Gather & Grow - August 2023
August has been another action-packed month at the allotment, with five Saturday Gather & Grow sessions and one Wednesday evening session having taken place. Summer may be drawing to a close, but the Baby Bloom plot is still full to the brim with flowers and there have been plenty of tasks to get stuck into.
We have sown a vast array of biannual seeds including lupins, foxgloves, sweet william and hesperis. These will be planted out later in the autumn for a beautiful display of flowers next spring. In the greenhouse the tomatoes are beginning to ripen, and we have enjoyed harvesting the fruit. There is something very special about homegrown tomatoes, and this year’s crop did not disappoint!
The dahlias are looking at their very best right now, and will continue to flower right up until the first frost. We have lots of different shapes and colours on display, ranging from the dark-leaved ‘Bishop of Dover’ to the stunning pink ‘Otto’s Thrill’.
As well as keeping on top of the ever-present weeding and watering tasks, we have refreshed our pots and hanging baskets with some autumn bedding plants to keep the allotment looking beautiful throughout the colder months. Our crafty volunteers have also been working hard, hand-painting a collection of new signs for our beds.
At Big Bloom we have begun to construct our permaculture beds using the ‘lasagna’ method, which involves the layering of cardboard, green waste, manure and compost to transform poor or dense soil into rich, flower-growing substrate over time. We have also cleared the adjacent fruit patch to uncover a number of mature gooseberry and currant bushes which should respond well to a heavy prune in the winter.
The new pond is now full, and has begun to attract a range of wildlife. We are hoping to add some more plants around the margins to create a wider number of habitats for frogs and insects like dragonflies and damselflies.
As usual, we have drunk numerous cups of tea, eaten countless biscuits, and forged many new friendships with women from all different walks of life. If you are keen to join us in September, sign up on Eventbrite using this link.