Sandgate Community Garden

Far too much weather again this week, and how much we will appreciate warm sunny days when they eventually appear.

It is a long shot, but we are putting out an appeal to anybody reading this that might have a greenhouse and is willing to either look after our seedlings or allow us to look after them for just a few weeks until it is warm enough to be able to sow seeds outside.  Once the seeds are sown, they can be put into any warm space like a cupboard, seed trays piled up on each other, just until germination; for most this is just two to three days.  Then they can be brought out and placed in the light to grow on for another couple of weeks until planting.  With these dull, rainy days, the seedlings on windowsills  are becoming long and straggly, which is ok as they can be planted deeper, but it is not ideal, and a greenhouse will  mean more light and stronger plants.  If you can help with greenhouse space for just a few weeks, send us an email, or phone/text 07840138308.

Most of our seeds are to be started off in modules and then transplanted.  It means a faster turnover of plants in the growing space, and you can keep a close eye on them.  From now on, the only direct seed sowings will be of carrots and parsnips (because they have long tap roots) and garlic.  Seed sowing itself is reasonably simple and so satisfying, when miraculous little shoots start to show above the compost, but such a big disappointment when nothing at all happens.  The common thought is to blame yourself for not doing something right, but the fact is that seed companies push the boundaries of packaging and selling viable seed, and are often accused of releasing seed that is simply too old.  As time goes on, seeds become less able to germinate successfully, numbers drop off until all the seed is dead.  Many seed companies state the year the seed is packed, but are not required to say when the seed was collected, and so you never know just how old your seeds are.  Seed companies and seed management are not regulated tightly enough, and there are many practices that need exposing.  There is nothing worse than spending between 3 and 4 pounds for a packet of seeds that fail to germinate, or will never look like the picture on the packet; less painful to buy packets for 25p to £1 from Wilko or Lidl.  So, if you are just looking for most common types of veg seed, do not be afraid to try the cheaper brands, they seem just as good.

Below are pictures of our seedlings, some are ready to be planted, with a fleece covering.  Beetroot is sown 4 seeds per module, spring onions up to 10 seeds, peas for shoots up to 5, radishes up to 6. 

What’s next?

• Sow even more seeds

• Plant out the radishes

• Continue with the compost cover and pathways

• Keep up the weeding

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It does not feel like it right now, but spring really is just around the corner.  The days are getting longer, and some of the buds are fit to burst.  We still have time to get the compost and paths in place, and there are seedlings of lettuce, radish, spring onions, cabbage, calabrese and spinach on their way, filling up window ledges.  The aim is to be planting these sowings in mid-March with any luck.

Still lots of work to be getting on with, and in fact we have not stopped over the winter period at all – take note all the fair weather gardeners out there!

I have only just come back from a course with Charles Dowding, the guru of ‘no dig’ gardening.  There were people on the course from all over the UK, and also from Europe and America.  I have practiced ‘no dig’ for some time, and I know it works, but Charles also has some very interesting methods of sowing, planting and harvesting, for maximum cropping and higher yields for the available growing space.  No dig is about feeding the soil, not the plants, as they take what they need from the soil.  So, keep an eye on the garden to see what we get growing this year.  The trick is to be able to time when replacement plants or seeds are needed, and to avoid empty spaces during the faster growing seasons.  From the pictures you can see he keeps a tidy, orderly garden, and attention to detail is second to none.  However, it was also good to see that Mr Dowding is not perfect either and has disasters just the same as everybody else! If you are interested in ‘no dig’, there are many instructional videos to be found on Youtube.

What’s next?

• Keep weeding

• More paths to finish

• More compost and wood chips to move to the garden.

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Storm Ciara rip roared around last weekend, and we seemed to get away with just shredded fleece cloches, we were lucky.  Let us hope we get through Dennis paying us a visit this weekend!

