Winter notes 2020

Many thanks to our dedicated group of volunteers the garden is looking beautiful throughout the seasons. During the self-isolation period from April to May core members kept the garden going by working on a swift 1-hour shift on Sundays and watering during the week.

When we were finally able to resume the community gardening in mid May, all regulars were so delighted to work in the garden together again as well as to enjoy catchups with social/physical distancing.

Each one of our volunteers has a special interest and ability in community gardening whether it’s seed sowing, growing, weeding, harvesting, cooking or taking care of soil and plants with love. The garden is an amazing collective achievement!

This month I asked some of them to contribute to this update. Thank you Emily for beautiful detailed images of the garden and captions below, while our newest recruit Darlia took some photos of our wonderful volunteers at work. Thank you!

After providing us with many delicious beans the past months, the red lima beans have been taken down with some of them saved for seeds. Two beans which had fallen into the soil and started to sprout have been planted in a pot – we will see what happens with them! The trellis has been repaired and left up for the peas which have started to climb.

Johnny jump ups bring cheerful colour to the garden, spreading themselves amongst the vegetables.

In some of the beds, vegetables mix in a colourful variety of shapes. Here spinach, rainbow chard and carrots grow together.

Many insects visit the little flowers scattered through the garden with lots of honey bees coming to the lavender.

An ant enjoys the nectar of the borage.

Happy gardening!