Sandgate Community Garden

It has to be said that in the whole history of this newsletter, since the Sandgate Community Garden began, this one has been the most challenging!  Having managed up to now to avoid catching Covid, it has come knocking on my door, and I (Leonie) am just going into my second week stuck at home.  Fortunately we have good communication systems amongst our lovely dedicated team of gardeners, and so I have managed to glean all that has been happening without me.

The great thing about knowing so many vegetable growers is that they are experts at making the most delicious soups.  Many thanks to Erica for a large pot of spicy veg soup / stew which was just the thing needed at that time, for the shopping delivered to the door, and all the messages offering help, it was most appreciated and just confirms that our community is truly amazing.

Parsnip soup made from our own garden parsnips was again causing some envy.  Knowing that we are frequently asked for the recipes, the maker Rosie, has already obliged:

Parsnip Soup Recipe.
– 3 parsnips
– 600 ml water
– Chicken stock cube
– Knob of butter
– Milk to taste
Prepare and chop parsnips. Fry for a short time in butter. Add chicken stock. When soft liquidise, add milk, salt, pepper.
As I used community garden parsnips I relied on their flavour so didn’t add an onion or herbs/spices. Recipe approx amounts.

St Valentine’s Day marks the beginning of the seed sowing for the year, when peas for shoots, coriander, parsley, spinach, cabbage, spring onions, broccoli and radishes got sown indoors to germinate in modules or seed trays.  This year we have at least a dozen varieties of lettuce which will be interesting.  The broccoli failed to germinate at all however the seed packet was out of date and this time the gamble of giving them a go, failed.  There is still plenty of time to try again.

Rosie has been highly delighted with her homegrown purple sprouting broccoli this week and sent a picture, shown below.  It can be true that much of growing anything is based on luck, faced with weather conditions, insects, and hungry pigeons; however the results are looking pretty good.  Her variety is earlier than ours at Enbrook Park, which is not due to be ready to pick until April.  Of course, if you have the time to plan, plus plenty of room it is possible to have broccoli in season all year round.

The Incredible Edible group have recently bought a 110 litre water bowser on large wheels which can be pulled by hand along the street to water planters.  It will be very interesting to find out just how manoeuvrable and easy to use this thing will be, as we always have issues in getting enough water to some of the other garden areas outside of Enbrook Park and have so far had to rely on carting 20 litre containers full of water about.  The only foreseen problem is that Sandgate has so many hills and a full bowser might possibly be something that only the strongest can manage.  We are looking forward to giving it a go.

I have been saved the misery of having to see the garden at Enbrook Park the day after storm Eunice which struck on Friday.  It seems there were no broken trees or branches this time, but naturally the fleece and mesh covers got a good battering as did many of the plants.  All was put right on Saturday morning by our gardeners, however the pond has got more things floating in it than it should, and it is not very clear if high winds are set to return over the next few days.  Fingers are crossed that the very worst has now passed. 

The beekeepers have just been celebrating the fact that the bees at the garden hives are able to forage and collect pollen now that spring is on the horizon.

What’s next?

• Sow broccoli seeds

• Sow more radishes

• Sort out the pond

• Check on all the other growing areas for any damage

At last the time has come to start sowing those seeds, but not all of them, just those that can tolerate cold weather and cope should there be a change in the current warm and sunny period.  We are talking about peas (for pea shoots), spring onions, radishes, lettuces, spinach, parsley, broad beans, broccoli, coriander and early cabbage.

We were contacted by a lovely lady by the name of Rosemary, keen to pass on her own locally collected flower and plant seeds.  Rosemary volunteers for the Romney Marsh community garden as well as the Hythe Environmental group, where she can be seen regularly at their seed swaps, with knowledge and support for anybody that needs it. Rosemary gave us several plants and collected seeds.  We are delighted to make yet another contact, and plan to go and visit Rosemary at her community garden in New Romney soon.  As we have learnt from our recent seed saving course, locally collected seed is more likely to thrive in the same area being used to the climate.