More barrowing of compost and wood chips has been the theme this week.  It should certainly help to define where it is safe to walk, as most visitors manage to trample over the onions at some point or another.  Unless storm Dennis obliges and blows the rest of the compost and wood chips up the hill to the garden, we will be repeating the action into next week and quite possibly the week after.  One of the Saga gardeners took pity and brought some of the compost up to the garden on the tractor trailer but that was before they became preoccupied with fallen and falling trees in the park!

Believe it or not it is time to be sowing seeds, and the window ledges are filling up with all sorts of seed trays and seedlings.  We aim to grow as much as we can this year.  We are on the verge of announcing lots of other plans and ideas, but all that is for later.

We had the welcome gift of six bags of manure to add to the compost heap from Jill, a good friend of the garden – it will do the world of good, thanks Jill and indeed, all donations of horse muck, seeds, plants and tools gratefully received.  

The area around the pond has had the ‘no dig’ treatment, and is starting to look better, but there is much to do on the path side, where some of the earth needs to be pulled back so as not to show so much of the liner.

If you get this newsletter on a Sunday morning, it will not be appearing until Sunday night next week the 23^rd, as I will be on a course with none other than the world famous guru of ‘no dig’ himself, Mr Charles Dowding.  He has a market garden in Somerset, and is totally inspirational in how he grows and harvests organic food.  I am so looking forward to seeing his garden, which is already in full swing, providing plenty of salad leaves and vegetables to the locals.  So hopefully I should be bringing back lots more ideas and techniques to ours.

What’s next?

• Check for storm damage

• You guessed it – more barrowing of compost, and making of wood chip paths.

• Much is starting to sprout in the garden, and so are the weeds which need hoeing again.

• Collect more coffee grounds/cardboard

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So very happy to report that our wishes have been answered, and we had compost delivered to the community garden to enable us to make the soil easier to work, and continue with a ‘no dig’ policy.  Folkestone and Hythe council took pity on our plight and are giving us their own compost made in their yard from waste collected from local parks and gardens.   It is peat free and perfect for our requirements.  Feeling cheeky, we mentioned we were looking for wood chips to continue making our paths, and that wish is also to be granted – happy days!  Well, if you don’t ask you won’t get – thank you to our local friendly council……. this makes a great difference to us.  The wheelbarrow has been working overtime trundling backwards and forwards (always uphill with a full load!) to the garden and the new compost is being put down where it is most needed first.  Starting to think we could do with another wheelbarrow, one with an engine strapped to it!

On Wednesday we put nine wooden posts into the ground and along the wall, ready for wires to be strung between them, and for plants to be trained along them.  A maiden pear tree was donated and planted by Sue, a local lady, and another pear tree will be arriving next week.  They are both to be trained against the wall.  We have had other offers of tree donations but we feel that we are at saturation point for the amount of space we currently have.  We had some spinach plants which were planted in one of the raised boxes.

On Saturday we continued wheelbarrowing the compost to the garden, put a mulch of well-rotted horse manure around the orchard trees, and picked some kale and purple sprouting.  Storm Ciara is on its way Saturday night and Sunday, so we spent some time making sure cloches were well secured.   Time will tell if the storm has spared the garden, and an inspection is to be made Monday morning.  Having ’battened down the hatches’, a happy hour or two was spent at the Sandgate Societies sloe gin tasting session.  A must considering we should be picking our own sloes from our newly planted hedge later this year.  Looks like we shall have to consider entering a community garden offering next year!

What’s next?

• Check on any storm damage

• More compost and more uphill wheelbarrowing

• Continue to keep on top of any weeds

• Collect coffee grounds from the local cafes for the compost bins

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A reasonably quiet week, we are still trying to resolve the problem of getting hold of lots of compost to put on the garden to improve the soil, without having to part with lots of money, and we think we are about to solve it.  Having recently read an article about electro-mechanical composting machines that can convert garden and food waste into highly nutritious compost in just 14 days, we are beginning to feel quite envious!  However, this amazing machine is not to be our saviour – but who knows what the future may bring!

