Sandgate Community Garden

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 25th May: The last garden newsletter – Maybe!

Well it seems that the rain dance has worked, and although non gardeners are unhappy about the change in the weather this week to cooler and definitely wetter, more showery weather, all gardeners are highly delighted!   The showers are very local, when the first showers hit Sandgate last Wednesday, there was none to be had at Pent Farm just a short drive away, which remained parched and dry for several days afterwards.  Both our gardening sessions at Enbrook Park were cancelled due to the soggy conditions, however of course – there was no need for us to water!  It seems there is more rain to come, which is most welcome as it will take many heavy showers or consistent rain for the soil further down to be saturated. 

None of the tasks for the week were tackled, and so they will continue into the coming week, however it will be obvious that the weeds will also take the opportunity to grow along with the plants we are trying to nurture.

This will be the last newsletter reporting on the Community Garden in Sandgate.  I (Leonie) am moving 200 miles away to be nearer to my family and saying ‘Goodbye’ to all the amazing people I have met during this great Sandgate adventure.  I had a truly overwhelming, memorable send off this weekend from so many friends I have met and come to know well over the past six years of the garden being in existence.   

 I would particularly like to thank all the Enbrook Park gardeners, Paul – the Saga grounds manager for facilitating the existence of the garden, the Sandgate Society for their constant support and a National Garden Gift Token (thank you Sal and Eddie for your time and encouragement with organisational matters). Thanks to the Parish Council, in particular Tim Prater and Gaye (Parish Clerk). 

The garden and the activities it generates is truly part of the local community and has stretched far and wide to touch so many people and organisations.  Long may it continue, and it will, as the garden members are making sure it does.

Yes this is the last newsletter, but maybe one of the gardeners, present or future will take up the baton and continue the tradition of recording what happens – time will tell.

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 18th May: Never have we ever seen parched, dry brown grass in mid-May.

Not a single drop of rain to be had, and certainly none on the horizon until next Saturday!   Every time the apps are consulted in the search for rain, the chances of it actually happening go further and further into the distance – where once it was to rain all day next Saturday, now it looks like it may rain for an hour or so in the afternoon!  There was great excitement last week when suddenly the skies darkened and the weather apps promised lots of the wet stuff – however it came to nothing and passed us by. 

Some things in the garden are enjoying the dry sunshine, but lots of things are not and are stressed, making them susceptible to blackfly and possibly diseases.  The picture below of the garden this week looks quite lush and green.  We have certainly been busy watering as much as we dare, but we notice that the pond has very little water now.  The bottom of the pond is very boggy and full of weed which we hope can keep the plant life going for a while yet.

The very good news for the week is that Veolia have come up trumps and given us an amazing £560 to put towards our garden funds.  We are in need of more truckloads of compost in preparation for the autumn, plus a few more tools, so this will be very helpful.  Veolia contacted us last year to ask if we would host an event for them at the garden to promote the fact that they were looking for sustainable environmental projects to give funding, and we were lucky to be included too.

We managed to carry out our tasks for the week – to sow different varieties of kale, lots more dwarf, runner and borlotti beans, plant out more lettuces, take out the flowering claytonia and prepare the bed with a fresh blanket of compost and planted a few French marigolds in preparation for the next crop to be planted there.

The final photo shows a beautiful red admiral that came to visit and check out the garden.  The wings are quite tattered and so we believe it may be a survivor from last year, and having gone into hibernation has re-emerged to make the most of the time it has left.  It was a magical moment.

What’s next?

• Water the hops and the lemon tree
• Check for new roots around the emerging banana tree
• Might have some dwarf beans ready for planting out
• Cover the tayberries and aronia berries with some netting

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 11th May: We are working towards our first plant sale of the year at the Safari Sale on 22^nd June.

The good old British weather has us on a bit of a rollercoaster.  We have had some pretty cold weather in the week but now we are back to the sunshine and warmth with still absolutely no rain and none to come either.   It is somewhat disconcerting, and at Pent Farm there are huge cracks appearing in the ground and it is still only early May.

The broad beans are starting to form, and have needed watering.  Just like last year, it seems the wildlife enjoys charging through the broad bean beds as we can see pathways trodden through the base of the plants,  Good news is that the cows are at last out in the field with their calves at the farm which is a delight to see.

The fleece was removed from the newly planted lettuces and replaced with a net to keep the birds away.  The growth was cut back from the pond and around the hazelnut trees – mostly stinging nettles, whilst being stung the gardeners were being reminded of the benefits of nettle stings and nettles as a food, however it gave little comfort at the time!

