All set for destruction

Yes we are almost there, the garden makeover starts next week, just after the Jubilee celebrations.  It was a baking hot day on Monday, when I moved what plants I could from the garden, these included Lemon Balm, Hellebores and many bulbs to give to Hatton Park WI for the Jubilee Flower beds, in front of Hatton Park Village Hall.

Last week the school eco group potted on the spinach and marigold seeds they had planted 2 weeks previously, they are growing on fine, as long as they are watered regularly.

The purple basil has not germinated at school, it may have been planted too deeply, luckily I had sown some at home as back up, and I potted them on this week.

After 1/2 term we will establish our tribute to the games of 2012 – our Olympic Tyre Garden, 5 tyres laid out as the Olympic rings with plants and flowers of the right colours in each one:

• Petunias for red and blue
• Marigolds for yellow
• Spinach for green
• Purple basil for black

Here’s hoping the plants all grow at similar rates, and the flowers all come together.  More on this in the next few weeks.

As its half term next week and the garden makeover the blog will skip a week and come back refreshed for the final 1/2 term of the school year.  There should be just time to plant some salad crops and pick them in the final 6 weeks of term, weather permitting!

Happy Jubilee!

Moving in the sun

As the sun came out on Monday I moved the remaining plants from the Ferncumbe garden to a temporary home, ready for the great make over.  Not the best conditions for transplanting mature bushes but there was no choice, if I hadn’t they would have been chopped down as part of the refurb.  All I can do is hope they survive.  So far they are looking a little sorry for themselves in their temporary accommodation.  Unfortunately where I planted them does not have easy access to water, so I am hoping the moisture in the soil will be enough to keep them alive, and I will be keeping a close eye on them.  To help the plants I did prune them back, and if necessary I’ll prune again so they don’t loose so much water from the surface area of their leaves.  I also took some cuttings from the rosemaries, so hopefully either the mother plants surviving or the cuttings growing will ensure continuity.

Artichokes in the foreground, Oregano and lemon balm behind, and strawberries beyond. Below looking the other way, strawberries in the foreground

The Artichokes were 1 row in one raised bed.  Probably difficult to count from the photo how many plants there were, but if we replant them all at the correct planting space they’ll take up approx 7square metres… so I think they might have been a little overcrowded, and in need of thinning.  Similarly with the strawberries.  They took up 1 raised bed, approx 3m square.  To replant all at correct planting distances will take up 11.5m square, or 4 of the new raised beds.

With the sun out and the temperature rising its very tempting to water plants, in the ground, but mostly they can cope and it encourages them to send roots deeper to look for nutrients and water.  If you do decide the plants must be watered, try to do it when they are in shadow, so the water can get into the soil rather than evaporate.

If you are wondering where the text colours have gone, as I didn’t get any reactions, I’ve gone back to black, but kept the Wren header.

Happy Gardening, and remember the sun cream for yourself!

Adding colour….

My Year6 advisors have told me this blog lacks COLOUR, and that the header picture is boring… Well who am I to argue?

So I have changed the header and I’m you can see how I’using text colour.

Once again I was lucky on Monday, the Sun shone so I was able to finish moving the daffodils, and most of the grape hyacinthsand bluebells to the front as well as digging up lemon balm, mint, sedum for distribution to the WI.

Attempting to dig up plants from the bed by the fence has made me appreciate how overgrown it is, swwamped by ivy and other perennial weeds, it certainly needs drastic intervention to make it into a soft fruit area which is the plan.  Looking forward to see what impact a mini digger will have in that area.

The artichokes and strawberries I moved to temporary homes a couple of weeks ago are doing fine, the rain has helped them bed in and the cold weather means they aren’t trying too hard to make fruits.  I’ll look forward to replanting them back in their new homes after 1/2 term

Let me know what you think of the colourful text and new header

Happy gardening!

Let there be light!

Tuesday saw the first major change in the Ferncumbe Garden make over.  The tree men came and removed the laurels, hawthorns and conifers, and WOW what a difference it makes to the light in the garden.  Even though the sun has yet to shine its a whole lot brighter in the garden now.

