attacking and raiding hives, killing the bees.  So far so good, but with tales of enormous Asian hornets on their way to the UK, the keepers need to be vigilant.

What’s next?

• Hoe and weed any cleared spaces, cover with a thick layer of compost

• Rain has brought on the weeds, so plenty of weeding to do

• Plant the elephant garlic

• Begin to draw up plans of parts of the garden needing changes.

• Maybe start on the reformation of the pond now it is full again

This week has certainly seen a significant change in the weather which has also triggered a clearing of some of the summer planting and in with more winter and spring veg.  The watering can did not get a look in this week as the showers and drop in temperature took a hold, and will do for much of the foreseeable weather charts.  The tomatoes would struggle to ripen, and the winter squashes would not benefit from the cold and damp and so an executive decision was taken to lift them all.  The green tomatoes will ripen eventually indoors, and do not have to be used unripe.  The squashes could be stored for several months but with only enough for each volunteer to take a squash, it is unlikely they will be around for long!  So ends another season, and the spaces created were quickly planted up with onion seedlings sown in early September, as well as cabbages and coriander.   As we now have some history to the garden it was interesting to look back to this time last year to see that we were doing the very same thing, and that the weather had followed the same pattern.

Many seedlings have been self-sown, and as we cleared finished plants, there are numerous surprise flowers that simply appear, as well as unwelcome weeds that hide and mature unnoticed until now.

Our RHS certificate as part of ‘Britain in bloom’ arrived this week, and we will be putting it on display in the garden.  With October fast approaching, we will be considering how we will be going into next year, what was successful and what was not, which crops we would like to grow more of, and those which we might perhaps not bother with again.  It looks like there are many things for us to think about.

It is always easier to contemplate such things in good company and with a pint of local brew in the hand.  This week we had notification that the first ‘green’ brew of our hops had been finished and delivered to certain drinking establishments.  If you would like to try it you may have to move fast, as it disappeared at speed last year.  Below is a summary from Hythe Hops organisation about the use of all the hops this year –

“A burning question which I suspect is on everyone’s mind is “what about the beer” and I’m pleased to share the following exciting news about our green hop Hop Buzz brew:

Already being served at:

• The Doghouse in Smeeth (Evegate Barn)

Already taken delivery at: 

• The Bouverie Tap, Folkestone

• Unit One, West Hythe

Delivery due today:

• Chambers, Folkestone

• The Fountain in Seabrook,

• The Hidden Treasure, Dymchurch

• The Potting Shed, Hythe,

• The Ship Inn, Sandgate,

• The Smugglers, New Romney.

• The White Hart, Hythe

Delivery due next week:

• The Gatekeeper, Etchinghill

Please remember that beer needs to settle so may not be available straight away so please check with venues to avoid any disappointment.

HopFuzz have also bottled Hop Buzz exclusively for us and this will be available soon as follows:

• Every member (including non-growers) will receive 2 bottles free of charge regardless of how successful their hops have been

• We have a surplus (but not enough for everyone) which we intend to share by means of a lottery

Canned Docker beers (from dried hops)

• We are discussing with Docker how members can benefit from the donation of our hops – watch out for future announcements

• Docker is planning for 5 brews throughout the year with the first 2 available by Christmas

So now you are up to date with all the hop information, our tired hop plants will soon be put to bed for the winter and rested, in preparation for another year of serious hop growing in 2021.

What’s next?

• More onion seedlings to plant

• Start sowing garlic and maybe broad beans

• Keep up with the weeding as the rain has brought weeds on

• Clear the plants outside the garden against the wall

Now that the days are getting shorter, it is beginning to feel a little autumnal, and thoughts are turning to the last sowings of the year, harvesting and clearing away the summer crops, then getting all set for the winter months.  However the weather keeps trying to hang on to the summer and we are still watering and watering when you might hope we would get some respite.  It has been noted that the next time we plant the squashes and equally wandering courgettes, it would be a good idea to mark exactly where they are placed as it is notoriously difficult if next to impossible, to find where a plant begins in order to water the roots.  We often end up just watering the leaves and hoping for the best! 

The Goji berry plants, although still young and having put on plenty of growth seemed as if they would come to nothing.  This week they have suddenly come into flower and may yet surprise us with a berry or two – time will tell.  A photo of the flowers have been added below, they are quite delicate and interesting.  On the theme of flowers, the African marigolds have been superb (also shown below) and have given us so much colour.  Perhaps it was the flowers that attracted the nursery children from the Saga nursery, back to the garden this week.  We are pleased to welcome the children again into the garden with their teachers, so that they can collect flowers, graze on some of the fruits and vegetables and find out about where food comes from.  We cannot work with the children as we did before Covid for now, but we are delighted they have the garden as a resource for their learning.  Since the Covid rules for socialising have changed and we may be on the brink of further restrictions, we are going to have to ask all visitors to the garden to stay outside the fence whilst we are working on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.  We will position all available produce close to the gate for anybody coming to collect, and hope you will all understand we have to be careful and protect our gardeners.

The onion seeds have been sown; the last spinach plugs for the year have been planted, as has the coriander, leaving a few more pak choi, extra spinach plants and some spring cabbages to go in next week.  The last of the leaf mould has been removed from the leaf cage and added to the compost pile waiting to be spread on the beds, and newly fallen leaves are gradually being collected and starting to fill the leaf cage once more.  The brassicas liberated from the net cloches have certainly still been attacked by the cabbage white butterflies, and we have promised ourselves that next year we will be resorting to plan B as regards dealing with such brassica pests and investing in a tried and tested organic method which will be revealed as we get into spring next year.  The method of suspending a mesh above the purple sprouting is so far proving interesting, as they have suffered very little pest damage from either caterpillars or birds, but time will tell if they will fare better than the crop did last winter/spring.

Early on in the year, we applied to the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) to register the garden as part of the Community Gardening Awards.  At that time, the garden had been up and running for less than a year, and it was touch and go as to whether the awards would still go ahead with Covid happening.  Happily and surprisingly, we were given an ‘Advancing’ award, the categories being, ‘Establishing, Improving, Advancing, Thriving, and Outstanding’.  We still have a way to go for that ‘Outstanding’ award, and will be looking to how we can get there in the future.  In the meantime, we are considering the possibility of opening the garden for the National Garden Scheme – now there is another possibility, and plenty for us to be working on!

What’s next?

• Plant out last of spinach, and pak choi

• Plant out the first of the onion sowings – cover

• Continue to get strawberry compost out of the bags for adding to compost pile

• Keep watering

• Lay down fresh compost on beds being planted up with overwintering crops.