We took the plunge and sowed more carrots, this time in a raised bed.  The flowering claytonia had started to form seeds and so it was time for it to be cleared and composted before the seeds dropped everywhere.  We sowed two trays of beetroot and two of spring onions whilst sitting near the pond and were joined by damsel flies which sadly kept darting about too fast to capture on the camera. 

We are working towards our first plant sale of the year at the Safari Sale on 22^nd June where we will have a stall.  So far we have collected quite a few plants, including some beautiful iris which were collected and potted up last year but were too small for the Sea Festival in August.  They are strong specimens now, and already in flower so a picture was taken so that we can show how it looks.   We would also like to thank our garden friends Tina and Erica for plant donations and would be grateful for other donations if you would like to get in touch.

Last but by no means least a photo was captured of one of our gardeners’ allotment in Hythe.  Leanne has been gardening with us for a few years now and at last managed to get her own plot having been on the waiting list for some time.  She has already got stuck in, cleared it and we are proud to say, highlighting the wonders of no dig gardening with neat beds and wood chip paths.  We cannot wait to see what she grows as the year goes on.

What’s next?

• Sow some kale
• Plant out some lettuce
• Prepare the bed where the claytonia was growing
• Water the seedlings during the week

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 4th May: Pears, gooseberries, carrots, parsnips, calendular and borage.

The rain mentioned in the last newsletter seems to be in the dim and distant past.  Since then the temperatures have soared so that it feels more like summer already rather than spring.  Consequently it has meant extra watering and keeping a close eye on the smaller plants and pot plants.  The rainfall for April was a sad 30.6 mm – the days of ‘April showers’ seem to have gone.

We had held off from sowing the carrots and parsnips directly into the ground because of the dry weather, however there comes a time when you need to take the plunge and get on with it or the window for sowing will be missed.  It just means being mindful to water regularly or else the seeds may sprout then dry out and die.  So we decided to go for it and the deed was done.  We still have more carrots to sow in a raised bed, and it will be interesting to compare the two different sowing sites to see how they fare with carrot root fly.  In theory the raised bed should do better, however time will tell.

As usual, watering took priority as a task and other jobs got pushed back.  The weeds are making themselves known and of course will compete with the crops if we do not remove them, leaving little time to carry out the other jobs for the week. 

On Saturday afternoon, after our gardening session we took ourselves off to Pent Farm for a picnic and a chance to see how things are growing there.  We were joined by the farmer and his partner, which was very special, to be able to hear about the history of the farm and how the season is going.  We are looking forward to seeing the cows out in the field next door very soon.

What’s next?

• Lettuce fleece needs removing
• Cut back the growth around the pond
• Finish sowing the carrots in the raised bed
• Take out the finished chard

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 27th April: The bees are now very busy in the garden making the most of the flowers.

Well it is true we wished for rain then lo and behold it decides to turn up exactly on the morning of the next gardening session!  There are certainly no complaints about the amount of rain and duration, enough to make a difference and enough not to have to water all the week.  So it was that the Wednesday morning session was cancelled but by Saturday morning it was certainly warm and sunny which meant we could catch up with a few jobs although again, not all of them got done.

The squashes and cucumbers did get sown, the leeks were divided into four bunches and potted on into larger pots.  They need to get to the size of pencils before they can be planted out and have a long way to go yet.   The netting which was flat over the calabrese plants was raised up over hoops and netted again – just in the nick of time it seems as the first cabbage white butterflies have been spotted and they could have easily laid their eggs on the brassicas if they were being touched by the net. However, the borage seedlings did not get removed or the carrots sown – but luckily we still have plenty of time.  Some lettuce seedlings got pricked out into larger pots to grow on further and a tray of spring onions were planted next to a row of peas.  

The bees are now very busy in the garden making the most of the many different flowers on show, the pulminaria by the pond has been on show for several weeks now and continues to be alive with the buzzing of bees. 

The radishes, having grown to the size of golf balls which would make you believe they are tough and inedible.  Luckily they are nothing of the sort and so it was a case of trying to find a use for them.  It was good to know that they can be roasted, which sweetens them.  Having shared an interesting recipe, it seems they may be tried cooked for the first time by many of the gardeners – and I know they were amazing roasted and added to a vegetable curry – Delicious!

What’s Next?

• Sow the carrots
• Remove the excessive borage
• Raise up the fleece from the lettuces
• Cut back the growth around the pot plant area

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 20th April: Everything seemed to be that much fresher and greener.

Hooray!  Early in the week we had a good steady downpour so that by the time we went to the next gardening session on Wednesday, plants had started to perk up and look so much happier for it.  Already the broad beans had grown by a good foot and everything seemed to be that much fresher and greener.  The radishes were taken by surprise when it rained, and started to swell so much and so fast that they burst open to produce some strange shapes. 

