Week 12
There are flowers, there are pollinating insects and there is a lot of growth. This week the Sunflowers went in the ground where we had previously prepared a horseshoe shape for them to grow. Lots of watering, weeding and cutting the grass. The Horseshoe Allotment Society kindly passed on some egg shells to add to our brassicas patch, egg shells that came from the new ice cream shop in Oakham called the Waffle Bowl. Great to see people thinking about making 'waste' useful. There are a few 1 metre square quadrats on site at the moment, a sign that children are surveying the area.
There are flowers, there are pollinating insects and there is a lot of growth. This week the Sunflowers went in the ground where we had previously prepared a horseshoe shape for them to grow. Lots of watering, weeding and cutting the grass. The Horseshoe Allotment Society kindly passed on some egg shells to add to our brassicas patch, egg shells that came from the new ice cream shop in Oakham called the Waffle Bowl. Great to see people thinking about making 'waste' useful. There are a few 1 metre square quadrats on site at the moment, a sign that children are surveying the area.
Week 11
The sun is shining and the temperatures are up this week, which means a lot of watering and everything is growing - especially the grass. Thank you for the kind donation of a lawnmower, having our work and walkways cut makes such a difference. We got to witness a swarm of bees this week, a couple of rows of lavender went in, more soil was shifted as we prepare the polytunnel growing area and the children created a shop, selling bunches of seasonal meadow flowers and pots of mud.
The sun is shining and the temperatures are up this week, which means a lot of watering and everything is growing - especially the grass. Thank you for the kind donation of a lawnmower, having our work and walkways cut makes such a difference. We got to witness a swarm of bees this week, a couple of rows of lavender went in, more soil was shifted as we prepare the polytunnel growing area and the children created a shop, selling bunches of seasonal meadow flowers and pots of mud.
Week 10
We completed the third key-hole garden this week, got the first load of raw compost into a key-hole basket and had a visit from Jane Beynon from Send a Cow charity, who taught us how to make our first key-hole garden 2 years ago. Grass was cut, tomatoes went in, rows of peas and beans pushed into the soil and more Silver Birch planted. And what was the 'house' area the children were building with loose-parts, has now been named Little Flower Farm. Big thank you to Diane for the lovely trees.
We completed the third key-hole garden this week, got the first load of raw compost into a key-hole basket and had a visit from Jane Beynon from Send a Cow charity, who taught us how to make our first key-hole garden 2 years ago. Grass was cut, tomatoes went in, rows of peas and beans pushed into the soil and more Silver Birch planted. And what was the 'house' area the children were building with loose-parts, has now been named Little Flower Farm. Big thank you to Diane for the lovely trees.
Week 9
Very exciting to see how all that rain and the warmer temperatures are helping all those seeds and seedlings grow! More plants went into the ground today. Including a huge Gooseberry plant and Current that someone kindly dropped off! Four small Silver Birch trees went in to mark the edge of an area dedicated to play. A slash of colour was added to the Soapwart bed, with Forget-me-nots and a few other plants that will bring colour and polinating insects to the garden. And we found homes in the ground for the last of the plants we brought with us from the old site. Some progress was made on the third key-hole, and another bed is in the making.
Very exciting to see how all that rain and the warmer temperatures are helping all those seeds and seedlings grow! More plants went into the ground today. Including a huge Gooseberry plant and Current that someone kindly dropped off! Four small Silver Birch trees went in to mark the edge of an area dedicated to play. A slash of colour was added to the Soapwart bed, with Forget-me-nots and a few other plants that will bring colour and polinating insects to the garden. And we found homes in the ground for the last of the plants we brought with us from the old site. Some progress was made on the third key-hole, and another bed is in the making.
Week 8
More garden beds were made this week, which included the potato bed and a planter dedicated to soapwart. And work on the third keyhole garden began, with as much that could be done before the basket goes in. The potatoes went in, little cucumber seedlings planted out into bigger containers and everything we planted last week is doing well... even some little signs of the flower seeds sprouting already! It was a big media day too, with an on-location feature on the Rutland Climate Conversation event hosted by Rutland County Council and an on-site visit from Ben Jackson reporting for BBC Radio Leicester. In other news, the polytunnel is coming along slowly, most of the frame is up and a trench around the sides almost complete - the rain last week will help to soften the ground to finish off the job. The youngest volunteers were busy this week working on their new area, a space dedicated to loose-parts-for-play.
More garden beds were made this week, which included the potato bed and a planter dedicated to soapwart. And work on the third keyhole garden began, with as much that could be done before the basket goes in. The potatoes went in, little cucumber seedlings planted out into bigger containers and everything we planted last week is doing well... even some little signs of the flower seeds sprouting already! It was a big media day too, with an on-location feature on the Rutland Climate Conversation event hosted by Rutland County Council and an on-site visit from Ben Jackson reporting for BBC Radio Leicester. In other news, the polytunnel is coming along slowly, most of the frame is up and a trench around the sides almost complete - the rain last week will help to soften the ground to finish off the job. The youngest volunteers were busy this week working on their new area, a space dedicated to loose-parts-for-play.
