Whilst the warm autumnal sunshine played down on the Community Garden, the Hugel beds delivered up their pumpkin harvest: 11 pumpkins, ranging in size from a diddy 0.4kg (circumference of 30cms) to a giant whopper of 16kg (circumference of 125cms). In total, a pumpkin harvest of some 76 kg – not bad for a first effort!
The pumpkin seedlings, raised at the primary school as part of the children’s science classes, were planted earlier this year onto the Hugel beds. The concept of Hugel Kultur is based on the water retention abilities of decaying wood (as anyone with wet rot will know and appreciate!). The seedlings were watered for the first few days to allow the roots to establish but after that the plants were left to find the water table deep in the underground decaying wood base of the Hugel beds.
So, success for the Garden’s Hugel beds and success for the children – a win-win situation if ever I saw one!
Once the pumpkins have hardened off, the children will be able to carve them into Halloween lanterns. As for the Garden, an application for additional funding has been made to enable the erection of the second raised bed as well as a cold-frame both of which will allow for more crops to be grown throughout the year. The expanded area under cultivation will not only allow for proper crop rotation, so minimising any risk of crop disease, but also allow a wider selection of crops. We have also requested funding for discreet fencing around the cultivated area to keep the oh-so-hungry rabbits at bay. Sadly, the sunflower patch, also planted by the children, was decimated by the said rabbits overnight; we were only able to salvage four.
Undaunted, our next event is planned for Saturday November 12: willow weaving an infill screen for the back of the gazebo. This will be another first and if anyone wants to come and join in, you’ll be very welcome. We’ll be using willow culled from the extensive willow copse in the Garden so adding to our green environmental credentials.
The Steering Committee wants to thank both Tolletts, for providing us with yet more hard core for the floor of the gazebo and Mike Pepler, for the ash poles used to create a support matrix. In fact, the Steering Committee is incredibly grateful to all those who support the Garden in whatever way, we simply couldn’t have achieved as much as we have in two years without you.
Photo: Dominic Manning