Community Garden Update

by Augene Nanning, 22-May-25

Wish list:

• Old CD/DVD discs (to scare away birds) – please bring along on a Thursday morning or give them to Augene after morning worship on Sundays.
• People to join the watering rota!
• Not all jobs are with soil: we need help in repairing some of the netting on the frames protecting the beds.  It’s easy work, just tying string across the holes.

Last week, Saman joined Janet and I. You’ll know him for the bird houses he’s built that are on the trees, and for the work he did to clean up the swing chair that is now in the community garden. He’s a busy worker! He planted lettuce and herb seeds, watered, weeded and sorted out the raspberry bed. The foxes have had a fun time digging and creating big holes in the soil. Saman lugged the bags of soil and filled in the holes. Some bushes didn’t survive but we’ll replace those. Meanwhile, Janet and I continue with the many jobs a garden demands.

If you’ve visited the garden lately, you’ll see some plants are doing well! The potatoes, onions and garlic are growing in jumps and bounds it appears, and some beans (broad beans and dwarf beans) and peas, too! There may still be some courgettes – as I write this, I haven’t been to the garden for a week – but the plants weren’t watered as usual so some may have died. Usually the garden is watered Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday. But Paul, who waters on Tuesdays, and I weren’t available. If you have any interest in helping in any way in the community garden, do get in touch.

Even before last week, you may have notice that some plants died off. We lost a lot of cucumbers by planting them too early, likewise with some courgette plants. Our pumpkins didn’t do well at all. But there is time for us to plant and grow more. Thank you to those who have and are “fostering” the seedlings, taking them home and caring for them, helping make them strong and more resilient for when we move them into the garden. Like the plants in the garden already, some seeds won’t sprout, some plants won’t thrive. It’s the way of gardens, so don’t be  discouraged! Meanwhile, there are still tomato plants that need fostering.

Contact Augene Nanning at communitygarden@mhmc.org.uk if you can help or have questions! Thanks!