Tim Prater

Work has slowed a little this week. The main plot at Enbrook is looking tidy and as good as mulched all over, but we are waiting on certain things to happen before we can make progress.  There is still a small pile of compost to be moved from the storage area below the lower wall within the park up to the garden. Some was barrowed up in the week, the rest can be done as and when.  Fortunately the brassica netting canopies are doing the job of keeping the pigeons at bay and allowing some growing space too.  Growing temperatures rarely get reached these days and so the overwintering crops remain at a standstill until we get to see some longer, warmer days.

One of the large brick planters at Golden Valley has been plagued with Mare’s tails, an invasive plant which can be deep rooted and quite difficult to get rid of.  We have some patches of it remaining at Enbrook Park, especially in the gooseberry patch. It likes to lurk beneath the spiny stems of the gooseberries where gardeners are reluctant to put their hands! 

We thought the best plan was to remove all the plants from the planter, then cover with a good thick layer of cardboard and compost.  This should help to weaken the growth as well as keep cutting back any new growth which keeps appearing in the gaps between the paving outside the planter.  Of course all the garden books tell you to spray with weed killer.  The planter can then be replanted later in the spring once the mulches have had a chance to smother any new growth.  However we suspect we will still be pulling it out throughout the year.

Fremantle Park

This area has had a bit of a tidy this week, the flowering border had been allowed to finish and shed seeds.  Seeds sown in this way can often manage to overwinter and appear ultra-early.  In fact it was noticed just last week there was a developing cosmos seedling growing in a crack between the pavement  and one of the large brick planters at Golden Valley, which must have come from the plants growing there last year.  It will be interesting to see if it can survive, and therefore manage to be in flower long before any sister plants.

On Saturday some of us went to learn all about seed saving with ‘Seed Sovereignty UK’ at the Locavore Community Garden, Martello Primary School, Folkestone.  Seed saving is a fascinating subject, and can also be quite complex, in the saving of the seed itself to the political and social effects worldwide.  Over the last century we have lost an enormous amount of vegetable varieties, so that now we only have a few varieties to choose from which serve all regions.

By being able to save our own seed, we can help to protect and restore seed diversity locally, particularly important at a time of climate crisis.  It is a daunting matter, but along with all the other local growing groups represented at the course, we can combine to share the task by starting with just one vegetable variety each, and gradually build on our expertise.  We will then, as a cooperative, share the seeds along with growing support. It is a long term project, but we understand the reasoning is a sound one in such interesting times.

What’s next?

• Barrow some more compost up to the garden
• Mulch the empty planter at Golden Valley
• Try to get out some of the leaves in the pond
• Weed around the pond

We have been appreciating the lovely warm sunshine this week for both of our gardening sessions. We’re not, however, so sure the bee keepers will be too happy as the bees in the hives were very active which must mean they will be using up their food reserves as there is so little to forage.

We have raised some of the brassica netting as they were trying to burst out.  The purple sprouting is set to be at full production by April so we need to keep a close eye on them.  Once the netting was off we took the opportunity to remove the lower leaves and mulch the bed beneath before replacing with a looser canopy to deter pesky pigeons!   We have certainly been steaming through the compost pile and are starting to run low already, however we have not had to be frugal with it this year which is a luxury.

We have taken up the swedes and most of the celeriac as they had not been as good as we had hoped and it is too late now to expect them to get any bigger!  Some examples from Fremantle Park from the same batch of seeds and grown at the same time were compared (see picture below), so it is clear that something else such as compost or moisture levels have been to blame.  Always a guessing game when growing plants, trial and error.

Having cleared a bit of space we were able to plant three more rhubarb roots.  We will not be able to harvest any of the stalks this year but they should be large enough in 2023 with any luck!  We also had a few small asparagus crowns which are a useful addition to one of our planted asparagus beds which was a little sparse in places last year.  We will have to remain patient with this crop as there is no collecting of the delicious shoots until next year, and then only a few of the spears can be taken until it has had a chance to become well established.

We took a trip out to Brook near Ashford, to visit Rebel farmer Ed at his market garden, specialising in edible flowers and microgreens.  It was fascinating, even at this time of year when not much is growing outside.  Ed’s microgreens are available all year round, growing in insulated and lit outbuildings.  Demand for his produce is great and he is running flat out in order to supply, and has plans to expand.  Like us, Ed likes to grow using organic, no dig principles, using just a yearly layer of new compost to maintain the health and vitality of the soil first, which will then sustain the plants growing in it.  No fertilisers, no chemicals, just simplicity itself.  We will be keeping contact with Ed to see how his business develops over time as he has lots of ideas in the pipeline. 

We have another trip planned for next Saturday 22^nd with Seed Sovereignty UK at the Locavore growing project at the Martello Primary school in Folkestone.  It being our gardening day on Saturday, there may not be any of our volunteers at Enbrook Park, but we will be back the following week as usual, hopefully full of lots of seed saving ideas.

What’s next?

• Review the compost situation

• Keep an eye to make sure the brassica netting is doing its job

• Order some more fleece

• Work to be done at Fremantle and Golden Valley

Wednesday’s gardening session was a delight in full, warm sunshine.  We planted a few random bulbs, pulled up the last of the finished French marigolds, mulched more beds, bagged up compost for other community garden sites, a spot of weeding and generally had a good time nattering and pottering about.  Saturday on the other hand was a wash out, dull, dingy and generally soggy so we gave it a miss.  Little point in trying to do things in the wet and cold, there can be no joy in that when there is always another day.  The rainfall for December was 95.8mm and was apparently so overcast and gloomy that it was commented upon in the national news.

Our seed stock is currently being reviewed, looking at what can be used this year and what we need to buy.  We know we are indeed fortunate to be able to buy the varieties we want, and continue to get to grips with what suits us.  However it needs to be remembered that seeds can be very random, with surprisingly little regulation, which means you are at the mercy of the seed supplier and how good they are at creating quality products.  Saving your own seeds is a good solution and is easily possible with some vegetables, but can be quite complex in others.  We are looking forward to 22^nd January when we will be finding out more from Seed Sovereignty UK.

This coming week we have been invited to visit Rebel Farmer Ed, at his market garden in Brook, just outside Ashford.  What an incredible treat this promises to be.  We met Rebel Farmer Ed at the Disco Soup event in Radnor Park way back in November.  He specialises in edible flowers and microgreens, supplying to various markets, cafes and restaurants.  We are very excited to be able to visit the garden and get an idea of what Ed does.  Although we’re already quite pleased with the quality of our salad leaves, considering they are grown outdoors, maybe after this trip we could be lifted up to another level in quality produce!

We continue to work in other community spaces around Sandgate.  This week the planters at Golden Valley got a good weeding and general overhaul. The plants are looking quite perky and healthy, some even flowering, with many bulbs starting to push through.  We’re confident that they will look very pretty this year and give a good show.  We would like to thank the mobility shop and the Golden Arrow pub for constantly offering us hot drinks and a warm up inside when we turn up to work.  This is always appreciated.

Open minded to new pockets of unloved and dismal looking public land in our locality, work started on a small strip that needed some loving attention in another part of Golden Valley.  So far it has been covered in thick cardboard and then compost on top in typical ‘no dig’ style, to weaken the grass and weeds beneath, plus enrich the soil.  With any luck planting can begin in the spring, and it will most likely be a garden for pollinators where flowers are dominant.

What’s next?

• Keep up the bed mulching work

• One of the planters at Golden Valley needs some work

• Order new seeds for this year

• Review the brassica netting as they need more space to spread