New MG Joan has been busy…

Visited new household and was shocked to find they had cleared the ground in preparation. Today we were going to look at using recycled materials to make a hot box planter and growing brassicas under enviromesh. To start A & F off I had bought a range of surplus seedlings that fell into their planting plan and I was pleased to see they had been active in buying seeds.

I supported them in building and filling their first box,with manure they had gotten from Dulwich Stable, topped with a good general purpose compost. They also managed to complete a simple home made cloche to protect their carrots and brassicas, They declared an intention to build 2 more boxes by the time I visit next month

I left them happily planting for the afternoon.

Novice household starting a hotbox construction.

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What a day, signed up and surveyed new household, visit the other for discussion of plant choices and planting plan, and collected banner for 19th May event.

photo shows Joan (click for her profile) with edamame ‘Panther’ which she brought to show at her recent induction training (click for story)

Meet her on Sunday 19th May at Streatham Green Artisans Market – click here to find out more.

South London Master Gardeners Susan Philips and Alona had a table at Sydenham Garden Spring Fair on 11th May. Beverly and Monica joined us for a while. Luckily we had a gazebo as the weather was rather variable. A steady stream of visitors asked questions including dealing with green alkanet, encouraging pollinator insects, what to sow and grow now. Our seed sowing activity was popular, using re-used paper drinks cups as pots. There was interest in the MG programme and we have some potential households seeking advice on food growing.

Read here about two more MG events on Sunday 19th May

Clapham Common (click)

Streatham Green (click)

Compost Awareness Week is the 6th to the 12th May 2013 but composting household waste goes on all year round!

Making and using compost is the cornerstone of gardening, especially organic gardening. The finished product is rich, dark, crumbly and sweet-smelling. It is made of recycled garden and kitchen waste, and can also include paper products. It is used to feed and condition the soil and in making potting mixes. Around 40 per cent of the average dustbin contents are suitable for home-composting so it helps cut down on landfill too.

From new Master Gardener Geraldine, based in Wandsworth

We were asked at the training day why we grow for food. Lots of answers along the lines that it’s wonderful magic, which it is. But for me I’d say it’s as normal as breathing and eating. Who is going to be inspired with that? Well, I’ve just come in from a long morning digging over the allotment – yes, I know I’ve left it a bit late, but just like the rest of nature I’m catching up.

I have that sense of having clambered up onto the merry-go-round which is the cycle of the year. We’ve slowly started moving and I know it’s going to speed up, take me up and down, probably several times, and that it will land me back in the same place this time next year – the same and different. Then I think how many times the cycle has turned since human people began planting seeds to grow and nurture the plants for food we can eat. It is a finite number, maybe around 10,000 years since the last ice age. It’s an unimaginably infinite number of people over all that time, all over the world.

I’m in good company. It’s normal.

See this creative ‘advert’ for globe artichokes from South London Master Gardener Fiona Hull. More please, Fiona!

It’s a mere 10 days since our latest batch of Master Gardeners got trained and already they’ve registered 24 hours of activity and spoken to 100 people in the wider community (no rounding up of numbers here!). Wow!

Rosemary, Monica, Stephen, Mark, Joan, Brian and Ling have all added activity to our database. Impossible to add all the lovely information, but here are some of their notes, and this gives a great overview of the kind of activity Master Gardeners do!

Picture shows Monica very enthused by our seed sowing activity during the induction weekend. Lovely.

Gave advice to a local household – neighbour.  He has never planted beetroot so we have gone on this journey together.

I have spoken to more than 20 people in the shopping centre, at the yoga class and at the GP…

Gave advice on sowing tender vegeables in modules. Was able to persuade one person to try heritage sweetcorn

At the Tipsy garden built Transmitter/ Climbing frame, to grow hops up.

I met my son’s school teacher. She said she was waiting for the stuff from b&q and I could start working with her when everything is ready.

Went to Doddington Community Roof Garden. Helped a child to plant parsnip seeds and chatted to his mother about growing salad, herbs and cress on windowsills in her flat.

What’s more, Rosemary and Joan have each signed up people to support too.

Most inspired by all your activity and enthusiasm – thank you!

Click here to read about the induction training weekend

And click here to read about the SOCIAL next week, Weds 8th May in Peckham – join us!

Here is a photo of the loquat tree at Sydenham Community Garden (where new MGs had their recent induction course - Ed). I wonder how it got there?

I have a loquat tree in my front garden in Upper Tulse Hill. I have forgotten where the original seed came from which I planted about 20 years ago. 2 years ago (2011) there was a really warm spring, so the blossoms did well and got pollinated so by July there was a really good crop of loquats. I made tons of jam. The taste is like nothing else, sweet and tangy. Apparently you can buy tinned loquats in Chinese Supermarkets.

Stephen with the bumper crop of loquats in July 2011

New MG Kate from Herne Hill typed up the collated advice from the group to a family, a certain Homer and Marge Simpson, 5 in household, 3 under 16

‘Our kids don’t like vegetables so it hasn’t been worth growing anything’

Grow something attractive and fun; immediately eatable like cherry tomatoes, sugar snaps, peas in a pod.

Go for quick germinators like beans and squash.

Engage the kids by having growing competitions – could be biggest or funniest shape carrot, biggest potato, longest bean, including tallest sunflower.  Go for bright colours and funny shapes.  Do a bit of companion planting with some flowers in with the veg for this.

Involve kids in stages of plant growth – which seed will germinate first?

Show and tell at school.

‘Deciding what will save us money and the kids will like to eat’

Think about what your favourite foods are and how you can adapt them with home grown produce to save money – pizza is a good one.

What fruits do they like or have they tried?  Strawberries are usually a popular one.  Can juice fruits with some veg if the kids don’t think they like them!  Cook fruit into compotes to add to yoghurts or ice cream.

Let the kids choose what to grow – they might feel more encouraged to try eating something if they have grown it themselves.

How can you convert or add fruit and veg to established favourites? Disguise veg as chips, pizzas, kale crisps; bake thinly sliced potatoes, parsnips, carrots, kale, to make delicious vegetable crisps. Courgette ‘pasta’.  Soups can use up lots of root veg.

‘To cook a meal for our family with food that we’ve grown together’

Grow, cook and eat it! Send them some recipe resources to give new ideas about how to use the veg they’ve grown.

Get the whole family involved – kids can each have their own plants so everyone contributes to the meal.