Monday 10 December 2012

WINTER TIDY UP


BEFORE AND AFTER A GOOD OLD TIDY UP AT BELLEVILLE VEG GARDEN




















Today at Belleville we held a Gardening Sunday. We dug, raked, weeded, sieved and swept to the point of exhaustion. Well, until the place looked all tidy at any rate.



Many thanks to the volunteers who showed up and ensured that we could get all of the tasks finished in the time available.
We put leaves and some of the plant debris in the composter, and filled up about eight sacks with random rubbish, broken plant pots and other gardening detritus.
The strawberry plants we left as they'll die back but regrow next spring. The swiss chard in the Year Four bed is still going strong so that was left alone.



The raised beds are just awaiting a topping of compost, as over the years the soil has settled about six inches. Compost would also add nutrients to the soil as nearly five years of crop growing will have taken their toll.

We're now looking for volunteers from each year group to look after the beds.
Volunteers will be able to grow whichever vegetables they like and we hope to hold further 'Gardening Sundays' to help with this process. 
  
Once planted the veg plants can be looked after at drop off and/or pick up quite easily. Watering and weeding is all that's really required until they're ready to harvest.
Contact Jim Dutton through the school if interested, or leave a comment below.
Thanks!





Friday 15 June 2012

MID JUNE UPDATE


A happy band of gardeners (and harvesters) on a rare sunny day!







Well the scheme to dedicate each raised bed to a single Year Group has started working pretty well with the help and involvement of our dedicated teams of gardeners! Here are some photos to show you how each Year Group is getting on....not that there's any pressure or anything!
Considering how terrible the weather has been it's all looking great!








Year 1 - a wide variety of crops!
Year 2 - awesome use of the available space

Year 2 broad beans doing very well!
Year 3 - again, very productive
Year 3 lettuces have been a big hit - & no slugs!

Year 4 the wild rocket has gone a bit wild.
Year 5 - post harvesting of the leeks
Year 5 - Roma tomato plant placed between the courgettes
Year 6 - also post harvesting of the leeks
Year 6 - 'Sweet Million' cherry tomato plant between the courgettes

Year 6 - runner beans (and French beans?)




One failure has been this rotating compost bin. It's an excellent machine and would be ideal for a small garden where it could be looked after and rotated properly. If anyone wants it they could have it for a donation to the PTA. It needs to have brown  matter (cardboard, paper etc) added along with the garden waste, and it need spinning every day. As it has been neglected it's just made a bit of a smelly mess. More details about the composter can be read here.