It looks as though there may be some more rain to come this week which is still needed and so we will cross all our fingers in the hope that it will.  At Pent farm we have already had to use many litres of the precious saved rainwater and hope that ‘April showers’ is still a thing if we are ever able to collect more rainwater before the summer arrives.

The courgettes did get sown, along with two trays of sweet corn, but not the squashes which will be a job for this week.  The peas for pea pods and the peas for pea shoots got planted out, then the wigwam for the sweet peas was put up and the sweet peas planted around it.  Coriander and lettuce plants were also made space for in some of the plots as did a few left over seed potatoes.  The tomatoes, only sown last week sprung into life so quickly that they were pricked out this week to grow on in the greenhouse at the farm, as did the cosmos, French and English marigolds. 

Of course the splash of rain was enjoyed by the weeds and so we took some time to hoe out as many of the unwanted ones as we could.  The claytonia winter lettuce is now flowering which has meant that it can still be eaten however it is clear that if left to do so it will happily sprout up again when the cooler weather appears which it did last year and has literally popped up all over the place.

What’s Next? 

• Sow the squashes and the cucumbers
• Sow some carrots
• Raise up the netting over the calabrese
• Take out invading borage seedlings

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 13th April: Plenty of spinach, the asparagus is delicious, and the radish good and crunchy.

The fact there has been no rain for so many weeks is really starting to cause problems.  The broad beans look great but are so short – they certainly should be much taller by now.  We have put off sowing the carrots and parsnips because they need to be sown directly into the ground, however the ground is now so dry that at Enbrook Park any water just runs off the surface and does not soak in.  The newly planted seedlings are struggling although we have been watering them outside of our usual gardening hours.  Again, we get the promise of rain in the future from the weather apps, but sadly it comes to nothing as the days go by and the temperatures rise.  Our fingers are crossed that a chance of rain next week does arrive.   (As if by magic, in-between writing this newsletter and sending it out – we had some rain!)

This week we sowed the tomatoes, nine different varieties, from cherry through to yellow plum, black, beefsteak and a tomato with few seeds just right for pasta sauce.  We sowed yet more English and French marigolds as well as lots of cosmos and more lettuces.  The lemon verbena had shown signs of life and got a good pruning along with the butterfly bush behind the tool box.   Many tasks have been pushed forward into next week as it takes so long to water and we run out of time and sometimes energy!

Last week it was noticed that the black fly had made an appearance in great numbers on the fast growing elder hedging.  This week it was noticed that the ladybirds had arrived in the area and had also seen the feast awaiting.  With any luck more of their friends will arrive and demolish the lot before they consider taking to the broad beans.  As regards that other well-known pest in the garden, the slug, the lack of rain has actually helped to keep them at bay for now.

We are still picking plenty of spinach, the asparagus is delicious, the radish good and crunchy and the spring onions coming to an end from the autumn plantings.

What’s next?

• Sow all the courgettes and squashes
• Plant out the peas
• Plant out the sweet peas and make a wigwam
• Take time to weed

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 6th April: What’s the difference between calabrese and broccoli?

The total rainfall for March was a shocking 6.7 mm! For early spring that is a big concern. This is the time we are starting to fill the beds with very small seedlings, but the ground is dry and we will have to water as much as we can if they are to survive as there seems to be no rain on the horizon for many days to come. The sunshine and the warmth have been most welcome of course but the lack of rain is a big problem. We noticed that where the elder in the hedge had started to grow, parts were smothered already in blackfly which could be a sign of stress. With any luck the ladybirds, usually abundant in the garden may turn up in numbers and make short work of them.

The water pump needed so that we do not have to water by hand, was remembered this week. However, having spent most of the time stored away over the autumn and winter, it decided to play up and not work on the Wednesday. When threatened with a screwdriver to take it apart, miraculously sprang into action and started to work again, meaning that on Saturday the watering got done much faster. We are hoping it is just a case of having to wake up from a long slumber and that all will be well from now on.

We had so much on the list to do this week that unfortunately not all of it was completed. We concentrated on getting seedlings planted – potatoes, cabbages, calabrese, peas for pea shoots, and a few left over spinach plants. The question was asked about the difference between calabrese and broccoli, which had not been considered before. Apparently, the large heads of ‘broccoli’ you buy at the supermarket have been misnamed and should be called calabrese; whilst the small spears of broccoli, such as purple sprouting broccoli/tender stem broccoli are true broccoli. So there it is!

