Sandgate Community Garden

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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The pond site is in the process of having straight sides cut into it to create a shelf for water plants to sit on once the liner has been laid.  The bottom of the pond has been trawled for any more sharp rubble and was starting to resemble the Somme.  The continuing rain is making progress more of a challenge and it is probably just as well that it starts to coincide with a holiday period!  We saw the Saga gardeners shredding a pile of hedge cuttings, and once finished, we moved in quickly to start putting the chippings down to make some paths.  Fresh wood chippings should not be used as mulch around plants as they can affect the soil pH and the soil nitrogen levels which means that plants can struggle to grow.  It needs to be composted first or used for making paths.

The bird boxes have been prepared, ready to be put up in the trees nearby the garden.  This will need to be done soon to allow the birds time to check them over and decide if they would like to move in and make a nest when the time comes.  Since our last newsletter, it now seems we have secured a good supply of cardboard for the ‘no dig’ plans.

Saturday was so wet we decided to meet up at the farmers market to indulge in mulled wine and mince pies, and there were even more mulled wine and mince pies to be had at the Fire Station with the Sandgate Society.  It was disappointing not to be at the garden, but it is all about the people involved, and community at the end of the day.   Some of us are, and will be on holiday now for a short while.  Our Theresa has been busy playing the part of Dolly, the love interest of Mike Nolan in the Tower Theatre production of Jack and the Beanstalk, and very good she is too…. Well done Theresa.

Discussions around live honey bees being sited at the garden continue to go well, and there seems to be a great deal of interest in the possibility already.  It would be a wonderful thing if a Sandgate bee community develops over this coming new year.  We wait and watch with interest.

What’s next?

No arrangements have been made to meet up on Christmas Day strangely enough; however one or two of us might feel like a bit of a workout on the Saturday, moving a few more wood chippings and some of those mince pies off the waistline! 

Merry Christmas to you from the Sandgate Community Gardeners.

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Continuing to be busy this week.  A couple of us were at the Sandgate Parish Council meeting to talk about, and promote the garden.  We hobnobbed to the best of our abilities, and think we have created enough of an impression to keep the garden in the minds of many of the movers and shakers of Sandgate!  We took a small hamper of winter salad, leeks, purple sprouting and Chinese cabbage.  Then since discovered that the leeks, growing in our very sandy, silty soil have captured that grittiness in their layers and need to be well washed or shredded to get rid of it.  Let us hope that the introduction of compost will help to stop that, and apologies if it was you that got to take the leeks home!  We learn something new every day…..

The broad beans got their string protection from the pigeons, which will double up as a support as they continue to grow taller.  The pond site got a rummage to find as much rubble as possible lurking there so as not to puncture the lining once it gets put in place.  We need to get this done next so that the pond can start to fill with rain water over the wetter months of the year, it would have been full by now if that had been lined just a couple of weeks ago!

The autumn raspberry plants arrived in the post and got planted on Saturday.  An autumn fruiting variety was chosen instead of summer fruiting, so as to extend the soft fruit season right into the end of October.  A small trench was lined with our own made compost for the new plants to nestle into, and it was awesome to be wrestling with what seemed like gigantic worms lurking in the compost bin.  Provide the environment and the wildlife just appears as if from nowhere! 

We continue to collect sturdy cardboard for the ‘no dig’ treatment of some of the weeds and paths and are amazed at how much plastic tape or metal staples need to be used to make a package, and how long it takes to remove it all before being used on the garden.

What’s next?

• Bird boxes?

• Cosmos has finally given up the ghost and can be removed and composted

• Get some sand to begin lining the pond area

• Work on pond area

• Mince pies and mulled wine on Saturday!

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The fencing is nearly finished, and the wind break mesh is in place, they give the new hedge the chance to take hold.

The donated bench hitched a ride to the garden, and is now in place, so we shall have to decide where we will be taking a break with a flask of coffee and a biscuit, or this month, a mulled wine and mince pie!  Thanks to Paul for arranging the transport.

We would prefer to use the ‘no dig’ method in the garden, for a variety of reasons, and this week we have started to use a cardboard mulch to cover the ground, topped with whatever we can find to start the process of enriching the soil and getting rid of any unwanted growth.  By the time the spring comes around, these newly mulched areas should be workable and ready for planting.  Regular visits to collect well-rotted horse manure which spread on the ground, will also have time to be drawn down into the soil by worms, and weathered.

Discussions are being had with a very local and experienced bee keeper, and all going to plan, there should be some announcements in the near future about bee hives having a home in the garden….exciting times indeed!

