Would you like to be involved in the Sandgate Community Garden? New volunteers are always welcome, and the crops grown are shared by and with the community of gardeners. This is a volunteer project in the Enbrook Park grounds of Saga.
The Community Garden team are also involved in other projects around Sandgate and Folkestone, including “Incredible Edible” planters by the Golden Valley shops, in Fremantle Road Park, along the High Street and Esplanade.
You can follow all the seasons and keep updated with what is happening. Get involved in the community and learn new skills. There is now a new wildlife pond and are pleased to have 2 bee hives on site. Gardening sessions are run twice a week. Get in touch to find out more.
Follow the progress on Instagram and like or get in touch on Facebook.
Updates written by Leonie Wootton.
Sandgate Community Garden: Update 5 January 2020
During the course of this week the pond hole was double checked for stones, lined with sand, lined again with a fleece material designed to protect the waterproof layer from underground sharp objects, and finally the butyl top was laid down. It took three of us to manoeuvre it into position, and very glad we were that there were no high winds. However we will have to keep an eye of the weather as we have no means of filling ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 29 December 2019
We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to browse the archives held by Saga the day before Christmas Eve, which tells the history of Enbrook Park. Paul, the head gardener researched the subject some time ago for Roger De Haan, and very interesting and quite complex it is too! The park has been under the threat of being built on for housing in the past, and as a Community, we are indeed fortunate to still have this green area, ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 22 December 2019
The pond site is in the process of having straight sides cut into it to create a shelf for water plants to sit on once the liner has been laid. The bottom of the pond has been trawled for any more sharp rubble and was starting to resemble the Somme. The continuing rain is making progress more of a challenge and it is probably just as well that it starts to coincide with a holiday period! We saw the Saga ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 15 December 2019
Continuing to be busy this week. A couple of us were at the Sandgate Parish Council meeting to talk about, and promote the garden. We hobnobbed to the best of our abilities, and think we have created enough of an impression to keep the garden in the minds of many of the movers and shakers of Sandgate! We took a small hamper of winter salad, leeks, purple sprouting and Chinese cabbage. Then since discovered that the leeks, growing in our ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 8 December 2019
The fencing is nearly finished, and the wind break mesh is in place, they give the new hedge the chance to take hold. The donated bench hitched a ride to the garden, and is now in place, so we shall have to decide where we will be taking a break with a flask of coffee and a biscuit, or this month, a mulled wine and mince pie! Thanks to Paul for arranging the transport. We would prefer to use the ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 1 December 2019
This was a week of absolute contrast. On Wednesday it was lashing down with rain, but troops turned out for the morning session and we planted most of the hedge until soaked through to the skin and covered in mud; such dedication. Not only were we there, but so was Paul the Saga Head gardener, putting up the new fence alongside the site of the pond. The fence is a requirement as the pond is in a public place, and ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 24 November 2019
We are on standby waiting for the raspberry plants to arrive. The hedge plants arrived Saturday afternoon, they will need planting this week. The weeds are still growing, and so we are still weeding! The leaves continue to fall, and we continue to collect them! When the nursery children came along this week to bring their compost, we had a good look at how the leaf compost was doing. Just under the surface, steam can be seen rising from the ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 17 November 2019
We are ready for the hedge plants to arrive, as soon as they come, they can be planted. The pea shoots are starting to appear, and are now under some fleece protection. Luckily the birds have so far not bothered with the newly planted onion and garlic so once they establish some roots we will not have to worry about them being dislodged from place. We even have a rose in flower. It seems incredible how things will still grow ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 10 November 2019
Luck was on our side this week and the sun was shining at all the right times! Hundreds of garlic cloves and onion sets have been planted by dedicated planters on their hands and knees…. Even more leaves collected, paths laid, compost heaps turned, and a smoke tree planted near the banana. The elephant garlic planted by the nursery children has started to sprout. Growing these will be an interesting experiment as the bulbs have been in suspended animation since ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 3 November 2019