We did get to sow more seeds of spring onions and leeks. It was decided that the leeks for Pent farm could be sowed and grown as a multiple with up to four leeks per planting, however the leeks for Enbrook Park are to be grown as single leeks and using the old fashioned method of planting them deep, and this is mainly because Pent farm has clay soil and is a much wetter site compared with the Enbrook Park site.

In spite of the lack of rain there is still plenty of spinach and chard, spring onions, and this week we had the treat of the first spears of asparagus, a few sticks of rhubarb, and the first three radishes! Certainly not enough for a feast, but a taste

What’s Next?

• Still need to finish the bean supports
• Still need to tie in the hops
• Carry out some extra watering between sessions
• Lots of seeds to sow/ few spare potatoes to plant

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 30th March: Who would have thought that mice like nasturtium seeds?

It is certainly starting to get very busy at the community garden at Enbrook Park. The sun has been shining for much of the week, and the rain that was promised and already needed failed to do much at all. So it was that we had to take up the watering cans straight away during the Saturday morning session, and a note taken to try to remember to bring the water pump next week as it will make the task so much easier and quicker!!

With so much warmth and sunshine, needless to say, things are starting to grow pretty fast from the overwintering crops to the new seedlings both in the ground and in the greenhouse. The greenhouse seedlings have to be watered now every day whereas we used to get away with just every other day.

Who would have thought that mice like nasturtium seeds, as unfortunately they have tucked into a whole tray which was sown recently. The other bad news is that the weeds seem to be growing just as fast as the plants we do want to keep and so a task for next week will be to get out the hoes and make short work of them before they get a grip.

Spring onions, chives and beetroot seedlings got planted out into plots this week, and covered in netting just to allow them to take root as something wild is very busy digging holes all over the place, and if it took to a newly planted bed, the seedlings would stand no chance at all. The turnips and kohlrabi had to be pinched out as we had sown two seeds per cell and it seems all of them had taken. It is a shame to have to remove seedlings but these vegetables prefer to be on their own and would be fighting over the water, so it is best to take one of the seedlings out – luckily they are not wasted and can be put into a stir fry.

The daffodils are going over now, and an effort was made to dead head them this week so that the bulb can direct energy back to itself rather than to the seed head. Happily, the English marigolds are just starting to flower, and the cerinthe, as you can see from a picture below, are just starting to show some colour too. The last of the kale was taken out, and some cardoons were moved but unfortunately not the globe artichokes because they had grown too large already. Maybe next year.

Perhaps the best news was to hear that the fantastic hummingbird moth which we often comment on and living in one of our gardens in Sandgate, has been seen again. It seems pretty early as apparently it is a summer visitor to the UK.

What’s next?

• Lots of seeds still need to be sown
• Finish staking the broad beans
• Get some strings in for the hops too
• Weeds need to be hoed.

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 23rd March: The banana tree is making a comeback.

The temperatures improved this week and it was mostly dry with some sunshine which meant that we have begun watering again.  Fortunately there is not much to water but the pots certainly have needed it.

The daffodils are now past their best and the bluebells are starting to take over as well as the forget-me-nots.  We find that the bluebells seed all over the place and so they need removing in large quantities, however we do not feel guilty about it as they are the Spanish variety and not the English.  We leave them to flower in some places but not if they pop up in the beds and the paths.  Another companion plant we have been removing is the nasturtium.  It also appears in great numbers, self-seeding everywhere, but as it is not as invasive as the bluebells we have replanted them in other areas.

We were pleased to notice that the banana tree is making a comeback, has survived the winter, and is throwing out a brand new leaf.   Surprisingly, the overwintered broad beans are now starting to flower so we hope there will be some bees around to fertilise them as they are popular with the bees.  It is lovely to see the new growth starting to appear, and our fingers are crossed that the lemon verbena, a favourite herb, has survived the winter too but there are no signs of growth just yet. 

A tray of spinach got planted, and will eventually replace the spinach we have growing in the plots which have kept going throughout the winter.  At times they were practically eaten right down to the ground by the pigeons making the most of the netting being blown off by high winds; however they have bounced back and have been providing some decent pickings.  The last of the leeks were taken up, and the first bunches of chives cut. 

We sowed plenty of seeds – two trays of celeriac, more English marigolds, French marigolds, corn marigolds and snap dragons.  More calabrese seedlings got pricked out along with some greyhound cabbages to grow on back in the greenhouse.   We have some sweet peas which were repotted and sent back to the greenhouse as it is too early to put them outside just yet. 

What’s next?

• Check if the hops need stringing
• Still need to move the globe artichokes
• Weed the broad beans and get in some border posts
• Sow more lettuce

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.