Sandgate Community Garden

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 18th June: The badgers have had all the carrots.

Quite frankly it seems astonishing that most of the plants in the garden are surviving, the newly planted seedlings in particular, as it has been sweltering all this week from early morning to late evening.  There has been no rain at all in Sandgate for weeks, so most of the garden has not had any water at all for this time.  We have now stopped watering the broad beans as they are coming to an end, and are focussing on the potatoes as they are starting to swell, and could be ready in a couple of weeks perhaps. 

We have been closely observing the weather apps which show a constantly changing situation sometimes promising a possible chance of some rain which then fades to nothing; then all of a sudden during our Saturday morning session we were treated to a surprise shower which sent gardeners scuttling out of the gates to close car windows or take in the washing!   It has made little difference, but the drop in temperature and a cooler breeze will help whilst we study the weather for more of the wet stuff in the next few days.  Parts of the country have been hit by thunderstorms and deluges of rain leading to local flooding, whilst parts of Kent on the verge of a hosepipe ban.  (Overnight, in-between writing this newsletter and sending it out, the weather broke with a good thunderstorm and substantial rain – phew!)

The flowering part of the garden had suddenly become so overgrown it was impossible to get down the path to the bench, so we had to be ruthless and fight our way through the jungle to clear some space.  The pea shoot bed got cleared, the strawberry planter netted, the purple sprouting got sown, and the tomato plants tackled as they have certainly been enjoying the heat and put on lots of growth although not necessarily where you want it.  It seems if you take your eyes off them for a day or two, they have sprouted multiple side shoots and need tying in to the canes yet again as they have shot upwards.  The lower leaves have been removed and the first tomatoes are just starting to form. 

It seems that the wildlife have eyes firmly fixed on the garden, as well as stomachs.  The badgers have removed the mesh netting and completely demolished the carrot bed, and it might not be too long before they realise there are a few beetroot starting to develop which are a firm favourite of theirs.  The blackcurrant bushes were in fine form, and the fruit was just starting to swell and change colour, however before we could net them it seems something quite substantial in size has broken several stems and stripped the fruit which must have been quite sour.  Needless to say we have now covered the tayberries with netting and the honey berries too although as we know, it is little defence against a hungry badger.

With a report of asparagus beetle in the district, we checked on ours which has now mostly gone to flower, which are surprisingly attractive to bees and hoverflies as there were quite a few to be seen trying to negotiate the fine fronds and get to the small flowers. 

After some years of negotiating, the Incredible Edible group in Cheriton have started work on some planters on a platform at Folkestone West railway station.  The planters themselves were made by The Men’s Shed group based at the Marigold Centre, Folkestone, and are very substantial which meant it was going to be a challenge to fill it with enough compost.  In the end the decision was to opt for a form of Hugelkultur bed, where the base of the planters are filled with logs, then a mix of sheep’s wool (these days in use as packing in parcels) and topsoil, finished finally with compost.  One of the planters has so far been completed and planted with herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squashes donated by ourselves.  Hopefully the second planter will be completed soon too.

Just a reminder that the Disco Soup event is coming up this Saturday, 11am to 3pm, at St John’s church hall, Folkestone.  We are also excited the Sandgate Community Garden will be included once again in the Sandgate Sea Festival which it has been announced is happening on the evening of Saturday 26^th August with a firework display, and then on the Sunday 27^th, we will be there on the seafront with our stall on the Sunday.  So get that date in the diary and we will look forward to seeing you there.  Now if ever there was a day when we do not want rain that has to be it!

What’s next?   

• Check on any soft fruit which may need netting

• Start to dismantle the old composting area and tidy up

• Finish the hedge cut

• Tidy up the bay trees

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 11th June: The mole is happily making earth mounds and pushing up seedlings.

The strong winds were still a feature this week, and then the temperature started to climb so that by Saturday it was sweltering.  The weather report keeps talking of thunderstorms in the south east of England; however as is usual with Sandgate, we suspect they will pass by our corner of the country again, with no rain expected at all for as far as the weather experts can see.