We inherited with the site a large patch of wild garlic which last year looked quite battered and sorry for its self, but by this week was looking very lush and had increased to twice its size.   So we dug up what seemed a small mountain of the stuff to put into many a dish, to include soup, stir fry and blitzed into a pesto – delicious.  All parts of the plant can be eaten, and the leaves can be continued to be picked throughout the year to be put with mixed salad leaves.

The pond has very nearly filled, and so the excess liner was cut away and the edges were tucked into the ground.  We still have lots to do to make the pond an attractive wildlife asset, but it is getting there.

It was high time we plotted where and what trees we had in the orchard, as two of the labels had already disappeared and it would be a shame not to know exactly what we have.  Officially the definition of an orchard is just five trees together, which does not seem very many at all.  Happily, with the addition in the next week or so of two more pear trees, we shall have double that number. 

One of the pictures attached is of a patch of nicotiana or tobacco plant which is standing tall by the wall and has flowered all of January – simply amazing for this time of year and probably says something about how warm it has been so far this winter and how much shelter the wall gives, and how much heat it radiates.  Also attached is a picture of the last gate, hand crafted by Jeff, a Saga gardener – thanks Jeff!

What’s next?

• It is all systems go to get the compost in place – subject to successful negotiations.

• We have more posts that need to be put in against the wall for climbers and espaliers.

• Spend some time to see if any birds are checking out our bird boxes and nesting materials.

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Having visited the delightful old fashioned shop in Cheriton opposite the library, we now have our seed potatoes chitting away on window ledges, waiting to be planted in the spring.  Here is what we will be growing:

Lady Christl – These were bought specifically for the nursery children as they are a very early variety, and the children will be able to experience harvesting them in June before they break for the summer holidays and change their nursery setting for Primary School.  This variety is recommended in many gardening forums and has an RHS Award of Garden Merit, having both excellent taste as well as good looks!  The harvest is ready in just 11-12 weeks after planting.

Charlotte – Is a waxy second early variety, easy to grow, and can be left for longer in the ground if not required for eating straight away.  Again it has excellent flavour, and is for harvesting mid to end of July.

Pink Fir Apple –   This is an old French variety which can be traced back to at least 1850.  It fell out of favour until it suddenly became popular again from 2000 onwards.  It has ‘top quality taste and texture’, it  stores well and is a main crop type being ready to harvest from mid to end of August.

Oca –  This is not from the potato seed shop, but the seed tubers have been saved from a donated plant and then harvested in November to give us seed for this year (picture below – they look like fat yellow maggots!).  Oca is described as a lemony potato, the ‘lost crop of the Incas’ and a delicious alternative to regular potatoes and yams.  This perennial South American tuber has a slightly tangy flavour, crunchy when raw and starchier when boiled or baked.  It is harvested in the UK before hard frosts.  All of the plant can be eaten – the leaves are similar to wood sorrel, great in a salad;  the stems can be used as an alternative to rhubarb or gooseberries, in a pie.  We will be planting some in-between the garlic and onions as it is a great companion plant, filling the space once the garlic/onions have been harvested in July.  What is not to like about that?

The compost heaps got turned, the last time was probably late September or early October.  The decomposition process is much slower in the winter, but it still happens.   The bench has been moved and we continued to weed and tidy. 

The Saga gardeners kindly found some time to make us another gate, and continue the fencing right up to the windbreak.  Now we know where all the gates and entrances are, the hedging plants, growing in the way, were replanted in hedge gaps. 

In preparation for the birds starting to build their nests, we asked for a bag of washed dog hair from the local groomers, stuffed it into a wicker ball full of holes, and hung it up in the trees for the birds to help themselves to.  There is probably a use for every waste material somewhere!