We know that volunteering has several benefits, from building community and your social network to developing emotional stability and helping mental wellbeing.  Over time we have met so many inspirational and encouraging people, and made many links with local organisations and individuals all striving to improve and support our society.  The reward as a volunteer is priceless, but the need is great and there is a vast amount of choice for anybody looking to offer their services. 

Below is a picture taken by one of our volunteers of a nearby post box, enhanced by an excellent knitter which made us all smile and wonder at the incredible hidden talents out there.

We are looking for keen gardeners to help us look after various sites around Sandgate, to plant, water, and weed, maybe even grow flowering plants to make our area look its best.  We were contacted to meet an amazing trio, valiantly working hard to clear and make good the overgrown grounds surrounding our very own St Paul’s churchyard on Sandgate Hill.  Unfortunately the grounds had become quite overgrown, and being adjacent to the main road, is in full sight, and looked unloved.  Natalie took up the challenge and volunteered with two other recruits to begin the clearance and nurturing of the rescued plants, however they are looking for more help.  They are a delightful group, very friendly and chatty, so perhaps if you are looking to volunteer somewhere, this could be for you!   Please contact Leonie on 07840138308 if you would like to help – your community needs you even if you can only spare an hour or two!

The Incredible Edible group in Cheriton had a sudden influx of volunteers when many of the Nepalese community got stuck in with weeding and tidying.  Possibly the best part of the session was the mugs of tea and copious amounts of homemade cake which seemed to go down well.  The Incredible Edibles hope to be able to support the Nepalese community with a planting area or areas in the grounds of their new community centre in Cheriton.

We got some important jobs done this week.  The children’s nursery at Saga were donated a beautiful specimen apple tree for their growing area last year, and it got a pruning, supervised by the interested children, to get it back into shape for the coming season.  They were delighted to show off their spring flowers and overwintered vegetables growing in the planters.  We are hoping to be able to support them better this year now that restrictions are easing.

The large pots of mint that overflowed last year got turned out, split into smaller sections and re-potted in fresh soil, as did a very congested arum lily.  More self-sown seedlings appear every week it seems and were either planted in a better spot or potted up for use elsewhere.

We did get to pick a few mustard leaves, some broccoli shoots and some kale leaves that had been netted and left to recover for some weeks after being practically shredded to bits by the pigeons.  They are currently eying up the purple sprouting and have managed to strip a few plants if any strong winds displace the protective netting.

What’s next?

• Get sowing

• Sort out those tayberry plants

• Keep an eye on the fleece and net covers if it is windy

• Some signs need replacing

The snowdrops are out in Enbrook Park, and Imbolc (Gaelic/pagan festival of spring) has already passed us by.  So very tempting this time of the year when the sun comes out, to go get the seeds and start sowing, but not before St Valentine’s Day!  There is just one more week to wait.

The rainfall for January was 49mm which seemed to have happened on the 8^th when it rained all day. After that we did not see any substantial rain and we have had to water the pots several times.  The plants taking shelter in the cold frames were removed this week as they can dry out too quickly once the sun starts to shine for any length of time, and the weather does not look too cold for the foreseeable future.

The pond edges got weeded, a few spare plants planted around the edges, and more time spent fishing leaves out of the water.  Another bird box was kindly donated and fixed to a nearby tree, and a wooden handmade planter, also donated, was picked up with thanks.  Time was well spent litter picking and tidying the little green outside the Fish and Chip shop in the High Street.  It is good to see that the bulbs planted back in the autumn are starting to come through. 

Although too early for sowing seeds it is certainly not too early to start off your potatoes.  Seed potatoes are available now for ‘chitting’ where the ‘eyes’ of the potato seeds are allowed to grow shoots before being planted at the end of March or early April.  Always tricky to recommend varieties as you need to consider what works best for you, as well as your growing conditions and personal taste.  All varieties have their own merits but the main thing is they are grown by us and nothing else will taste any better!  There is just no comparison with anything bought in a shop. 