What’s next?

• Paint the bird boxes

• Continue to put down paths and mulch the hedge

• Protect the broad beans with stick and string supports.

• Maybe start clearing the pond site of any rubble.

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This was a week of absolute contrast.  On Wednesday it was lashing down with rain, but troops turned out for the morning session and we planted most of the hedge until soaked through to the skin and covered in mud; such dedication.  Not only were we there, but so was Paul the Saga Head gardener, putting up the new fence alongside the site of the pond.  The fence is a requirement as the pond is in a public place, and we are very grateful to Paul and Saga for it, and very smart it looks too.

On Saturday we managed to finish the rest of the hedge in glorious sunshine, and even got the posts for the windbreak in place, with a little time left to collect more leaves to set out some new pathways from a gateway entrance, to the compost heap.  As soon as we turn up at the garden to do something, the resident robin makes itself heard, following our every move and making a dash for anything edible that gets unearthed.  It sits on the wall or in the trees and bushes and sings its heart out.

This week the garlic and the broad beans have started to show through the ground, the pea shoots grow longer and start to unfurl. We pulled a couple of leeks for the first time, just to see how they are doing.  There are not many of them this year, but this time next year……..

Apart from our usual sessions on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, there are always other things to be done.  Some of us went to the Hythe hops meeting to find out about this great community project.  We have bought four hop plants which will arrive sometime in March, and paid £5 for our yearly subscription to the scheme.  This is the second year for the Hythe hops, which now has over a hundred members, from New Romney to Folkestone, all growing just one or two hop plants in their garden or allotment in order to share the harvest and then later the beer after a couple of microbreweries have done their magic.  So we are dreaming of supping our own beer at our garden picnic next year!

What’s next?

• Paint the bird boxes

• Put up the windbreak mesh

• Continue to put down the paths

• Spot hoe identifiable weeds

• Make a start on the pond!!

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We are on standby waiting for the raspberry plants to arrive.  The hedge plants arrived Saturday afternoon, they will need planting this week.  The weeds are still growing, and so we are still weeding!  The leaves continue to fall, and we continue to collect them!  When the nursery children came along this week to bring their compost, we had a good look at how the leaf compost was doing.  Just under the surface, steam can be seen rising from the pile, and it is almost hot to the touch, great for warming up cold hands! 

So many people came by the garden on Wednesday morning to say hello, I think we spent most of the time chatting, which is great!  More and more are bringing their veg peelings for our compost bins which is a good thing, and we ask that it goes in any of the plastic bins, not the wooden ones.

We are on the lookout for any pieces of spare marine plywood, minimum 60cm square so that Eddie can repair the herb boxes that are currently in a sad state.  Please get in touch via this address if you can source some.

On Saturday we planted the two Heritage apple trees bought at Brogdale in October.  Freddie kindly bought the trees for the garden, and came along with her sister, to help plant them.  The trees are in memory of their mother, and all the apple pies she used to make for picnics on the beach.  Let us hope we can carry on the tradition.

On Sunday, some of us are off to a hop growing course…… more about that next week!

What’s next?

• Get the hedge plants in ASAP!

• Begin to put in the wind shelter posts.

• General weeding of identifiable weeds

• Paint the bird boxes

• Collect leaves

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We are ready for the hedge plants to arrive, as soon as they come, they can be planted.  The pea shoots are starting to appear, and are now under some fleece protection.  Luckily the birds have so far not bothered with the newly planted onion and garlic so once they establish some roots we will not have to worry about them being dislodged from place.  We even have a rose in flower.  It seems incredible how things will still grow at this time of year.  We have plenty of winter salad leaves, but not many people feel like eating salad when the weather is colder! 

The broad beans the nursery children planted are now showing well above the soil, and they have been visited, probably by a fox, that has been digging looking for worms to eat.   They have had to protect the area with a criss cross of strings and sticks.

Worms in the soil are an indication of the good health of the soil.  We have noticed more worms since the wetter weather, and having added compost.  Stinging nettles also show rich soil, and we seem to have plenty of them springing up!  Many people have commented that the vegetables grown on the plot have such a rich flavour, and this is due to the fact that that they are far more nutritious than commercially grown food on an intensive farm system.  After the war, as farms became larger, using herbicides and pesticides, and depleting the soil; the fruit and vegetables produced are becoming poorer in nutritional value, so today we would have to eat six times the amount of fruit and veg to get the same amount of vitamins and minerals that our ancestors had.  Unless of course you are lucky enough to be able to buy or grow organic……. food for thought.

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