Sandgate Community Garden

Well, Wednesday might have been a washout, but Saturday certainly was not!  Brilliant sunshine!  The fig tree got properly planted in a bigger pot, the next two raised beds got placed in situ and partially filled with the old grass turf, more ground got dug over and weeded, the two last raised beds got another coat of preservative, lettuces and tomatoes were planted, and more salad seeds sown! 

Many thanks this week to Geoff, one of the Saga gardeners, for the donation of some much needed hazel poles for beans, to Jill for the dozen tomato plants, and Theresa for the seeds and flowering plants!  Excellent news is that the Sandgate Society has very kindly given us £100 to enable us to build on what we have achieved so far, and take us into next year with all the seeds and plants we need!  We are bursting with ideas of what we would like to grow from the autumn, into winter and early spring, the aim being to grow food all year round.

The first of the salads has been picked!  The ‘cut and come again’ salad in the boxes is having its first cut, and will be joined by the radishes not far behind, later this week!  When cutting or picking salad, make sure you only take the leaves, and not the stem and crown of the plants, so that they can sprout again.  That way we should get several servings from the same plants!  Mixed with young nasturtium leaves and flowers, also calendula petals, and maybe chives, how more local and seasonal can you get!!

I mentioned last week to take time to look at things….. well, look at the photo attached for the view we have from the garden… that really is something!  On a smaller scale however, keep checking the beans and salad leaves for unwanted critters trying to move in!  Until the garden is balanced with more predators to help us out like ladybirds, ground beetles and, who knows…maybe some frogs…we shall have to be on our guard!

Next organised meet ups – Monday 6pm, Wednesday and Saturday 10am

If you are on WhattsApp, Sheila our Technical Advisor can add you to the group.

What’s next

• Watering – covered for this weekend! Early morning or later in the afternoon is best on warm days!

• Last coat of preservative on the last 2 raised boxes

• Get all boxes in situ and fill with whatever we have got!

• Sow more seeds

• Eat salad!

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What a difference that rain has made!  The carrot seeds have sprouted and things are starting to romp away!  We managed to source some bean canes from the Park compost heap, and to demolish a large chunk of courgette cake.  Welcome to Sue and Andrew who joined us this week – Thanks Sue for the butternut squash plants, broad bean seeds, and French beans, much appreciated….we also had an anonymous courgette donation, all have been planted, but the broad bean seeds are to be saved for the autumn!  If you know people with veg plots/allotments, ask them to bear us in mind when it comes to dividing plants later in the autumn, as that is when we will be looking for donations to the cause…more about that nearer the time!

What’s next

• I have been told to expect sunshine this week, so if you walk by early morning or late afternoon, give those seedlings a water.  Try to avoid watering when the sun is high and if there is direct sunlight as this can do more damage than good.

• We are wood treating the last of the raised boxes….looking good!

• Continue clearing the ground to the left of the fruit and herb section

• More tomato plants to plant out, more seeds to sow for continuity

• Most important – take time to have a look at all the achievements so far!

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Certainly no need to worry about the watering this week!  Some very welcome downpours will help things to establish, and fortunately most things remained planted during the gale force winds! 

The biggest dilemma of the week was what to do with our first courgette!  All things considered, the answer was to make a courgette cake to share with the workers on Saturday.  We are now looking forward to thinking about more things that the garden will be giving us, from the flowers to the edibles, and even edible flowers!   Of course, the work has to be put in first to reap the benefit, and we are starting to be given a few seeds, seedlings and plants to add to the rapidly filling spaces.  Many seeds are being grown in modules within the safety of a patio or window ledge to be planted in the garden when they are big and strong enough to cope!  Some of the things we have been given are a little late to be starting off right now in June, but you never know until you try!  As time goes on, the garden will be full, and that bare earth will begin to disappear!  As well as the garden starting to grow, so is the news that the garden exists, with many people stopping by to have a look and even stop in the street to comment on how great it all is, so thanks for all the support!

What’s next?

• If the weather and the wooden raised planters are dry enough, continue the wood treatment!

• Start to clear the ground where the new raised boxes are to go

• Keep weeding!  This rain will also make the weeds romp away!

• Keep checking the cordon tomatoes on the wall for any side shoots that require pinching out.

• Sow more seeds – spinach and salads, more beetroot and carrots

• Plant out flower and vegetable plants that are in modules or pots

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The greatest news of the week is that we now have water on site!  Paul, the head gardener of Saga, found us a tank, cleaned it, and installed it in the garden for us.  This will make life so much easier, and means we can now really get down to planting up the garden, and sowing seeds.  However, these things will not water themselves, and we will need to work on a rota for the warmer weather!   From now on, I intend to be working on site Monday evenings, from 6pm, Wednesday mornings from 10am, and Saturday mornings, also from 10am.  With any luck, most people can fit one of these sessions into their week, and during the Summer the watering will get done on these days, leaving Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday up for grabs on the watering rota should there not have been any, or much rain.  Not all of the plants will require such regular watering, but the salad crops, seedlings, newly planted crops, and fast growers certainly will!  Let me know how you can help, and a task shared is even better!

