Winter Wonderful

 

Cavalo Nero

Sprouts

new sprouting endive

endive

It has arrived,Winter and on a very sunny but chilly and frosty morning on Saturday a few hardy souls ventured down the garden to get some fresh air and action. The ground was very cold indeed and even with thermal socks on, my feet were pretty frozen by the time I went home. However we did succeed in laying down another path with plastic covering and pepper mulch to keep the grass and weeds at bay and Graham did a sterling job on digging over his bean plot. I was unsuccessful in getting a bonfire lit to burn some old pruning cuttings so I helped with the path. It was a beautiful day but as the sun  is so low in the sky this time of year it soon looses its warmth.

The garden members had a planning meeting last week to work out what we wanted to achieve next year. Unfortunately I will be absent for 6 months of it so I have been busy arranging cover for the blog and my crop responsibilities. Instead of one person, my crop group will be spread over three people so it should be a doddle and the blog will hopefully be shared between three (a different three ) people as well. I did manage to get the onions and some shallots planted in readiness and most seem to be sprouting. My deputy who is a fairly new member and a novice gardener, has  planted the garlic and all that she now has to do is keep an eye on the crops and weed occasionally. Another member  is taking over the chard and spinach, being Spanish, she is very familiar with cooking chard and has some great recipes, which we could share at a later date as we haven’t posted many recipes lately. In fact when we had a visit from Mary Berry and the film crew in September, Monica did a star turn relating her Lasagna recipe using chard stalks, more of that later. Although a member for several years and another novice gardener, she has only confined herself to weeding up until now, but I know she will enjoy taking on a bit more responsibility and hopefully it will give her confidence a boost to maybe take on more crops or maybe different ones in future. The last remaining element of my growing group is the leeks. In spite of the recent problems with leek moth, I have enjoyed the challenge of growing them and trying out the different varieties. This year I think has been the most consistent and although we have had some trouble with the dreaded moth the damage wasn’t too severe and I think the crop was healthier than previous years. The leeks taste gorgeous and have so much more flavour than bought ones it is worth the effort I feel. We just need to grow more, a lot more!!!

We have quite a lot of brassicas in the garden to eat and this year we have planted some perpetual spinach in the poly-tunnel, so we’re not short of greens. I was pleased to see that the purple chicory has been taken in hand again and trimmed and placed in the poly tunnels under buckets, they were a great success last year. We also had a fabulous crop of Florence fennel this year thanks to Sara Wain of West Dean, a friend of the garden, giving us some plants. If they are kept well watered and get good sun they look after themselves.

Well that is another growing season under my belt and I’m on to different adventures over the next few months. I will enjoy reading about the progress of the garden from afar. Don’t forget our cookery demonstration on the 16th December details here: 2014/11/07/dates-to-remember/-

We Went a’ Wassailing

On Sunday in the late afternoon we went a’wassailing down at the community garden and orchard. Armed with instruments whose only requirement was that they made a noise and our song sheets supplied by Rosemary, we banged, sang and shook our fists to scare away any evil spirits from the fruit trees.

Here’s hoping they will now bear some incredible fruit for us this year.

Rosemary had also brought with her a piece of toast and dipped in the mulled wine she hung it on our Egremont Russet apple tree to (encourage )  it in its fruitful growth this year. We all enjoyed a glass of mulled drink afterwards and a chat before wandering home as the sun set.

On the Saturday the growing teams convened to walk around the garden to discuss and plan. David took down notes and will circulate an updated list of jobs that need doing at a later date. The top of the list is:-

RHUBARB BED

Marking and mulching the 8 new crowns with pig straw

Weed the whole bed

Moving old crowns to new area as they are starting to grow in this mild weather.

TREES AND HEDGES

Prune trees

Finish clearing around hedges and prune

Blackberry canes – agree position and plant

If you can spare any time to help get these jobs done in the next couple of weeks it would help get us off to a great start this year.

More jobs lined up are:

The cleaning of the polytunnel  plastic, inside and out and a tidy.

Hiring a rotivator for Big Bed 1 dig, after clearing debris from last year’s crops and laying down compost.

Cut down raspberry canes and thin out. Check supports and improve where required. FEBRUARY job.

New compost bins 3&4. Create removable entrances for easier access. Use Compost 3 (orchard side) for 2013. Close off 4 for 2014.

Obtain list of trees/hedges (Steve B?) for Hilary to draw up a plan.