Bee hive news – we have it on good authority that the bees are still on schedule to arrive in the garden before the end of February.  Work is being done to prepare the hive stands.  Ray is the owner of the bees and hives – he recently moved into Sandgate and we commandeered him as soon as it was discovered he was an experienced bee keeper!  He will be relocating two of his hives to the garden, and will be ably assisted by one of our great garden friends, Chris.  Chris also has experience of bee keeping, and we are confident they will make an excellent success of the garden’s relationship with honey bees.

What’s next?

Progress is currently being held to ransom by a lack of compost…. We simply could not make enough to enrich all the ground space we have available to us.  So we are looking into how we can fix it.  In the meantime we have more tidying to do, and a few more plants to plant, before the seed sowing begins in earnest next month, and more perennial vegetable plants on order since Christmas, arrive in the post!

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This week a couple of us made a trip to Brogdale, the famous fruit farm near Faversham, to collect two  varieties of rhubarb, and a pear tree for planting sometime soon.  On the way back we dropped into the oldest Community Garden in the country, the Abbey physic community garden.  This garden is now 25 years old, and is crammed full of all sorts of things.  World famous, it apparently has coach loads of visitors dropping in for tea and cake, and to see what is being worked on.  You can also get horticultural training, or learn how to cook using ingredients from the garden….. There are so many directions that community gardens can take, however the coaches will not be stopping at Enbrook Park just yet!

Wednesday session was a complete washout, and it seemed like it would never stop raining, however the pond is continuing to fill and the wind break is showing it does slow down the worst of the blasts from the sea, with the cloches managing to stay in place for once.

Saturday was such a contrast, with wall to wall amazing sunshine and finding that we even had to remove our coats soon after starting work.  More weeds have been hoed, three new paths made, and one of the compost bins emptied out onto a new piece of ground to encourage the worms to work it into the soil below – we let them do all the digging!  With the hard stuff done, we made the first proper picking of the year – two types of spinach, chard, mibuna, mizuna, and kale mixed leaves; purple sprouting broccoli and leeks.  We shared the bounty amongst the workers this time, but are looking forward to being able to bring produce to others once we get over the ‘hungry gap’ of the year, and into the next productive part of the growing season.

It is potato chitting time, which involves letting the ‘eyes’ of the seed potatoes develop into shoots whilst they sit on a window ledge!  There is a delightful old fashioned shop in Cheriton opposite the library selling seed potatoes individually, or by the kilo – there are so many different varieties to choose from; waxy salad types, through to floury roasting, nutty flavours, to potatoes never seen in the supermarkets .  Just to be able to buy the exact number and type you are looking for is a real joy.

What’s next?

• Move bench

• Continue to hoe beds and prepare for mulching

• Turn compost heaps

• Start mulching some of the beds ready for planting in March.

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Melanie Wrigley from the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership visited the garden this week to take a look at the project and advise on anything we can do to enhance the number and varieties of wildlife.  Happily it seems we are working the right direction already, and the future plans we already have will help to create the wildlife environment that can also benefit both the garden and the honey bees.  Melanie will be keeping in touch, and we will be updating her regularly through our newsletter.

There is to be an informal chat/meet up with the Hythe Hops organisers at the 3 Mariners, Windmill Street, Hythe this Sunday 12^th January from 5pm for a couple of hours.  As you know we are signed and paid up to this project, and are eagerly looking forward to receiving our hop plants sometime in March.  Well over 100 individuals are participating this year in the local area, mostly households with just one plant growing in the garden.  The hops are a dwarf variety, and therefore more compact and suitable for pot or garden environments.  If you think you might like to also take part, then why not come along and find out about it.

Happily the pond liner did not get lifted by high winds, as the Saga gardeners kindly filled up a bowser with water and emptied it into the pond…. Since then the water level has been added to by the rain, with much more to come this week.  The gardeners also laid down a base for the expected bee hives to stand on, and made a wooden gate for the new fence.  Thank you to Paul and his team!