The two raised boxes in the fruit and herb area have been painted with wood preservative and have been filled with compost.  These are for salad crops, to be sown in succession for continuity, and this week we have sown mixed spicy salad leaves, mixed lettuces, spring onions and radishes.  We are now working on four more boxes to go on the left hand side of the fruit and herbs which we would ideally like to be two levels high, however this means we need to get hold of soil to fill them, and this could take some time to obtain.

This week we have also – sown beetroot, planted mangetout, sown a box of donated wildflower seeds, planted more marigolds, some cosmos and nasturtiums, bush cherry tomatoes and some comfrey.  We have continued to clear the empty areas of roots and stones, ready for more planting strips.  We have started to put up bean frames, and could do with at least a dozen more poles or canes if anybody has some spare!

What’s next?

• Keep clearing the ground

• Keep weeding

• Water seedlings, salad boxes etc. regularly; and other plants as required

• Continue work on raised boxes

• Sow more seeds!

I look forward to seeing you at either of the designated sessions during the week, and once everybody knows what needs attention in the communal areas, I am sure more people will be confident to continue tasks when it suits them.

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There continues to be more interest in the new community garden, and locals have noticed that things are happening, and approve of the project and the changes we have made so far!

We have continued to dig the area to the right of the fruit trees, making planting strips and paths as we go.  The grass edges are gradually being straightened to make for a neater edge!  The tomatoes have been staked.  The fruit and herb area have been weeded and watered.  Sunflowers, marigolds, and courgettes have been planted, and the two raised bed boxes have been treated with two coats of preservative.

Watering is an issue on site; however Paul the head gardener has very kindly been watering this week!  He has managed to source a large water container for us, which he is busy cleaning, ready for installing on site ASAP!  This is great news, and much appreciated, so thank you Saga!

What’s next?  

• Continue to clear the earth of roots and stones

• Continue the raised plots and paths

• Continue to straighten the grass edges

• Weed the fruit and herb area (watch out for the marigolds and borage plants)

• Water if required

• Plant a donated fig tree, with roots restricted.

• Raised boxes need two top coats of preservative

• Source pea sticks and bean poles if possible

A group of us are meeting up at 10am Wednesday 29^th May and Saturday 1^st June 10am.  As the nights are getting shorter, and some people may prefer to come along in the evening, I will also be on site Wednesday 29^th May from 6pm.  However, you are free to come along when it is convenient for you!

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What a fantastic, productive morning! I met up with six people at 10am at the horse trough as arranged; some came to stay and work, some came to just introduce themselves and take a look at the site. 

We continued to clear the piece of ground to the right of the fruit trees of small roots and stones, and started to define growing areas or strips, and pathways between, by raising the soil into mounds (see photos attached).  I had managed to get hold of some wooden boxes at £7 each (bargain!) which can be used as growing boxes.  They can be used as they are, and can also be stacked up for height, which is something we will need to provide for some growers at some point.  They will need treating with wood preservative suitable for edible plants, to make them last longer.

We also weeded the fruit and herb area, then planted nine cordon tomatoes along the wall and watered.  They will need stakes.  Ann kindly brought along two borage plants in the week which were planted in the herb area, and have been marked with yellow plant labels, so please look out for them when weeding!

So!  An excellent beginning!  Sheila has kindly offered to make a start with Instagram and Facebook , so if anybody would like to help, I’m sure she would appreciate that. 

What’s next?

• Continue to clear the ground to the right of the raised strips.

• Continue the raised strips to the end of the plot

• Stake the cordon tomatoes

• Treat the wooden boxes with suitable preservative

• Gradually start to edge the grass where it meets the plots to make it neater and easier to weed

• Keep weeding

• Keep watering if necessary……… there are issues with watering at the moment as regards the water supply, which we are addressing.

A group of us have arranged to meet up on Wednesday 22^nd at 10am, and Saturday 25^th at 10am, so if you are interested in joining us, then please come along!  Of course, you are always welcome to go along to see progress and lend a hand any time you are passing.

Please feel free to contact me any time with any questions or suggestions either by email or on my mobile.  Look forward to seeing you at the Community Garden soon!

Since the announcement of the possibility of the start of the Community Garden in the Saga grounds at Enbrook Park, fifteen people have expressed an interest in taking part in the project.

I was asked by Kay McLoughlin of Academy radio to come in for an interview last Wednesday 15th, to promote it further, and to invite any volunteers along to see the site.  On Wednesday afternoon and evening I met up with some people, and on Sunday morning at 10am, I have arranged to meet up with more people at the horse trough outside the Saga main entrance, from where we will proceed up to the garden site to talk and to start work!  

Paul, the Head Gardener of the Saga grounds has been incredibly supportive, and since the first planting of fruit trees, soft fruit and herbs, has spent two hours with a digger clearing the next piece of ground for us to work on.

On Sunday we plan to continue clearing small roots and stones, rake and weed, then start to look at where we can place individual and communal plots.  It is such a beautiful site, where the old kitchen garden for the old house used to be, and is surrounded by the old original wall.