As soon as we start one of our gardening sessions, it is out with the watering cans and the water pump although not everything gets watered, just new plants, pots, and anything that looks like it is struggling.  The potatoes had to get on with it but we may have to water them soon or the potato crop will be meagre.  Some of them can be seen just under the surface of the soil and so we have had to apply more compost to prevent them becoming green from the sunlight.  The broad beans are still producing well, and as more bean pods are picked, the amount of beans inside have increased which is interesting as last week we were reporting that there were only two or three in each pod.  We also picked our first Japanese turnips which are versatile as they can be eaten raw, grated into a coleslaw, thrown into a stir fry or roasted – absolutely delicious.

The leeks got planted as did more dwarf beans, and more squashes.  A few lettuce seedlings were pricked out into larger modules, and the Bellis daisy seeds got sown. 

The mole is happily making earth mounds and pushing up seedlings in several of the plots, whilst the shrinking pond is alive with water boatmen.  Aphids seem to be having a great time attacking a few broad bean plants, some of the globe artichokes and the stems of the elder flowers.  There are so many flowers out at the moment, from foxgloves to nasturtiums, borage, violas, strawberries, peas and tomatoes, so that every day there is something new to look at.

Our new composting system is being hard worked on by one of our DIY skilled gardeners.  Using mostly scrap materials from pallets to donated wood, our new composting bays are starting to take shape.  We have several changes to make to our current system, and it will be a while until it is fully up and running, and even longer until we can tell if we are on the right track.  But we will report on how it is going over time.  We also had a donation of a wormery to the garden, which we also hope to be able to set up just as soon as everything else is in place.

What’s next?

• Strip back the pea shoot bed

• Keep checking the tomatoes for new side shoots

• Sow purple sprouting

• Net the strawberry planter

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 4th June: The hand of little bananas and Disco Soup.

Just as we got to the weekend, the first in June, it started to warm up, and the winds have dropped for some parts of the day.  The ground is now very dry as although there has not been much in the way of sunshine, the strong winds have had a drying effect.  The banana tree was just about to produce a flower pod, but the winds snapped the main stem simply because the weight of the large flower made it top heavy.  We looked inside the broken flower to discover the ‘hand’ of little bananas – such a shame they never got to develop.  There was only 15.3mm of rain in May, which must have happened at the beginning of May as there has been none for weeks. 

We have been busy planting the celery and celeriac, as well as some leeks and a few winter squashes. More winter squashes got planted on as well as the asparagus seedlings, but the cucumber seedlings are still a little too small to be potted on.  Two types of winter kale got pricked out and moved into modules to be left to grow on for a few more weeks. 

We have started to pick some of the broad beans, however it is clear they have suffered, probably due to the windy, cold weather and a lack of pollinators, as many of the pods only contain about two or three beans.

Some of our time has been spent checking the gooseberry plants for the dreaded sawfly which can strip a bush of its leaves in a matter of days if they are not removed.  They do not harm the development of the fruit, and often recover, but all the same having no leaves must stress the plants.

The tomatoes are starting to respond to being out of their restricting pots and in the ground.  They have put on quite a bit of new growth, mostly in the way of side shoots, which means we now start the constant chore of pinching the shoots out so that they cannot develop and the tomato plants continue to grow up instead of out.

Our big news for the week is that we are starting work on completely rebuilding and reconsidering our composting methods and system, since studying the teachings on how to make compost that is full of life and the healthiest it can be for our plants.  It will take some time to get up and running, but it is exciting to know that it will make a difference to the gardens.  We will keep you posted on how we get on, and the changes we have made.  We are most grateful to AW Rail, based in Folkestone, for giving us plenty of wood from their yard, as they are keen to make sure that any materials which they cannot use are offered to community groups and charities rather than sent to be scrapped or possibly sent to landfill.

On 24^th June, some of us will be taking part in the second Disco Soup event in Folkestone.  See the poster below if you are interested in joining in with this community day transforming surplus food into a feast! 

What’s next?

• Sow Bellis Daisy seeds

• Sow spring onions and purple sprouting

• Collect more materials for the composting systems

• Keep checking the tomatoes for side shoots

• Check for any potatoes showing through the soil

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 28th May: Seeds are not always what they seem to be, or say they are.

