Certainly no need to worry about the watering this week!  Some very welcome downpours will help things to establish, and fortunately most things remained planted during the gale force winds! 

The biggest dilemma of the week was what to do with our first courgette!  All things considered, the answer was to make a courgette cake to share with the workers on Saturday.  We are now looking forward to thinking about more things that the garden will be giving us, from the flowers to the edibles, and even edible flowers!   Of course, the work has to be put in first to reap the benefit, and we are starting to be given a few seeds, seedlings and plants to add to the rapidly filling spaces.  Many seeds are being grown in modules within the safety of a patio or window ledge to be planted in the garden when they are big and strong enough to cope!  Some of the things we have been given are a little late to be starting off right now in June, but you never know until you try!  As time goes on, the garden will be full, and that bare earth will begin to disappear!  As well as the garden starting to grow, so is the news that the garden exists, with many people stopping by to have a look and even stop in the street to comment on how great it all is, so thanks for all the support!

What’s next?

• If the weather and the wooden raised planters are dry enough, continue the wood treatment!

• Start to clear the ground where the new raised boxes are to go

• Keep weeding!  This rain will also make the weeds romp away!

• Keep checking the cordon tomatoes on the wall for any side shoots that require pinching out.

• Sow more seeds – spinach and salads, more beetroot and carrots

• Plant out flower and vegetable plants that are in modules or pots

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The greatest news of the week is that we now have water on site!  Paul, the head gardener of Saga, found us a tank, cleaned it, and installed it in the garden for us.  This will make life so much easier, and means we can now really get down to planting up the garden, and sowing seeds.  However, these things will not water themselves, and we will need to work on a rota for the warmer weather!   From now on, I intend to be working on site Monday evenings, from 6pm, Wednesday mornings from 10am, and Saturday mornings, also from 10am.  With any luck, most people can fit one of these sessions into their week, and during the Summer the watering will get done on these days, leaving Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday up for grabs on the watering rota should there not have been any, or much rain.  Not all of the plants will require such regular watering, but the salad crops, seedlings, newly planted crops, and fast growers certainly will!  Let me know how you can help, and a task shared is even better!

The two raised boxes in the fruit and herb area have been painted with wood preservative and have been filled with compost.  These are for salad crops, to be sown in succession for continuity, and this week we have sown mixed spicy salad leaves, mixed lettuces, spring onions and radishes.  We are now working on four more boxes to go on the left hand side of the fruit and herbs which we would ideally like to be two levels high, however this means we need to get hold of soil to fill them, and this could take some time to obtain.

This week we have also – sown beetroot, planted mangetout, sown a box of donated wildflower seeds, planted more marigolds, some cosmos and nasturtiums, bush cherry tomatoes and some comfrey.  We have continued to clear the empty areas of roots and stones, ready for more planting strips.  We have started to put up bean frames, and could do with at least a dozen more poles or canes if anybody has some spare!

What’s next?

• Keep clearing the ground

• Keep weeding

• Water seedlings, salad boxes etc. regularly; and other plants as required

• Continue work on raised boxes

• Sow more seeds!

I look forward to seeing you at either of the designated sessions during the week, and once everybody knows what needs attention in the communal areas, I am sure more people will be confident to continue tasks when it suits them.

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