Week 7
Yesterday was one of those days where quite a lot was achieved. All eight raised beds are filled up and many seedlings planted, also the second key-hole garden finished and planted. As luck would have it Ben Creasey Tree Services happened to be there taking care of the old trees around the Showground, including the Ash at the garden gate. Ben and his team very generously left us with logs to edge our new pollinator garden bed and a whole load of woodchip that will help create pathways around the site. The new pollinator garden is part of an experiment we are doing with different seed packets, we want to know if the price of seeds really makes a difference.
Yesterday was one of those days where quite a lot was achieved. All eight raised beds are filled up and many seedlings planted, also the second key-hole garden finished and planted. As luck would have it Ben Creasey Tree Services happened to be there taking care of the old trees around the Showground, including the Ash at the garden gate. Ben and his team very generously left us with logs to edge our new pollinator garden bed and a whole load of woodchip that will help create pathways around the site. The new pollinator garden is part of an experiment we are doing with different seed packets, we want to know if the price of seeds really makes a difference.
Week 6
We are continuing to shift soil and get more beds ready for growing - and so we had another 20ton of top soil skillfully delivered into two piles right in the middle of the field. The second key-hole garden now has a basket make from willow donated by Somerby Baskets, and is almost full and ready to plant... a job for next week. A selection of seeds went into a couple of the garden beds; beans, carrots, spinach... all labeled up and covered while they get started. In other news, the gate just got better with some height and handrails across the stones, the polytunnel has started going up, and we are still waiting for rain so there was a lot of watering - in lovely new watering cans!
We are continuing to shift soil and get more beds ready for growing - and so we had another 20ton of top soil skillfully delivered into two piles right in the middle of the field. The second key-hole garden now has a basket make from willow donated by Somerby Baskets, and is almost full and ready to plant... a job for next week. A selection of seeds went into a couple of the garden beds; beans, carrots, spinach... all labeled up and covered while they get started. In other news, the gate just got better with some height and handrails across the stones, the polytunnel has started going up, and we are still waiting for rain so there was a lot of watering - in lovely new watering cans!
Week 5
This week we made a real effort to get the raised bed filled with top-soil ready for planting! The second of the three keyhole gardens is ready for the basket and then soil to go in - something for next week. We are well chuffed with the new gate put in by the lovely people at Rutland Showground. In other news, the field next door has sheep with their spring lambs, the willow that is waiting in water to be planted is happily flowering, and work started on a sunflower circle in the middle of the field. Also, did you know that wheelbarrows make cumfy seats for lunchtime breaks?!
This week we made a real effort to get the raised bed filled with top-soil ready for planting! The second of the three keyhole gardens is ready for the basket and then soil to go in - something for next week. We are well chuffed with the new gate put in by the lovely people at Rutland Showground. In other news, the field next door has sheep with their spring lambs, the willow that is waiting in water to be planted is happily flowering, and work started on a sunflower circle in the middle of the field. Also, did you know that wheelbarrows make cumfy seats for lunchtime breaks?!
Week 4
A week for filling garden beds (together we shifted a lot of soil in one day) and made a new bed just for the rhubarb right next to the shed. The site has no water, yet, water harvesting will happen as soon as there is a roof to harvest from - so a waterbutt is now set up and filled with a hose for now. More treasures found in the free-cycle topsoil and more soil delivered over the hedge. We noticed lots of birds in the sky today, the biggest surprise though was a low flying Hercules! Next week, let's see if we can find a spot for the polytunnel.
A week for filling garden beds (together we shifted a lot of soil in one day) and made a new bed just for the rhubarb right next to the shed. The site has no water, yet, water harvesting will happen as soon as there is a roof to harvest from - so a waterbutt is now set up and filled with a hose for now. More treasures found in the free-cycle topsoil and more soil delivered over the hedge. We noticed lots of birds in the sky today, the biggest surprise though was a low flying Hercules! Next week, let's see if we can find a spot for the polytunnel.
Week 3
This week the shed went up, the new entrance was made through the hedge, some thirsty plants went in - and there was cake!
This week the shed went up, the new entrance was made through the hedge, some thirsty plants went in - and there was cake!
Week 2
This week we got the first of the growing beds set up and almost one of the key-hole gardens. The level foundations have now been set for the shed to go on later and there were a few large deliveries - one over the hedge!
This week we got the first of the growing beds set up and almost one of the key-hole gardens. The level foundations have now been set for the shed to go on later and there were a few large deliveries - one over the hedge!
25 March 2021
Week 1
Work has begun on setting up the new Community Garden site! With some materials already moved from the old site, this week we started laying out where things will go and setting up places to start growing.
Work has begun on setting up the new Community Garden site! With some materials already moved from the old site, this week we started laying out where things will go and setting up places to start growing.