Looking back at this time last year it seems we are about two to three weeks behind with our planting and the physical growth of the plants.  It was also a surprise to be reminded that this time last year we were busy with Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen.  Such a lot has happened both locally and in the world since then. 

We are already hoping for some rain but it seems there is none in the weather forecast for some time and so we have had to get out the water pump, hose and watering cans.  Although to be fair we have managed so far, nearly into June, without having to water much at all.  We can see that the pond is starting to evaporate, which will make life harder for the visiting badgers/foxes that have established a well-worn path from the pond, right through the middle of the broad bean patch, and the potatoes.  It seems they have little regard for formal pathways, and simply aim for where they are going regardless.

We have started to see a few more bumblebees and honey bees in the Sandgate Community Garden, and were treated to the sight of a damselfly and common blue butterfly, plus a few more ladybirds. 

The dwarf beans were planted, and we decided to take a chance and plant a few runner beans.  This is always a big gamble for us as in the past the strong winds have finished them off, ripping them to shreds and burning them with salty sea spray.  However they are tucked up against the hedge and sheltered with any luck by a group of trees – only time will tell if they are to be successful or not in this microclimate.

Below is a picture showing three runner bean roots from last year which have been recently removed from another site in Sandgate to make room for fresh plants.  When runner beans are finished, they are usually cut back down to the ground or simply left to be removed at a later date.  However, if the winter is not too harsh, the roots can survive and re-sprout the following year, so that new seeds need not be sown.  Some growers even dig up the roots and over-winter them in a frost free place until they can be planted out again.

We had a reminder this week that seeds are not always what they seem to be, or say they are.  We had sown a packet of snapdragons which were pricked out and carefully potted up into modules, only to discover that they were not snapdragons at all but poppies, with one or two of what we wanted amongst them.  This was very frustrating as it takes time to nurture some seedlings, and although we like poppies we have plenty happily sowing themselves around the garden, and would never grow them in the way we would snapdragons, which is probably why they look so sick in the picture.  It just goes to show that you are at the mercy of the seed provider unless you save your own seeds.

On Saturday a couple of us went to a fascinating compost course in Hawkhurst on the borders of Kent and East Sussex.  This course was being run by Michael, the founder of the Compost Club in Lewes/Brighton.  We are busy honing our composting skills as we appreciate that the life in your soil is as important as the life in your own gut.  If the balance of bacteria and microorganisms is vital for your health, then in the same way the right bacteria and microorganisms in the soil are vital to the health and well-being of the plants.  We still have much to learn, but feel positive that we are on the right lines, and are moving towards creating the best conditions for our garden soils.

What’s next?

• Inoculate the plots next week if the conditions are right.

• Sow some replacement mange tout

• Repot the cucumbers and squashes if ready as well as seed sown asparagus

• Plant the leeks and maybe celery/celeriac

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 21st May: An oasis right in the middle of a concrete jungle.

It was a particularly busy gardening session on Wednesday.  The nursery school from Saga came to have a look at the plot as well as new visitors there for the first time and some familiar faces from last summer/autumn.  We sowed plenty of outdoor cucumber seeds, and then planted the courgettes and dwarf beans.  It has all become a juggling act to squeeze in as much as possible, allowing the purple sprouting to finish before we can create even more space for yet more plants. 

On Saturday the companion plants of French marigolds were put in place as well as some morning glory vines and cosmos.  The basil seedlings got potted up to grow on some more, as did some asters grown from seed.

Brockhill School got in contact to ask us to have a look at the latest improvements to their walled kitchen garden.  It is such an exciting project, and such a shame that the first growing experiences have been in a difficult year.  The weather has been an issue as well as the fact they have the added difficulty of dealing with rabbits eating everything newly planted.  However a new rabbit proof fence has been put in place now and the first of the fabulous wooden greenhouses has been restored.  What a wonderful resource. 

Talking of new gardens, we were interested in a new initiative in Birmingham, where a community garden is being created right in the centre of the city on top of a multi-storey car park.  It will be an oasis right in the middle of a concrete jungle with raised beds, greenhouses, and even a café.  It goes to show that when space is at a premium, it is all about being creative.