Protection frames – proceed with most flexible option. Stakes, water pipe hoops and good quality net. TBA.

Jobs for this weekend, 23/24th June

Some of the happiest times at the Garden are when we all just turn up and get on with whatever we feel like doing. That should be easier with our Crop heroes in place and there is generally someone who needs some help. However, as quite a few people are not around this weekend here are some jobs that do need doing, in case you are looking for things to do!

• The temporary cover over the redcurrants by HQ needs rescuing and doing again but better! Netting isin the wheely bin at the end of HQ.
• It’s really hard to water the tomatoes in the polytunnel as they have grown so bushy. Please could you carefully cut away the plastic, just in the tomato area, so that we can water directly onto the bed? Be careful not to cut the strings!
• The brassicas all need weeding.Please put the covers back securely afterwards.
• The gooseberry bushes in the edible hedgerow have some wind damage. Please cut away snapped and damaged twigs.
• Huge thanks to Neil for the construction of the fruit cage frame. Now we need to rig up the metal fence panels and get the netting over the top. I think the huge netting is in polytunnel minor? We need a plan for this?
• Please pick broad beans and remove the plants from the ground.
• The garlic has rust but the affected layers can be removed and the garlic eaten fresh or wet. It’s delicious roasted and you can use the whole bulb in your cooking as the papery skins between the cloves have not yet formed.
• Please cut and take the yellow courgettes in the polytunnel which are plentiful and need cutting.
• Please ensure that the tunnel is watered.

Thank you. Missing you!

Jobs for the week beginning 14th April

Because this is only being posted on Saturday morning doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do at The Garden! Nothing could be further from the truth.

After all the rain that we have had this week it is perfect digging weather and we really need to get on with the big project of the new bed arrangement. I’ll be there by 10:00 today to get stuck into that and I hope to have some willing helpers!

Angie, Cpt Fruity. needs help finishing the strawberry bed.

We must unload the manure from Neil’s trailer to the pile inside the gate.

There’s potting on and planting out of radishes, tomatoes, beetroots and a whole host of other things in Polytunnel Major: I haven’t looked in there for a day or two so am not bang up to date with progress. When did you last look? It is amazing.

If we want chickens by the Open Day we need to decide on the position of the coop and run.

And we need to catch up with each other, drink tea and make sure we are ready for the Open Day.

See you later

Rosemary

Rain, Rain how nice to see you!

After such a dry spell of weather it is such a joy to see the rain soaking into the ground which was getting so dry. In true British style of course it chose a Bank Holiday to visit us when most working people were looking forward to enjoying some of that lovely sunshine that we’ve been having over the last few weeks.

On Saturday it was still dry although clouds were gathering down at the garden. Our lovely Lois the keen photographer who supplies us with some fab photos, is away for the break so was not around to capture the activity but it was going on in all four corners as well as the middle.

The contents of the four large water butts were emptied onto the fruit bushes and cleaned ready to receive the long awaited rain, good forethought our Rosemary! Captain Love and Peace was planting some flowers near HQ, Captain Fruity along with Captain Pumpkin (a bit of joint team work here) were sorting out the strawberry patch, digging feeding and planting some new strawberries. The pig arc was lowered and multiple children formed a wood loading group to store the wood in the arc to keep it dry captained by Aiden. Alfie, the youngest member was like a mini Bob-the-buider, carrying large bits of wood on his shoulder, chanting “big,big, big”.

Onions were weeded and more planting was going on in the polytunnel. A new member Kelly joined in with all the activity, she’s recently moved here , a keen gardner and cook, she was pleased to join in.

Amidst it all Angie brought a whole nest full of chocolate eggs for us all to enjoy. How lucky were we?

Scaffolding poles have now been delivered courtesy of our very helpful neighbour Mr. Forster and this week it’s hoped to get our fruit cage started. Yay!

We all went home with a little harvest of produce, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb and our first cutting from the cut-and-come-again salad leaves growing in the polytunnel. What joy!!!

Jobs for Easter weekend and the folowing week

WOW! I’m going to go away more often! 5 nights out of the village and how impressed was I when I peeped at the Garden on my first afternoon home? It looks fabulous – thanks to everyone who has been working so hard. BUT, of course, there’s loads more to be done so hopefully we’ll have a good turn out tomorrow (Saturday) starting at the earlier time of 10.oo. I’ve ordered some bread as well so bring your money if you’d like a loaf.

