Community garden
We have had an incredibly productive Autumn and Winter sorting out the bones of the garden and it is now looking beautifully inviting, both visually and with the sort of potential that warms every gardener’s heart!
We now have a beautiful courtyard garden, though this remains in the realm of the shop, a beehive, a pond with resident frog and newt included, a restored greenhouse and a multitude of beds, composted and waiting to be filled.
A heartfelt Thank you to all the fabulous volunteers that have put in hours of hard graft, to SCCF ( Sarratt and Chipperfield Community Foundation) which has enabled the many initial purchases and to Chess Construction Ltd, who have given us a day of free labour to get the courtyard into shape, no mean feat as you can see from the pictures below.
Now that Spring is here, we need to start sowing and growing in earnest. The plan is to grow lots of salad leaves, along with other vegetables and cut flowers, all of which will be sold in the village shop. Regular and one-off volunteers would be wonderfully welcome, we will be needing planters, weeders, waterers, pickers, and packers! My inclination is to have 2 sessions of two hours each week, and a blackboard with a list of jobs written on it, so we all know what we’re doing. Please email Alan or me if you’d like to be part of this, including potential suitable times , we won’t be able to accommodate everyone, but will try to make it as convenient as possible. Aside from volunteering, the best thing you will be able to do to support this project is to BUY THE PRODUCE! If we find that the demand is different to what we are supplying, we can learn for next year – do tell us. Most of the fruit will not be viable until next year sadly, but the veg will be up and running by early summer. Any organic matter (grass cuttings, animal bedding, leaves etc but no nasties like bindweed or ground elder) would also be very welcome for the compost heap. I’m thinking about running a monthly composting session where we bring as much material as possible and make a really hot and steamy heap that will kill off most weed seeds. We’re also looking for alstroemeria divisions for growing as cut flowers. Can anyone donate us a chunk from their garden?
Lastly, if anyone would like to take charge of a community garden social media account, please get in touch.
We are holding an “Open morning” on Saturday 29 May from 10.00am. More information later meanwhile please make a note in your dairy. However, sorry, no dogs! Also please do not go into the garden other than as part of a previously agreed working party.Bring it on!
Flo – [email protected] and Alan – [email protected]