What’s next?

• Has the purple sprouting now finished?

• Plant more flowers

• Are there enough courgettes?

• Sow a few lettuces

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 13th May: Longer, warmer daylight hours are contributing to a faster rate of growth.

There is not much to be said about the weather this week.  We lurch from one warm sunny day to rain and wind the next; however it seems that our little corner of the world has missed out on torrential downpours just a little further inland. 

The longer, warmer daylight hours are certainly contributing to a fast rate of growth, with many more of the trees out in full leaf and lots of blossom still in evidence.

The planters in Sandgate High Street and along the seafront got a generous topping of compost and a few new plants this week.  Long overdue, but the weather and temperatures were never quite right before now to subject new vulnerable plants to the seafront. 

A few more squash seeds were sown this week as unfortunately pigeons decided to make short work of some of the previously sown squashes when the mistake was made of putting them outside on a balcony to get some direct sunshine.  The frustrating thing is they are not eaten, just pulled up by the roots, however yet another lesson has been learnt.  The purple sprouting broccoli is growing smaller with every new flush of growth which means it will soon be coming to an end and we shall have room to accommodate the squashes and courgettes. 

The zinnia seedlings all got separated out into new modules to grow on and the many tomato plants got sorted.  It does not feel ideal to be putting the tomatoes outside in their beds right now, but they are starting to climb out of the pots and so we took a chance. 

The broad beans are looking particularly good at the moment with plenty of lush growth and flowers and having now removed their growing tips they can concentrate on attracting the pollinators and growing some beans.  Another new line of string was run around the outside of the beans and their posts to help them stand tall and not get blown or flop over.  The hops have all had new strings attached to the growing posts, and only a few shoots are allowed to grow whilst the rest are removed.

What’s next?

• Sow a few more courgettes

• Sort out the spare tomato plants for passing on

• Weed around the bowser end of the plot at Enbrook

• Repot the basil seedlings

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 6th May: Bore Place, Bumblebees and Muddy Wellies.

The rainfall for April was 89.5mm, so it is hardly surprising we have been looking forward to signs of warmth and better days.  A couple of good sunny days this week have suddenly revived most of the plants and we have had to start watering newly planted seedlings and potted plants.

On Tuesday a few of us had a meeting at Bore Place near Sevenoaks with the Kent Food Partnership.  We were treated to a tour of their organic market garden, and although on a much larger scale, it was somewhat reassuring to know that the head gardener was experiencing exactly the same issues as we are; having to hold back planting many plants until the conditions are right.  In forty years of gardening, he has never known such a cold and wet spring.  Fortunately we do not have to make a living from selling food, and it reminds you that all growers are at the mercy of nature and weather which can affect them financially.

This week we have been busy sowing more leeks and the first of the beans.  The pigeons took a liking to the courgette and squash seedlings, fortunately many were saved although we will need to sow a few more.  New lettuce plants were put into spaces where they were missing in the lettuce bed, and the growing tips of the broad beans were pinched out to deter the blackfly which are just starting to appear.  We shared the growing tips as they can be eaten as a salad leaf or steamed.  The alley garden has been weeded as well as the orchard area in Sandgate Park. 

On Thursday some of us joined the Sandgate Environmental Action Group on a bumblebee walk at Pent Farm in Postling.  This gave us an opportunity to try catching bees to enable us to identify them before returning them back to where they were seen foraging.  It was a lovely evening and we did manage to find some bumblebees although there seemed to be more honey bees in evidence.  It was a delight to see that the house martins were busy searching for food, and the skylarks can be heard above the fields.

On Friday there was an invite from the community Garden ‘Muddy Wellies’ to see their orchard in full flower.  It was indeed a spectacular sight.  Just two years ago some of us helped to prune the overgrown cherry orchard which is now in great shape.  If the blossom is anything to go by, they could be in for a bumper crop of cherries which they sell to raise funds for the garden. 

What’s next?

• Still need to check the hops

• Prick out the Zinnia seedlings

• Sow a few more lettuces and courgettes/squash

• Sort out tomato plants

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 30th April: An enormous surge in slug and snail numbers hiding amongst the leaves and potted plants.

