Our first ‘work party’ in the Transmission Community Garden consisted of soil testing and putting together some raised beds.
I’m not a gardener. I like gardens. I like sitting in them – preferably in summer with a glass of Pimms and my Kindle to hand. I don’t know anything much about flowers or when best to plant them. I am pretty good at mucking in, though, and when it comes to gardening that’s at least half the battle.
A couple of weeks ago, on 10 February, we had a work day at the TransMission Community Garden. The plan was to put together some raised beds for planting, to test the soil composition, to put up some bat boxes and generally just tidy up the garden.
But mostly it was about a bunch of us getting together for an afternoon. Back when we were first starting out with Transition Walthamstow, one of our number insisted that these things – whether they be formal meetings, work days or a trip to the pub – had to be fun otherwise we’d soon give up. And this day was fun.
There were around 10 volunteers in total, including three youngsters who were more than happy to muck in. The day thankfully remained dry, although the early morning sun quickly disappeared, which was a shame.
First job of the day was to test the soil pH. It turned out to be between 6 and 7, which is ideal for growing most plants. It does become slightly more acidic closer to the car park side of the site, so we decided that was probably the best side to place the raised beds. Then we can fill them.
Next we took soil samples from different locations all over the garden, mixed it up and distributed it into some empty glass jars. This was for testing the soil composition. More of which in a separate blog post.
Then it was on to the biggest – and most fun – task of the day: putting together the raised beds. These had been constructed by Forest Recycling Project with the help of Adam and Amy and delivered to the garden by Paul. A real team effort.
FRP is an excellent Walthamstow-based initiative located on Hoe Street near another excellent Walthamstow institution, the Hornbeam Centre. A social enterprise and charity, FRP engages with organisations and communities through a range of practical initiatives to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, and help people live more sustainably. They built our two planters from reclaimed wood.
But first a problem had to be overcome: we had a drill, but no drill bits. A new drill, with bits, was quickly procured, but its battery wasn’t at full strength. It did the job, though, or at least most of it. As the battery drained further, another replacement was sought. It might have taken longer than anticipated, but eventually the raised beds were in one piece (or rather two pieces) and we’d all had fun with drills, which is the most important thing really.
We also had the chance to inspect previous work on the garden. The bulbs we planted back in November have already started to show through. We received these for free as part of a council giveaway. Also free were several hawthorn whips that we planted along the car park side of the site to grow into a native hedge.
Hawthorn makes for excellent hedging. It’s relatively fast growing and its dense, thorny structure provides privacy. It’s also wonderful for wildlife, supporting all kinds of insects including pollinators such as butterflies and bees, as well several bird species. The plant is also tough and undemanding – making ideal for an urban community garden. Several of ours have already started to bud and we’re looking forward to watching the plants grow.
The bat boxes were also provided by FRP. However, it turns out that we don’t have a ladder long enough to get them high enough up in our tree. We’re looking for one that’s 4m. If you know of one we can borrow, please do get in touch.
Our next work day will take place on 16 March, and then every second Saturday of the month, starting at 11am. For the next one, we’re planning to find a place for the raised beds and fill them, then decide what to plant in them. We’ll also carry out any general work and tidying up, as well as anything else that comes up. We’re on the lookout for top soil, so if you know of any going spare, again, let us know.
Everyone is invited. Come along if you can – and feel free to bring snacks!