Before and After

 

One tree got left behind, not quite sure why, and I expect it will go as part of the next stage of the makeover, which is planned for half term, 1st week of June.  That means there are  3 Mondays left to get all the plants that we want to rescue to safety.  If anyone can give me a hand I’d be most grateful.  Weather permitting I’ll be there on Monday afternoon after 1pm.

On the rescue list are the rest of the daffodils, As many grape hyacinths as possible, the artichokes, strawberries, large herbs and cuttings of other plants.  If anyone wants any of the other plants, please come and rescue them.

By the end of the summer this area will be transformed, a big thank you to the Ladies of Hatton Park WI who have contacted me to help and if you want to be part of the makeover please let me know

Happy Gardening

The benefits from perennial weeds….

There are none I hear you cry!

And until last weekend when I went on the Master Gardener course at Garden Organic I would have agreed with you.  However, perennial weeds can be put to good use.

Nettles provide a good habitat for beneficial insects.  The young leaves can be used in cooking – the cooking destroys the sting and we all know that dock leaves relieve nettle stings.

All perennial weeds can be made into a liquid plant feed.  As you dig up the weed, put it in an old dustbin or waterbutt, cover with water and leave for a few weeks until the plant has rotted down, releasing its nutrients into the water.  Drain off the water and use, diluted as a plant feed.  Put the remaining sludge on the compost heap.  As long as you dont mind getting your hands and arms wet when you clear the butt or bin its a simple way to dispose of the weeds and get some benefit at the same time.  Home made liquid feeds can be powerful stuff, if in doubt dilute it more than less, I am told ‘pale lager’ is the colour to aim for.

This technique is even better if you have a hessian sack, which is nice and porous.  Put the weeds in the sack in the water, so they are contained, but the nutrients are able to leech out. Just make sure the sack is completely covered by the water and let time do the work.  Thanks to Andy, head gardener at Garden Organic for this tip.

There are other liquid feeds you can make in the same way, from comfrey and from other plants.  Check out Garden Organic for detailed instructions.

In the Ferncumbe garden, it’s all about saving plants and bulbs, moving them to temporary homes ready for the great redevelopment.  On Monday I moved most of the Daffodils, they are still too green to lift and dry so they went round to the front of the school to new permanent homes in the small border by the fence and into the grass.  I cut triangles and squares of turf out about 1 spade cube,  depth width and length and dropped a couple of bulbs into each hole, filled the soil and turf back in with the leaves peeping out of the cracks and firmed down.  The grass looks a bit of a mess, but with more rain expected, I’m sure it will sort itself out pretty quickly.  Where the soil was so stoney I couldn’t get a spades depth I dropped in some grape hyacinths, moved with a thick overcoat of soil round the root ball so I hope they aren’t too stressed by the experience.  If the forecast rain arrives it will save a watering job.

One casualty of the rain and wind last weekend was the lid of the ‘dalek’ compost bin.  It has gone missing, if anyone finds a giant black frisbee it could be it, and we would like it back.  Thanks

WI offers funding

One of the reasons the school garden is now called a community garden is that we are starting to link with Hatton Park WI.  Earlier this year the NFWI (National Federation of Women’s Institutes) announced that that local WI groups could bid for funding to promote gardening and communities.

After talking to the school Hatton Park WI (www.hattonparkwi.co.uk/) agreed to help out in the garden, particularly during holiday periods, so any veg growing during holiday periods was watered and harvested.

Hatton Park WI put a bid in for £200 funding to buy plants, seed trays and compost.  We heard a month ago we were likely to get funding, and it was confirmed last week in writing.  🙂

The award has been deferred until September, as there are other plans afoot for changing the layout of the garden and increasing the growing space.  As the NFWI want proof that the money has been well spent and has resulted in increased community activity in the garden, we felt it was better to wait until any changes to the garden were completed before spending the WI money.

Once the garden changes are completed, look out for WI members helping out in the garden, both during school hours or evidence of their hard work the next school day.