It is quite difficult to describe exactly what is going on with the weather this past week.  Oodles more rain, longer daylight hours of course, but a sharp cold wind; a surprising few hours of brilliant sunshine when you least expect it and certainly not appearing on the weather apps.  We are now coming into May when all the fleece covers would and should have been removed by now from some of the growing beds, but the cold wind makes for a reluctance to do so.  The wet conditions have created an enormous surge in slug and snail numbers hiding amongst the leaves and potted plants at Enbrook Park and we have had to search them out and relocate them to pastures new!  In drier conditions we would have planted out much more by now, but know that small plants would have perished in the mollusc onslaught and are giving them more of a chance of survival by allowing them to get much bigger before planting out.

However all the perennial plants are getting on with life due to the lengthening daylight hours and in spite of the weather; and we have been surprised to see the strawberry plants flowering as well as the chives and some of the globe artichokes.

As for our list of ‘to do jobs’ this week, we did manage to get most of them done.  The spinach bed was treated to some replacement plants probably to the delight of the lurking slugs, but having just said we are repotting many plants for later planting, there comes a point when we have simply run out of space to keep them and are prioritising other seedlings.  Some of the earlier purple sprouting plants have given up their last viable broccoli sprouting and been removed to make more space, but the chard bed is trying to recover from being attacked by the pigeons and so they were interplanted with the cauliflower plants so that they can be removed at a later date without being in competition.  More radish plugs were planted in the radish bed where mature radishes had been harvested and to maintain the momentum. 

On our list was the tackling of the weeds around the bases of the brick planters at the Golden Valley shops.  This is an epic task as the weeds have a habit of clinging fast between the tarmac and the paving slabs, but we were delighted to be joined by some volunteers from the Napier Barracks who made short work of the job, leaving enough time for us to move on to Fremantle Park and plant out a van full of mature herbs and seedlings waiting for homes.

On Saturday afternoon, several of the community gardeners and Incredible Edible team went along to the Folkestone and Hythe Sustainable Futures Forum at the Burlington Hotel where we were treated to inspirational talks and information regarding many of the great initiatives already happening in the locality.  It was awesome to soak in the creative energy of so many interesting and interested people and we have come away with many links to businesses and community groups we hope to be able to engage with and support in the future. 

What’s next?

• Sort out the hop strings at Fremantle park

• Check on the hops at Enbrook Park and cut out excess shoots

• May have to reseed the small carrot bed

• Repot the coriander plants

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 23rd April: Coming soon – tomatoes for EVERYONE.

We seem to be stuck in a weather pattern of perpetual winter/early spring; cold and wet with the odd smattering of sunshine to lull you into a false sense of security to sow more seeds and plant yet more plants before it turns cold and dismal again, and you are left wondering how anything would want to grow.  The early spring flowers of daffodils and primroses seem to have been blooming for so long in these cool conditions, and it seems incredible that we will very soon be in the month of May!

Luckily we did manage to get in two gardening sessions at Enbrook Park which was just as well as it was the week to start repotting over two hundred tomato plants.  It seems like a rather large amount of plants however by the time we have planted them out in various places and our gardeners have taken some to grow at home, there should probably be enough for anyone in Sandgate interested in growing some too.  Too early to plant them outside just yet, they should be available in two to three weeks with luck and will advertise their availability via our newsletter.

The courgette and squash seeds did get sown, as did the leeks, chard, beetroot and more flowering annuals.  The sea lavender got pricked out into larger modules, and the mange tout planted.  The asparagus has made it to its third year and so we can harvest a couple of spears each session and are taking it in turns to try them.

Last Sunday there was a most interesting afternoon spent with ‘The Wild Kitchen’ in Saltwood, finding out how gourmet meals are created using foraged foods to be found in our locality.  We were treated to nettle cake, acorn crackers, crispy seaweed, haw jelly, sea buckthorn jelly, cleavers tonic and violet vodka.  There is an abundance of food out there if you know what you are looking for of course, and as a community garden we decided to harvest the flowers from a group of Alexanders we have growing near the bee hives, as it seems the flowers can be cooked like broccoli florets or eaten raw.  The Romans introduced the plants to the UK, and it is similar in taste to celery.

