Tim Prater

Both the garlic and the elephant garlic got planted this week, and still time to plant more, as well as broad beans which could happen next week.  All the garlic had been saved from last year. 

The biggest job of the week was to turn out all of the compost bins, move and then repack them.  It is always a good opportunity to see if the compost is too dry or too wet, and to make adjustments.  Fallen leaves get collected every session, and it will take several months to fill the leaf mould compost bin.  We are thinking it would be a good idea to cover the pond surface with netting to catch falling leaves that will pollute the pond, but we have to think of the wildlife that use it and make it safe for them too.

The strawberry planters got planted up, and so we have many strawberry plants left, a few will go to some of the Incredible Edible projects in the area, and perhaps others will go to the Fremantle park project.  Nothing gets wasted, and even if things get delegated to the compost bin, it goes to make excellent compost. 

Below is a picture of one of the Fremantle Park planters being well looked after by locals.  Pleased to say, everything is currently looking lush and green there.

Now we have had plenty of rain, and beds are being cleared we can continue easily with the ‘big weed’ and work through the entire plot catching things before they have a chance to flower – again they get added to the compost bin.  Something is also making the most of the softer, pliable soil and trying to dig several holes up against the wall.  Perhaps they are trying to dig their way to the other side.  Always interesting to see and wonder at what the wildlife are up to, and the abandoned chewed up trainer left behind on the path leads you to imagine all sorts of things going on when we are not around!

What’s next?

• Sort out some netting for the pond

• Sow broad bean seeds

• Move the bench

• Re-arrange the herbs

• Start moving strawberry plants

• Order some fleece and another compost bin

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Surprisingly fine sunny weather for both of our gardening sessions this week, which meant we were able to start to get to grips with making our changes to the plot over the winter.  We are following the ‘rule of six’, and are taking it in turns to come along, with some taking a half shift so that somebody else can visit later.

The rain has filled up the pond in no time at all, and with the pond plants, is looking pretty good.  We cut back some of the sides so that not so much of the plastic liner is showing, always a very dodgy exercise, and one of us nearly ended up head first in it.

Before we can cover the plots with new compost, or replant we have been getting out the hoes and clearing weeds that have a habit of turning into a monster as soon as your back is turned.  We did not get time to plant the elephant garlic, but there is still time.  We are concentrating on sorting out our compost area to make it look neater, and creating an area for the herbs to be together instead of spread out around the plot, and the bench is to be moved.  The disappointment of not getting any strawberries, probably mostly due to the visiting foxes and badgers has led us to change tack and try another way of growing them.  We have moved the salad boxes and have used them to make two high strawberry boxes with the hope that unless the mammals are good at climbing we might actually get a crop next year.  We can but hope that this might do the trick.

We have been exchanging many recipes for tomatoes, both green and red, from soups to chutneys.  Pesto making is also popular, and we are looking forward to a promised recipe that uses nasturtiums.  One of our gardeners photographed a fabulous still life with some of the produce, many of us thought it was an old painting until we looked closer – the banana squash probably gave it away (pictured below).  We are hoping to persuade her to keep taking these pictures as the seasons go on, as they would be works of art in themselves.

What’s next?

• Plant up that elephant garlic, and perhaps the ordinary garlic now sprouted in the modules.

• Keep working on the compost and strawberry areas

• Does the Chinese cabbage netting need to be removed?

• More weeding along the fence line and wall areas.

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