Tim Prater

We had another message from our fleece supplier to say that there will be yet more delays to it being delivered and without a reason why – perhaps as with the situation with the shortage of seeds this year with so many people growing whilst in lockdown, there is now a national shortage of fleece! 

Who knows?

We have had some interesting weather this week and spent time having to put back covers over plants, and discovered that one of our trees had snapped and was hanging precariously over the broad beans and onions.  No time to do anything about it this weekend, we shall see what can be done on Monday!  It is clearly colder, but we still have asparagus shoots popping out above ground, and petunias in flower.  There is a picture below of a huge collection of snails found hibernating inside a plant tray.  When we started work last year, there were very few slugs and snails to be found but it is clear they are being attracted to the garden like the rest of the wildlife and it is important to keep the plants clean of old and rotting vegetation around their bases so as not to make them too welcome!

We are still trundling barrows of wood chips up the hill to the garden, and one of our barrows has developed a flat tyre, probably in protest.  It is a great way to keep warm though, all that shovelling and barrowing about.

It was thought that we had finished with planting for the year but were donated a few Artichoke roots.  We now have two types of artichoke, and they are completely different.  With the Globe Artichoke, the flower is the edible part, and with the Jerusalem Artichoke (just planted), the root or tuber is the edible bit.  If you do not like the tubers, the flowers are great for the bees, so it is worth having a go.

Docker brewery has now released two new brews made from the dried Hythe hops, which includes our hops from our plants.  There is a ‘Hythe Pale Ale’ and ‘Dark Matter’, names chosen by the community, and which feature pictures of growers on the cans.  Some of you may recognise the individual on the can picture below!   Docker say that the beers are ‘more delicious than we could have hoped’, and information on where to find the beer can be found on their Instagram or web site.  There was a rumour that the beer can be also be found in the Sandgate Village shop – how convenient.  The first Hythe hops brew was from Hop Fuzz, and was a green brew from fresh hops, so this new beer will be different.  10p from each can sold is being donated by Docker to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust – such a worthy cause.

What’s next?

• Is it worth mentioning the fleece?

• Sort out the wheelbarrow

• Sort out the tree and subsequent damage

• Keep bringing wood chips up to the garden

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The celeriac seems to have gone down very well with all the volunteers, and various soup recipes have been exchanged, just the comfort food for the cooler weather – we shall definitely be growing that again next year!  Not frosty or cold enough for the parsnips yet.  They sweeten up with a good dose of frost, even so, being tucked up deep in the earth it is always a surprise how they are until they get dug up, you never know how well they have grown or if they have suffered from canker.  We had a sneaky peek at the tops of a few of them but are saving them for Christmas – something to look forward to!  The slow grow coriander is also going down well and appreciated – such good flavour compared with the ‘soapy’ taste from the supermarket.  Mixed with carrots in a soup, or added to a curry or stir fry, it gives a certain amazingness!   

Talking of amazing, Chris, one of our gardeners, and partner Suzy, have been getting some lockdown exercise every day by barrowing six loads of wood chips each, all the way up to the garden and laid down on the paths.  It is all looking neat and tidy, and they are benefiting from the fresh air and workout too!  No lockdown bellies for those two!

It was only mentioned last week that it is never a good idea to directly sow peas as the rodents find them in no time and make a meal out of them.  It seems they found where they and the last broad bean sowings were growing inside their modules, up off the ground and seemingly in a safe place – but no!  They were found, dug up and eaten!  Rodents must be able to sniff them out at a distance.  If we can get them to a certain point of growth, then they have made it and can be planted out safely – it is just getting to that stage.

Some things we will go out of our way to feed.  We put up some bird feeders this week, and it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the local bird population to realise they are there.  The feeders did not need refilling on Saturday, but apparently a couple of birds were spotted having a look at them earlier on in the morning.  As time goes on, there is less for them to find in the garden and so we need to help them now. 

We had a request from the Parish Council to take on a couple of planters on the seafront which could do with a bit of TLC.  Inspired by last week’s seminar on Kent’s Plan Bee and what could be done to support insect life, we opted for some hardy flowering perennials, and some spring flowering bulbs.  The planters do not look like much at the moment, but will be added to and changed over the seasons to give as much flower that bees like as we can cram in there.  It is work in progress for now.  

What’s next?

• If there is any chance the fleece turns up, then we will be busy laying that down!

• More wood chips to bring up to the garden

• Will the bird feeders need a refill?

• Still more plots to put compost down Compost needs putting down on the plants up against the wall

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