Since last week, it has been announced that another Asian hornet has been discovered in Folkestone.  It seems the hornet has a penchant for honey bees in particular, having already decimated many a bee hive in France.  The Asian hornet is different to our own hornet, and there is a picture of one below with a brief description.  The public can help by downloading the Asian hornet watch app as it has photos of the hornet as well as other insects which are commonly confused with the Asian hornet.  Any sightings can be reported on the app. 

If you should fancy an afternoon with lots of people interested in sustainability with a story to tell that could address our key environmental and related social challenges – then come along to the Burlington Hotel next Saturday 29^th April for the Folkestone and Hythe Sustainable Futures Forum.  Free tickets are available on Eventbrite – hope to see you there!

What’s next?

• Sow more leeks

• Check available space for some cauliflower/broccoli plants

• Weed at Fremantle, Golden Valley

• Fill any spaces in the spinach bed

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 16th April: Quickly planting the turnips and lettuces before the next downpour.

Crikey!  Just when you are beginning to think that the weather could not possibly get worse, what with below average temperatures and copious amounts of rain – it really does!  Storm Noa rip roared through this week with gale force winds followed by rather impressive hailstones and yet more and more rain. 

Our Wednesday gardening session at Enbrook Park was a case of quickly planting the turnips and lettuces before the next downpour.  We left early as apart from the rain it was simply cold.  The Saturday morning session was cancelled completely when rain which was not featured on the weather Apps suddenly materialised and put a stop to any catching up there was to be done.

This was the week to sow the courgette seeds, so they will have to wait a while, along with the leeks, although they will most likely appreciate some warmer temperatures anyway to be fair.  It has been decided to stop trying to bring on seedlings in mini greenhouses on the patio as they are simply too flimsy, and having lost so many of them in high winds, it was decided to take all seedlings to the greenhouse at Pent farm instead.  This is a much safer environment but means they are further away.

This was a week of courses for me (Leonie).  The most mind blowing of all was a course looking at soil on a microscopic level with Eddie at Rhizophyllia in Wootton Bassett.  Eddie explains that unfortunately the principles of ‘no dig’ gardening are only half of the solution to good healthy living soil, and that basically we need to reproduce the right conditions in our compost for the beneficial microscopic life to thrive and take care of our plants.  The lack of this life is why plants are prone to being attacked by pests and disease, and as a result the nutritional value of our fruit and vegetables is compromised.  So now it is that as gardeners we will be disappearing down another rabbit hole to understand how to remedy the situation – it will take some time.

On Saturday there was a delightful course held by the Sandgate Environmental Action Group with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.  This course was a beginner’s guide to identifying bees, starting with the most common to be found here in Kent.  Of course the practical is usually harder than the theory, and a picture below shows a sample of five deceased bumblebees which we had to identify.  Fortunately they were easier to deal with than live samples which were unlikely to be making an appearance anyway in this weather.  However as some were missing legs, antennae or sometimes even heads, it proved something of a challenge to work out if they were male or female at times!  It was a most enjoyable session, and we are looking forward to going out on future walks with the Trust soon.  The Trust will be taking a trip out to Pent farm next week to carry out a survey of the bees there which will be really interesting.

Talking of bees, the community garden beekeepers were deep in discussion this week following a report from the British Beekeepers Association that an Asian hornet has been discovered in Folkestone.  This arrival can spell disaster for beekeepers, and so there is a need to consider how to best protect the hives.

On Friday, I (Leonie) had the absolute privilege of being invited to the Nepalese New Year celebrations.  It was a real joy to have been included, to share some amazing Nepalese food and meet even more of the Nepalese community.  It was such a colourful, happy occasion and I was made to feel so welcome.  The Nepalese follow a lunar calendar and so it seems we are now in 2080.  Happy New Year!

What’s Next?

• Sow the courgette and squash seeds

• Sow the leek seeds

• Plant the mange tout and put up the net frame for them

• Dismantle the compost compound

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.