Some of the netting was temporarily removed to mulch the base of the overwintering broccoli and kale to give them that extra boost now they are building up to their main cropping time in March and April, perhaps through to May.  It was surprising to find a caterpillar or two still grazing amongst the brassica leaves. It feels incredible for February but it seems not unusual as we have heard reports of other caterpillar finds in local gardens and in the UK south.

Since reporting last week that there were various growing projects being initiated in and around Folkestone, even more garden organisers have been getting in touch to highlight their plans which is really good news.  So much is starting to happen locally, and it is very encouraging that these projects are reaching out to make connections because as we already know, having links with other community groups has certainly helped us.  Swapping seeds, seedlings, plants, information, even just visiting different sites can inspire and give ideas.

There is a new project happening in Fremantle Park this week, as many have noticed that two concrete bases have been set into the grass close to the playground.  One of our gardener’s children thought with great excitement that they may be rocket launching pads, which sound like a brilliant idea; however, they are in fact bases for two picnic benches.  Let us hope that their disappointment of reality is short lived.

What’s next?

• Get the garden signs painted and up;

• Get those flower seedlings potted up;

• Sort out the tayberry plants;

• Start splitting up the many mint plants and repot.

There might not be much going on at the garden these days, but there certainly is plenty happening as regards planning and organising in the background, for the year ahead as well as beyond. 

This article was in the Guardian this week, stating that the ‘UK could grow up to 40% of its own fruit and vegetables by using urban green spaces’. 

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/jan/24/uk-could-grow-up-fruit-and-vegetables-urban-green-spaces

Apparently only about 1% of urban green space is made up of allotments. The thought is that we should be using more of our gardens, parkland, playing fields and open grass spaces to grow more food.  Well, our Community Gardens, and the work of the Incredible Edibles is already using and growing in public spaces. However perhaps there are a few other issues which need to be addressed first. It seems quite shocking that currently much less than 40% of our fruit and vegetables come from the UK. 

Perhaps the main sticking points are that we expect to be able to buy certain foods all year round and out of season. We expect food to:

• look perfect and therefore probably sprayed with all sorts of chemicals;

• be cheap and plentiful

• include exotic fruits and veg from abroad we cannot possibly grow here;

And of course, some do not even eat any fruit and vegetables in the first place, or very few. 

An interesting article but a complex subject which will certainly not be changed unless there is a considerable threat to our food security and we are forced to.  The last time this happened was during the two World Wars.  Let us hope we never have to cross that bridge even in these interesting times. 

However if you are the kind of person who likes sharing ideas and inspiring change, then this event could be just up your street.  Hosted by thenextstep.org.uk  at the Eleto Café in Rendezvous Street, Folkestone, a chance to find out about local green initiatives:

‘whether you’re just curious about what you could do in your own life to become that one step greener, or you want to learn about something exciting and new, we want to offer a comfortable space for us all to share ideas and learn from one another in our community’.

This is a new initiative in Folkestone, and the second meeting was held this week where the discussion was around the possibility of a ‘Repair Shop’ in the locality, and aspects of recycling.  There were representatives from many walks of life, from businesses to councilors, to community groups, and interested individuals, young and old.  We are certainly looking forward to the next meeting which will be Wednesday 23^rd February 6-8pm.  The group can be found on Instagram and Facebook too.

Enough of the soapbox lecturing and advertising for now.  January is drawing to a close, we are fast approaching the time when we will be sowing the first of the seeds for the year, and we can look forward to longer, warmer days.  We have had several enquiries about new projects being planned, and if we can advise on starting Community Gardens or spaces.  We are always delighted to share what we have learnt along the way, the pitfalls as well as the good bits, and hope we can in some way help new groups to get going. 

Some jobs did get finished this week.  The last of the compost at the lower wall was bagged up, and the final little bit we have in the garden is all but gone.  Happily we do have plans to enable us to collect more compost to keep us in good stead for the rest of the year.  The large planter at Golden Valley did get mulched with a good layer of cardboard and compost, as did some of the growing space at Fremantle Park.  And our pond was cleared of leaf debris, a fabulous Romanesco cauliflower was found and picked, and there was much surprise in the clump of rhubarb which has appeared above the mulch layer already. 