Water – it seems that we might get some rain from Monday onwards. If you have a watering can please bring it and then we can empty the tanks round the polytunnel, putting the water onto all the fruit bushes and trees around the garden. If we then clean the tanks with some Jeyes Fluid (has anyone got any please?) we’ll be able to collect and store the water cleanly when it rains.

Strawberries – Monica and Sarah were working hard on weeding the strawberry bed today and refreshing the plants that are there. I guess Cpt Angie might be up for people making some ridges to replant the strawberries onto so that the fruit can be kept out of the mud/off the soil. We might want to cover the ridges with plastic once they are wet too, to keep moisture in as well as keeping the fruit clean.

Potting on and planting out – there are more French beans to plant out in PT Major and quite a few courgette, marrow and squashes to be potted on. This is important because it the roots of a plant overfill a pot there’s not enough soil to keep the plant moist and feed it as it grows. It’s like outgrowing your school uniform or cocktail frock (what would I know of that?!) – it’s just too tight and uncomfortable! There are radishes and beetroots in modules to plant out too, whilst marveling at how much better things have come up in modules than in the crate beds in the tunnel.

New bed preparations – we also need to progress with the new bed layout so that it is ready for planting, and to allocate space to crops.

Presents – Matt is hoping to bring us some presents tomorrow: a small shed unit, some metal builders fence panels which will be great for the fruit cage, and maybe some picnic benches, so there will be unloading and arranging to do too.

Refreshments – I know there is a secret stash of Digestives at the Garden, but can someone please bring milk for coffee?

See you there

Rosemary

Sunny Days & Cold nights Watering Alert to all Growing Groups

This year the garden routine has been organised differently. As you all know all the crops have been divided into groups and the co-ordinator (or Captain,) of each group is responsible for those crops. From sowing to planting and very importantly at the moment watering. This is a very fair idea as it spreads the responsibility across members.

Last year we had a watering rota but this year each growing group is responsible for organising their own rotas if that becomes necessary.  The fruit bushes around the edges, for instance  take a lot of time to water so this is where a team effort is really helpful. The salad crops also need more attention than the more deep rooted crops.

The weather has been unusually dry and it is a crucial time at the moment with all the seedlings and young plants being nurtured that they have the water they need and protection should there be a danger of frost. So whatever crops are sown, either in the polytunnel or the beds it is important to make sure that the crops are being cared for. The more mature crops are also in danger of needing some  watering as the heavens remain perfectly blue. The onion bed is actually looking dry now and the purple sprouting broccoli might need a bit of watering to help it sprout.

Graham, Captain of the bean patrol, is going away for a couple of weeks and his broad beans have just been planted outside so after a chat this afternoon I agreed to put some cloches over them in case we get the colder weather which is forecast. Lovely though it is in the day, the temperature drops rapidly at night and there is a possibility of frost.

As I looked around for something I could use to keep the fleece off the ground, I had an allotment moment . There was a short cloche which covered half a row but what to do about the rest? Angie had pruned the fruit bushes some time ago and the cuttings were lying in a neat heap. I took some bendy ones and these proved to work really well as hoops. Pushing each end firmly in the ground and where necessary binding two shorter pieces together with wire in the middle, the fleece then sat nicely over the beans, weighed down with some bricks etc either side. Graham is going to check that his seedlings in the tunnel are cared for while he’s away. His runner bean seeds were planted on Saturday and the wig-wam  made of canes, looks very impressive, also a team effort.

Thanks to Sylvie the last of the Charlotte potatoes got planted in bed 8 yesterday. While I was down there today I gave them all a good watering and my plan is to give them a really good soaking once a week but it may be necessary to do it twice weekly. I watered the broad beans in bed 9  as well as the leek seeds and chard I planted last week, also covering them with fleece. The garlic has also been given some water. I hope we get some rain soon as I only meant to go down for half an hour and it turned into two!

Some members have already volunteered their help in watering, would anyone else be able to spare an hour  or so a week? Have a think about which crop group you’d like to help out and let them know. As more things get planted more will need nurturing.

S.

Team Tunnel Update

I’ve been busy sowing stuff for the polytunnel at home: it’s just easier here with seedlings that need attention everyday like tomatoes and chillies. Once the seeds have germinated in the propagator indoors they get to spend the daytime in our greenhouse in the sun. I’ve been sowing two seeds to a pot and then potting one on immediately after germination when they are big enough to move. Sarah’s talk on seed sowing told me that I have waited too long in the past before potting on and I’ve certainly got much better seedlings on the go this year after our sowing masterclass!

