Tim Prater

So far so good at the Community Garden, managing our time and work amongst ourselves, using technology to communicate and get things done.  It can take longer, and more energy, but we have an enthusiastic and hardworking team, keen to make it work.

We are making sure we are following the guidelines given by the Government and the Council during this challenging time, and continue to refer to the Councils website about Allotments and their use:

‘We recognise that Allotments provide both mental and physical benefits to its gardeners and wherever possible that should continue.’

This week, the pond got more plants around the perimeter, and the wall is fully planted up with permanent trees and vines, to include this week, four Kiwi vines and a Tayberry.  We shall see how the Kiwis cope with our seaside climate!  All these vines, shrubs and trees will take up to six years or so to come to maturity, and so for a while we can interplant with a few seasonal  vegetables and herbs so as not to waste the space.

The broad beans are in full flower so it will not be long until the first pods appear.  Turnips, beetroot and coriander got planted, more sowings of celeriac, plus first sowings of welsh onions, lemon grass, basil, marigolds, nasturtiums, cosmos, chives, sorrel, and even woad!

Just a few more days to wait until the first sowings of cucumber, squashes and courgettes can be made.  It is tempting to sow them early, but a little patience often gives better results, and anyway, the greenhouse is full up!

Bee news

Ray seems confident that the bees are settling in to their new seaside address.  He has deliberately avoided opening the Langstroth hive so as to avoid the brood getting chilled, however this warmer weather will allow Ray to make his first of the year inspection, and to see just what is going on inside.  He will be looking to see if the old queen is still there, or if she has been usurped, and assessing the health and vitality of the colony.

What’s next

• Rain due Monday, but might have to water if not enough rain arrives.

• More seedlings to go out

• Sow leeks and some leaf beet

• Make more of an effort to get the posts wired!!

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When it was announced by the government that there were to be no gatherings of more than two people it seemed that the virus was going to stop the Community Garden from making any more progress for a while…. However we have a great communication system, and with the use of photos, videos and WhatsApp, we take it in turn to go to the garden as part of our exercise regime.  Calabrese, cabbages, and kale for salad leaves got planted; carrots and parsnips got their first sowing of the year.  Dill, parsley and coriander seedlings got potted on, ready to be planted out in a few more weeks.  Time seems to be racing on already, and it seems hard to believe it will be April next week, and the clocks have just gone forward.  With April will come the first sowings of the warmer loving plants like the courgettes, beans, cucumbers and basil, so much to do.

It seems that being confined to home, everyone is having a bit of a sort out either in the garden or the home, and we were left some plants, seeds, and a wheelbarrow.  Thank you Maggie, thank you Peter!

Just as the restrictions came into force, Ray, our chief bee keeper made the swift move to get one of his hives on site, and so we are pleased and proud to say that the bees are here at last.  Apparently the bees are still in their winter mode for now as Ray has some alterations to make to the hive sometime soon, and he will be giving us updates as to what the bees are up to.  It must have been a great shock for them to be in one place, and to suddenly find themselves somewhere completely different.  Below is a picture to show the foraging area that they will be exploring as they can fly a distance of three miles or more each time they go out.  So, if you have a garden with bee attracting plants in the locality it is heart-warming to think that any honey bees you see could be from the garden, just perfect.

What’s next?

• More plants to go around the pond area

• Lift up the fleece from the covered areas and check on the seedlings

• Might be able to get the posts wired for the climbing plants

• Sowing nasturtiums and marigolds

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All of a sudden we seem to have been propelled into another world because of the virus, and nothing seems certain anymore.  Perhaps the only certainty is that there are seeds to sow and plants that still require planting, and although many activities have been shut down, we can still go up to the garden to do things, and it seems that now we have more time to do so!  Saturday was beautiful out in the sunshine; we have room to keep social distancing, and plenty of jobs to be getting on with.  Many of us have our own tools and will make sure we use only them. 

We have sown turnips, celery and celeriac, more peas for shoots, and mange tout.  The tomato seedlings have been pricked out, pea plants, beetroot and spinach planted, hop poles and strings erected, and even some of the plants for around the pond got planted too.

It seems that being confined to the home for some time as led people to consider growing more fruit and veg this year, and we have had requests for tomato plants, and other veg plants too when they are available.  We were also given some seeds to sow, which were gratefully received.

We will continue to plant and sow, and by all accounts the weather is set to improve next week which will be a bonus, helping to bring on the plants in the greenhouses to be then transferred to the plot under a blanket of fleece for a few more weeks.  In the pictures below you can see some of the flowers out at the moment, and the old plum trees are also in full blossom – just fabulous.

What’s next?

• Sow and plant

• Water and weed

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This week we have planted some brassicas (varieties of the cauliflower family that are all different shapes, sizes and even colours!), more broad beans, and some sweet peas, a dwarf variety that should make small bushy plants.  The great thing about all these early plantings is that they do not mind the cold and wet weather so much, and are happy to grow in cooler temperatures.  They will also mature in early summer when the ground can then be cleared and another crop planted.  Unfortunately, along with the new shoots come the slugs and snails looking for some tender pickings, and we have lost some seedlings that never made it out of the greenhouse!  Never mind, new sowings have been made, and they will soon catch up with the earlier sown plants. 

On Saturday we made a trip over to Hythe to collect our hop plants from the Hythe Hops Scheme along with other eager growers.  As well as collecting the dormant plants, there was a seed and plant swap.  Such a great way of swapping any seeds/plants you might not need.  We were on the lookout for seeds and plants that would provide a treat for the bees.  On Wednesday we had noticed that some bumble bees were out and about in the weak sunshine and were busy foraging, luckily we have a few flowering plants such as borage and violas in full bloom.  Early flowering plants are so important for the bee population on days when they emerge and are so low on energy.  There will be plenty of flowers for them to feast on later, but there is not so much to choose from right now.

We are sowing and growing as many things as we have room for and more, for the Incredible Edible project, and the nursery children.  If you are a grower and have some spare plants or seeds, please consider us – we may even be able to do some plant bartering.  We hope at some stage to be able to have a selection of plants that can help us to raise funds through donations….. So, if you will be looking for tomato plants, or maybe a few spinach or bean plants, keep an eye on our Instagram page or newsletter for what is available.  We will also be putting up some notices at the garden to let you know what we may have, what is in season, and about any spare veg plants.

What’s next?

• Sowing seeds

• Planting plants

• If there is time, make a start on planting up around the edge of the pond.

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