Progress continues with more paths being put down, made from wood chippings, lots of weeding, picking of spinach and salad leaves growing under the fleece, and more broad bean seeds sown.

What’s next?

• Continue to cover/make paths

• Continue to tackle weeds whilst they are small and easy to hoe

• Perhaps make a start on emptying and using our own compost on new beds.

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During the course of this week the pond hole was double checked for stones, lined with sand, lined again with a fleece material designed to protect the waterproof layer from underground sharp objects, and finally the butyl top was laid down.  It took three of us to manoeuvre it into position, and very glad we were that there were no high winds.  However we will have to keep an eye of the weather as we have no means of filling the pond other than from the rain, which will also weigh down the liners… in the meantime a major gust of wind could see the whole thing flying off in the direction of Folkestone, and we are hoping that various rocks around the edge will do for now.  Once the pond has filled and pulled the liner into place, the edges can be cut to size and made to look more natural.  In spite of all the rain we have had recently, we are still hoping for more to get this pond up and running at last!

The New Year’s resolution is to refer to a lunar calendar and plant in harmony with the lunar rhythms.  We are being quite open minded about the whole thing, and are glad to know that midnight planting is not required.  We will not always be able to stick to the calendar, but a start has been made with sowings of two different lettuce varieties, and some cauliflowers.  As the seasons roll on, we shall keep reviewing how it is all going and let you know…

The Chinese cabbage has finally come to an end, and we will be glad to grow it again this year as it was well worth the effort.  For now, the purple sprouting is forming some big fat heads which will be followed by a multitude of side shoots to come as the weather gets warmer.   Spring may be around the corner but anything can happen in an English garden in winter and spring, from a heat wave to a foot of snow; always something to make things more interesting.

We have lots of tidying up to do this coming week as it seems we will be having some visitors – more about that in next week’s newsletter.

What’s next?

• Tidy up and weed

• Sow a few more broad beans to fill any gaps

• Sow a tray of turnips

• Still plenty of paths to be covered in chippings

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We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to browse the archives held by Saga the day before Christmas Eve, which tells the history of Enbrook Park.  Paul, the head gardener researched the subject some time ago for Roger De Haan, and very interesting and quite complex it is too!  The park has been under the threat of being built on for housing in the past, and as a Community, we are indeed fortunate to still have this green area, and for it to be open to the public.  We were of course particularly interested in anything referring to the Community Garden site, and a few relevant pictures have been attached.  The auction details from 1912 give a brief description of the old walled-in kitchen garden, it being ‘of a very productive nature’ with ‘espalier trees and bush and other fruit and its walls are also trained with fruit trees of various kinds’.  Prior to the walled garden being in existence, there was evidence on a map dated 1842 of allotments situated close to the stream and Sandgate Road.  So history is repeating itself, and the walled-in kitchen garden is coming back to life once again.

Delighted to say that on Saturday the bird boxes were at last put up, and we will be interested to see if anything chooses to nest there.  The advice is not to nail or screw the boxes to trees as this will damage the tree, so we have found some webbing straps and have tied them.  We will of course have to check they are not tied too tight, which can be done every year when the boxes are emptied or repaired.  It was great to be outdoors on Saturday if just for a while after all the festivities…… chippings got collected and laid on top of a cardboard base to make more paths….an ongoing process.

We have an amazing 198 followers on our Instagram page, which is quite incredible for such a new project.  How close we are to 200; so if you are not already following us, please consider making it a New Year’s resolution to do so and boost our numbers even more.

What’s next?

• No arrangements have been made to meet on New Year’s Day, but we will be there on Saturday 4^th January 2020 raring to go!

• Start lining the pond area with sand in preparation for the pond liner

• Remove and compost the deceased cosmos

• Keep making more paths

The Sandgate Community Gardeners wish you all a Happy New Year, and look forward to seeing you in 2020.

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