A new member

It looks like we have a new member! Do you recall the RSPB's slogan... build it and they will come? Well this secretive, colourful bird visited the garden to have a bit of a snack in our veggie beds.

It got caught red-handed (or should I say red-breasted) by Charlotte's camera. We believe this new member hasn't filled the membership form so he is not eligible to join our mailing list. What a cheek (or should I say beak)!

Our shed is a very fine shed

Our new shed is up. This is the heaviest and most secure shed we’ve ever seen. It reminds us of the mysterious black monoliths in 2001: A Space Odissey, which were linked to man's evolution, so a very apt image for our developing garden. There is no mystery here, though, if you join us, you can step inside and see for yourself.

The shed came from far away. On the wettest morning of the year we dragged the heavy black panels down a back alley to a hired van. Half way through we wondered if we would have the strength to finish the task. At that point Peter announced that he would be 77 the following week! Would he make it?

The man who sold it to us was full of advice but didn't think of offering us a cup of tea. At one point we were exhausted and standing there like drowned rats contemplating, "How do we find the strength to get the last, and heaviest, piece in the van?" As in a fairy tale, a young Rumanian came past and offered to lift it in for us. What a relief, what a lovely young man.

Another morning of work (and banter) and the shed now stands in its new home in our garden. Our shed is indeed a Very Fine Shed!

PS We now have a web page on Transition website, click here to see it.

And now for something completely different: seedlings on a boat!

"The Big Dig is all about getting people involved in their local community garden." This is the slogan from an initiative that organises national events across the UK "to raise the profile of community gardens and encourage more people to take part". 

Their next event, the Big Dig Day, is on Saturday 21 March 2015, so you have plenty of time to prepare if you want to join in. 

Here is Charlotte's contribution to the previous event, when she grew seedlings on her boat Little Ship, a name with historic connections. Little Ship was a Big Dig nursery! 

January is coming soon, with it the Transition Seedy Sunday, a chance for you to swap and gather seeds for the next Big Dig event!

Keeping the faith and vision going: Bahá'ís interfaith day

The Cambridgeshire Bahá'ís were excited to contribute towards the Empty Common Community Garden's project when this initiative was first getting off the ground. Building unity and embracing diversity lie at the core of the Bahá'í Faith's principles, so of course, the Bahá'ís supported the notion of a community-oriented garden that aimed to bring neighbours together to share in a bountiful harvest.  

It was a lot of fun to meet with the garden's representatives to help clear the rubbish that was left behind in this abandoned site and to then set up a Hugelkultur bed and plant trees in preparation for the summer growing season. The following autumn, the Cambridge University Bahá'í Society came back to the garden with other Faith groups involved in an interfaith initiative to help weed, mulch, and plant new seedlings that could take hold in the winter months. 

The students who came enjoyed getting to show off their green thumbs and also doing some hard labour, shifting logs, to help keep the garden's vision going strong. Some of them hope to return on a weekly basis because they enjoyed the garden just that much! The Bahá'ís will continue to lend a hand in this endeavour in upcoming months so that the fruits of unity can truly blossom and grow in Cambridge. Shivani Jain

Belated Happy Birthday wishes!

The Empty Common Community Garden celebrated its first birthday in October. For those who joined later in the year, here is a pictorial, seasonal round-up. Thank you, Charlotte for sending this. To enlarge the pictures, press your ctrl key while you rotate the wheel on your mouse.

Still unsure about joining us? Please read the first post, where you will find Charlotte's email if you require more information. It's up to you how much time you can donate - we welcome everybody, of all ages and abilities.