Grow Your Own #7

Finally, this month, we were able to meet in person for the August Grow Your Own.

Arriving at the site and following social distancing, Kai encouraged us to walk individually around the garden site both to observe the seasonal changes and identify any garden tasks we would prioritise.

It was interesting to note how different people prioritised different things. Some felt weeding was priority. The garden weeds have grown significantly since lockdown! Others felt harvesting the windfall was priority. Apples and pears are starting to ripen and fall. Whilst some fruits, like pears, need picking from the tree a little on the unripe side in order to ripen. People also revealed hidden talents. Simon noticed the grape vines and suggested they needed thinning in order to support the ripening of the grapes, drawing upon his experience as a wine maker whilst project harvest coordinator Vaida felt it was high time to turn the compost heap.

After a detailed garden walk, which was nice to do after 5 months of online zoom sessions, we spent the afternoon working in different parts of the garden on identified tasks. It was fantastic seeing how much work can be done with focussed energy.

Simon thinned the vines, Yin weeded, Sally and Vaida harvested the apples and we watered the compost ready for turning next month.

The garden looks a lot tidier, with planted out chard and we went home with a bag full of apples and pears. The session highlighted how much more we can learn through doing.