What’s next?

• Bag up the last of the compost for Fremantle
• The pond edges still need weeding
• New signs need painting and putting up
• There are some flower seedlings which need potting up
• Do not forget to water the cold frames!

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

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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

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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

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Happy New Year!

Looking back at this time last year, not surprising it was certainly colder, and we had just suffered the consequences of storm Bella and were in full lockdown mode.  It was good to be able to celebrate the end of this year with many of the volunteers in the garden, as the weather has continued to be so very mild.  The last of the mulled wine and mince pies went down a treat with Christmas cake and sausage rolls, whilst the last of the parsnips got pulled, enough for all to take home a few for Christmas dinner, and very delicious they were too.   

On the first day of January, it was just like a lovely spring day, warm and sunny.  There were a few displaced covers to put back over some of the brassicas, and it was clear that the pigeons had been making the most of us not being around and had stripped a few plants that found themselves out in the open.  Most surprising were the missing mustard salad leaves.  Who would have thought they would be appreciated by the wildlife too and in such quantity.  Perhaps they do not taste the same heat we do when eating them.  They are now re-covered in the hope they may sprout again with any luck. 

Compost bin number one finally got turned; a great workout for the first day back.  For several weeks before Christmas it was full to overflowing and had to be pressed into any spaces and even jumped up and down on.  Yet after the Christmas break it had sunk down nicely and when turned into the same sized bin number two, only just about filled it half way with room for more at a later date.  Turning the compost in the first bin is not a job for the feint hearted.  It can be full of tiny flies that billow out from the cover when lifted, and as you proceed with the turning into the next bin, usually has the most pungent aroma.  However the unpleasantness is short lived, and once turned, all is right again.  After this initial turn, the compost becomes odourless, and apart from being full of wriggling worms, really does look almost good enough to eat!  Turning the compost also reveals what did happen to the secateurs when they went missing, as well as the fact that a month of Sundays will never decompose foil or plastics mistakenly placed in compost bins!

Compost/soil is a most fascinating subject, and this link will take you to a BBC short video which explains all sorts of interesting facts:

This time of year is perfect for reflecting on the growing year just gone and planning for the next.  Yule, and the shortest day have gone, and before we know it, February will be upon us and we start seed sowing once more.  In preparation, and as a Christmas gift to ourselves, we have invested in some new long handled dibbers (pictured below) which will hopefully make planting out much easier than using the shorter and smaller versions.

Now is a good time to order new seeds; seeds are another little understood subject which deserves and needs to be investigated further.  On Saturday 22^nd January, there will not be many of us at the garden as some of us have booked to attend a short course or introduction to seeds and seed saving at the Locavore growing project at Martello Primary school in Folkestone, led by Seed Sovereignty UK.  We are looking forward to meeting up again with other local community groups committed to community-based food production , Incredible Edible, Feeding Folkestone, Kent Food Hub, and of course Locavore.  It will certainly be a very interesting and informative day.

What’s next?

• Still more mulching to be done

• Review the seed stock situation

• Sort out the retrieved secateurs from the compost bin

• The French marigolds have finally stopped flowering and need composting

• Tidy around the compost bins

This is our very last newsletter of 2021.  With Christmas falling at the weekend, our next edition will be on Sunday January 2^nd – so where did that year go? 

Looking back we have had an amazing growing year in the main garden at Enbrook, and started several other projects.  Going into spring 2022, the garden will be three years old, and it is clear as it matures that it begins to give more and more produce.  There is still work to be done to improve the soil, but it is getting easier to work with as time goes on so we look with excitement to see what this new year brings.  More projects, more collaborations, more links with other community groups and greater friendships. 

This week the job of mulching the plots has continued, as well as putting down more wood chip paths.  The soft fruit bushes got pruned, and where many of the gooseberry stems had trailed along the ground they had taken root, giving us several new plants which were potted up to mature and transfer to other places along with more self-sown flower seedlings discovered along the way.

