Tim Prater

So very happy to report that our wishes have been answered, and we had compost delivered to the community garden to enable us to make the soil easier to work, and continue with a ‘no dig’ policy.  Folkestone and Hythe council took pity on our plight and are giving us their own compost made in their yard from waste collected from local parks and gardens.   It is peat free and perfect for our requirements.  Feeling cheeky, we mentioned we were looking for wood chips to continue making our paths, and that wish is also to be granted – happy days!  Well, if you don’t ask you won’t get – thank you to our local friendly council……. this makes a great difference to us.  The wheelbarrow has been working overtime trundling backwards and forwards (always uphill with a full load!) to the garden and the new compost is being put down where it is most needed first.  Starting to think we could do with another wheelbarrow, one with an engine strapped to it!

On Wednesday we put nine wooden posts into the ground and along the wall, ready for wires to be strung between them, and for plants to be trained along them.  A maiden pear tree was donated and planted by Sue, a local lady, and another pear tree will be arriving next week.  They are both to be trained against the wall.  We have had other offers of tree donations but we feel that we are at saturation point for the amount of space we currently have.  We had some spinach plants which were planted in one of the raised boxes.

On Saturday we continued wheelbarrowing the compost to the garden, put a mulch of well-rotted horse manure around the orchard trees, and picked some kale and purple sprouting.  Storm Ciara is on its way Saturday night and Sunday, so we spent some time making sure cloches were well secured.   Time will tell if the storm has spared the garden, and an inspection is to be made Monday morning.  Having ’battened down the hatches’, a happy hour or two was spent at the Sandgate Societies sloe gin tasting session.  A must considering we should be picking our own sloes from our newly planted hedge later this year.  Looks like we shall have to consider entering a community garden offering next year!

What’s next?

• Check on any storm damage

• More compost and more uphill wheelbarrowing

• Continue to keep on top of any weeds

• Collect coffee grounds from the local cafes for the compost bins

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A reasonably quiet week, we are still trying to resolve the problem of getting hold of lots of compost to put on the garden to improve the soil, without having to part with lots of money, and we think we are about to solve it.  Having recently read an article about electro-mechanical composting machines that can convert garden and food waste into highly nutritious compost in just 14 days, we are beginning to feel quite envious!  However, this amazing machine is not to be our saviour – but who knows what the future may bring!

We inherited with the site a large patch of wild garlic which last year looked quite battered and sorry for its self, but by this week was looking very lush and had increased to twice its size.   So we dug up what seemed a small mountain of the stuff to put into many a dish, to include soup, stir fry and blitzed into a pesto – delicious.  All parts of the plant can be eaten, and the leaves can be continued to be picked throughout the year to be put with mixed salad leaves.

The pond has very nearly filled, and so the excess liner was cut away and the edges were tucked into the ground.  We still have lots to do to make the pond an attractive wildlife asset, but it is getting there.

It was high time we plotted where and what trees we had in the orchard, as two of the labels had already disappeared and it would be a shame not to know exactly what we have.  Officially the definition of an orchard is just five trees together, which does not seem very many at all.  Happily, with the addition in the next week or so of two more pear trees, we shall have double that number. 

One of the pictures attached is of a patch of nicotiana or tobacco plant which is standing tall by the wall and has flowered all of January – simply amazing for this time of year and probably says something about how warm it has been so far this winter and how much shelter the wall gives, and how much heat it radiates.  Also attached is a picture of the last gate, hand crafted by Jeff, a Saga gardener – thanks Jeff!

What’s next?

• It is all systems go to get the compost in place – subject to successful negotiations.

• We have more posts that need to be put in against the wall for climbers and espaliers.

• Spend some time to see if any birds are checking out our bird boxes and nesting materials.

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