The Wednesday session was busy, leaves got collected, the newly dug area raked over, and some new paths created with wood chips. The plan is to keep to the pathways, trying not to compact the soil by treading on it, therefore keeping it workable. We emptied a compost bin onto the plot to be used for legumes (peas and beans), these are the hungriest of the vegetables, and this was our first home made compost! It seemed like a lot ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 27 October 2019
Things are moving really fast now, the plot has been dug by Paul with the digger, a pond shape created, hedging and more soft fruit plants on order, the windbreak mesh has arrived as well as winter fleece to protect from the worst of the weather to come. We have started to work on the turned soil removing clumps of grass, big roots and stones, then raking to a finer tithe, all in advance of a big plant up just ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 20 October 2019
Well, we really have had enough rain now, and had little chance of doing much on the plot this week…however, there has been plenty going on behind the scenes! It has been a truly amazing week of donations. Put out the call that something is needed, and the Sandgate Community rallies round and provides, just brilliant! We now have the offer of a sturdy bench to sit on…… we just have to work out how to get it there….thank you ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 13 October 2019
Bit of a wash out this week with the rain, however I hate to say we do still need it as dig down a bit, and it is still dry! Some people have noticed that there is a mysterious line drawn beyond the plot, and yes, it is true, we are to expand further out into the grass! We are very excited at the prospect, and are looking forward to filling this space too! Thanks to Paul the Head gardener ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 6 October 2019
This week we have waved goodbye to the tomato plants, harvested all the green tomatoes, and are ripening them on window ledges. At last the little chilli plants sown from seed have been potted up and taken indoors, they will be replanted next year, after the risk of frost has passed. The nursery children came along on Wednesday bringing all their fruit peelings for our compost heap, swapping it for a few vines of tomatoes to ripen in their classroom ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 29 September 2019
Watering was certainly not an issue this week, there was plenty of rain for a change….. it managed to hold off for our celebratory picnic for which we were grateful! Many of the ingredients for the food came from the plot, it tasted so good! The strawberry bed has been planted up at last, and the new plants have time to set some roots before the weather gets too cold. Below are two pictures of Amaranth that have appeared totally ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 22 September 2019
It has continued to be very dry in the garden this week, and we have been working flat out to keep up with the watering, in particular new seedlings and the new strawberry plants! The more established plants will reach further down under ground to find their water and are looking fine! The tomato plants are looking naked as all the leaves have been stripped from them so that the tomatoes can ripen. The butternut squashes and carrots have now ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 15 September 2019
It’s all about the brassicas on the plot at the moment! We have some very lush salad leaves, purple and green Pak Choi, towering purple sprouting, red veined chard, and juicy spinach: perfect for blitzing into a smoothie or pesto – or taking pride of place in a colourful salad or stir fry. The Chinese cabbage is starting to draw itself up into a conical shape, ready to make a crispy heart in the centre, and we are looking forward ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 8 September 2019
There is a different feel in the air now, and as the nights are starting to draw in, we are beginning to think of autumn and the changes to the plot…. We have harvested the big blue winter squashes this week, they can finish ripening in a sunny spot anywhere as they have finished growing, and we need to start clearing and reusing the space. The butternut squashes have been exposed, and are next to be harvested. There are plenty ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 1 September 2019
We had an incredible day at the Sandgate Sea and Food Festival last Sunday! So much support from everyone there, and many generous donations! We collected an amazing £102, and the vegetables we brought from the garden disappeared from the stall at speed. Attached are some photos from the day, and we are sporting our T shirts we bought ourselves to advertise what we were representing….we almost looked professional!! It was good to see so many people there we now ...
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Sandgate Community Garden: Update 25 August 2019
Sending out our weekly newsletter Saturday evening instead of Sunday morning this time, as we will be up early setting up our stall at the Sandgate Sea and Food Festival on Sunday morning! We had a great time collecting things from the garden to bring to the Festival to show. It was time well spent with new garden companions, now friends, and treasure hunting for lost beans, tomatoes and courgettes in the undergrowth! The sun and the flower patch brought ...
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