Some of us joined up with the ‘Go Folkestone’ group as well as the Incredible Edibles to plant thirty trees at the Three Hills Sports Park in Cheriton Road on Thursday.  The great thing about getting to know other voluntary community groups is that when a job needs doing, then the invitation can go out for everybody to lend a hand and make short work of a large task.  Both these groups supported us with the orchard plantings in Sandgate and Fremantle parks recently, and so it was great to be able to return the favour. 

The weather has been unseasonably warm again, with no sign of frost, just cloud and sometimes drizzle.  There are still flowers in the garden, lettuce and broccoli to pick.  On Saturday we had a Christmas gathering for our volunteers, in a time when Covid numbers are starting to sky rocket again and many other Christmas events cancelled.  The fact we are working outside has its benefits, and as It was warm and dry enough we partook in mulled wine and mince pies and talked about what we hope to be getting up to during the holiday period, with luck.  We have been waiting since April when the seeds were sown, to lift some of the parsnips in time to serve for Christmas lunch.  Parsnips are made sweeter for being well frosted, but they looked pretty good as a crop with little or no signs of canker or root boring pests which can be an issue – they were certainly better looking than last year!  Wednesday 22^nd December will be our last gardening session for this year when we intend to get the mince pies and mulled wine out again as there are often different volunteers that day, and anyway…….why not?

All of us at the Sandgate Community Garden would like to wish you a very merry Christmas, and a healthy new year.

What’s next?

• Finish off the mince pies and mulled wine

• Carry on mulching

• Maybe start pruning some of the fruit trees

• The compost bin number one really will need turning and will be a good workout!

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We have had some stormy weather this week which has meant checking on the netted and fleeced beds to make sure it is still all in place!  Most of the netting being more open meshed than the fleece was fine, but the fleece got pulled off and blown about several times so that it was black with dirt and looked most grubby.  Fortunately a few rain downpours soon cleaned them up and they are looking better already.

It was mostly about starting the annual compost and wood chip mulching this week; however there are things to be done before that can be attempted.  The deciduous trees are bare at last, and ahead of any compost or wood chips being laid the very last of the fallen leaves have been picked up and composted so now we can see the outlines of the beds and paths where they should be.  Several self-sown plants were potted up to be placed later in other spaces, and some were simply removed and composted if they were taking up too much space or smothering other plants.  Several plants and herbs were cut right back, and once satisfied the spaces were clear, then the laying down of mulches can begin, a good 4 – 6 cm depth if possible.  There is still much to be done.

Other tasks included trimming the hedge, planting some random onion seedlings, clearing around the back of the pond so that it remains accessible and watering the cold frame contents.  We still have things to pick, such as winter salad, a few radishes, kale, spinach and chard, but we are fast approaching the shortest day and combined with lower temperatures, any growth is now minimal and it takes much longer to replenish anything picked in the way of new leaves.  This is the time when the self-sufficient land owner or traditional farmer would be relying on anything stored from earlier in the year, and plenty of hardy winter vegetables.  The green outside the chip shop in Sandgate has had a tidy up and some bulbs planted, as have the two planters along the seafront and the Ship planter too.

Perhaps one of the most amazing things about living in Sandgate is that we have so many green spaces and trees in our parks with associated wildlife. There was an unusual sighting of what was believed to have been a great white egret in the trees near the brook at Enbrook Park this week.  Apparently this bird is a frequent visitor to the south east of England and more likely to be seen in winter and spring so keep a look out for that one.  Whilst working in the garden we frequently hear and see buzzards circling over the trees and there is often a great commotion as the sea gulls try to chase them off.  Counting our blessings that the only foraging we have to do to find our food is in the community garden or the supermarket, where there is little competition and certainly no fighting!

If the weather is fine we intend to celebrate the festive season and another amazing year in the garden at Enbrook with mulled wine and mince pies on our last Saturday and Wednesday before the 25^th December. 

What’s next?

• Continue to mulch the beds and paths

• Start to prune soft fruit bushes

• Maybe turn the compost heap if feeling strong

• Get organised for mince pies and mulled wine!

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