So far, so good on the germination front and the warm, sunny spell means the chillies have come through only a few days after the toms: they can be slower by a week or more in colder, more typical March weather.

Each evening the crates of pots come back from the greenhouse into the kitchen to  snuggle up to the Aga overnight. Keeping a fairly constant temperature day and night is paying dividends as the seeds planted on 3rd March are all already sturdy little plants and might, in 2 or 3 weeks time, be making their way to the polytunnel to get used to life down there prior to being planted out in the north bed. Will I have my kitchen back at night? No, there’s another batch of toms and chillies in the propagator and I am hoping that they might be showing through in the next few days.

And then there’s the cucumbers to plant too! I also have butternut squashes and more early French beans as well as melons which are doing really well. And we have some French beans and six courgette plants already planted in the south border in the polytunnel so it’s all very exciting. Susanna is standing by to water if necessary in our greenhouse and so we’re well on the way to a productive season in the tunnel as there are lettuces, radishes, beetroot, peas and coriander starting to flourish that Lois, Karen and Graham have planted in there too. And there are baby brassicas that Kate has planted in modules coming along in the tunnel as well as flowers including lots of sunflowers and Lois’s Mum made newspaper pots last Saturday and planted sweet peas in them. It is all Happening!

Rosemary

Community Spirit in the Community Garden

Saturday saw a gathering of the gardeners to help mulch and weed in the Orchard. The mulch was put around all the trees to help keep the weeds down and the moisture in. It was originally planned for last weekend but it rained, a much needed dousing was very welcome.

The weather was glorious and the sun shone on all the gardening endeavours both orchard and garden.

Seeds were planted for salad crops as well as leeks and chard in some of the raised beds and a further bed was prepared for planting carrots.

Team Bean has a selection of pea and bean plants ready to transplant out next week, Graham will need a hand so if you fancy being in the bean team, even for a few hours Graham will be grateful for the assistance.

All the seeds planted in the polytunnel continue to thrive and now need vigilance to make sure their needs are met. Are they warm enough will they catch a chill, dehydrate? It’s like nurturing babies.

Owen and Aiden were very helpful mowing the grass which is also shooting up now the weather has warmed up.

S.

Gardeners Unite!!!

Well it look like Spring has definitely arrived and the garden beckons us. It is such a busy time of year and everything seems to need to be done in such a small window of time.

Down at the TCG things are hotting up and that’s not just in the straw bale hot bed!

Seedlings sown by Team members are bursting forth their papery shells and poking their heads above the parapet of compost. Soon they will be  ready to be pricked out and planted. The ground needs to be made ready to receive them. We have quite a few growing teams but only a few people so far have committed themselves to each team, can you spare some time to help?

We have: Team Bean growing all those yummy varieties of beans

Team Fruity where all the soft fruits can be found,

Team Popeye which covers a lot of that green stuff that gives Popeye his muscles as well as potatoes and leeks, onions and garlic.

Flower Power- cool dude is in charge of the feast for the eyes and butterflies and bees

Team Tunnel where all the exciting stuff happens in the balmy haze

Team Windy oh dear! excuse me……. brassicas , sprouts and caulis

Team Salad for all those lovely summer meals

Team Pumpkin and Roots for all those autumnal suppers

Or you can float between and give a hand where you fancy.

Many hands make light work they say, and every hour contributed adds to the swell of work that can be completed and the rewards that can be reaped by everyone later. Saturday mornings are when most people congregate for work and a cuppa  and Wednesday mornings usually sees a few gardeners working for a couple of hours. But the garden is accessible anytime.Check out our Facebook page for posts by members when they are planning to go down. The grass keeps growing and consequently need cutting and trimming around the beds, weeds are as vigorous as the plants and need keeping in their place as well as many other jobs.

With the days getting longer and the evenings lighter it gives us more flexibility to choose when to stroll down the garden and do a bit of pottering. What could be nicer, after being stuck in a stuffy office all day, than to get some fresh air, light exercise and tranquility down at the garden? 16th – 22nd April is National Garden week and it will be a great time to rally together to get the  Tangmere Community Garden ready for its open day on 29th April. Come and join us all are welcome.

S.