April showers are good for us... plus pictures from our members and updates

 Bird box - February 2016

Growing shoots - February 2016

Spring showers are upon us, which is great for the outdoor growing beds. We have many pictures in the blog's backlog, so thank you to all those who sent them... Here are some more photos showing the garden from late winter to spring.... 

 

Making a bug hotel with salvaged items

Step 1: A bug hotel in a wire basket!

Step 2:fill  basket with pine cones, nuts and sticks to make a cosy home for bugs

Step 3: fill another basket with dried leaves and other garden bits

Step 4: Put the second basket on top of the first one and secure it. Voila!

Springtime... March 2016

Blast from the past

See pictures below to see how far we have come! The first one shows a digger trying to dig a slope so the dumper truck can be hauled back to the surface.

Spring is in the air... plus Orchard Park event

Sunday 13 March was a fine day... here are some wonderful photos of how the garden looks in mid March.... Thank you, Mary, Rebecca and all who contributed!

There was a  merry crowd of at least 14 working at the garden. Beautiful slate signs from Rebecca's artful hand took pride of place on the raised beds.

Everybody was treated to coffee and chocolate chip muffins by some of the garden's loyal young members. Volunteers planted potatoes in the newest bed and admired the seedlings in the polytunnel. As Mary said enthusiastically in her email: "The lettuces there are literally pieces of art." 

She adds: "All in all we do believe spring is has arrived... the bird song and spring flowers make the garden such a pleasant place to be. Our fearless leader Charlotte is happy with the progress." 

More horse manure has been added as the beds are prepared for strawberry transplanting next week. The garden has four types of strawberries thank to the kind donation by an allotment gardener based in Trumpington.

More photos to come.... watch this space

We received this email from the Community Orchard Project - if you are free next Sunday, it sounds like a great event... if you can tear yourself from our lovely garden that is!

If you want to join us, read this post....


News from Orchard Park's Community Group
Our next event is on Sunday 20 March 10:00-12:30. We've arranged for 'Orchard Bob' who has many years of experience managing orchards, and has his own wildlife orchard site, to show us how to manage the apple trees at the orchard properly. Dan from Histon and Impington Community Orchard Project will also be there. Please arrive at the Orchard Ring Fort Road, Orchard Park, at 10:00 promptly as Bob will start the session with health and safety information. We will also be managing the habitat at the Balancing Pond to ensure it remains optimal for basking reptiles and invertebrates. If you can't join at 10:00 you're welcome to join us later to help at the Balancing Pond. Please note that children 12 and under must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.

For more information about the event and a map of the location see:

https://opwildlife.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/20-march-activity-10-12-30-at-the-balancing-pond-and-orchard-management/

Recycling jar lids, polytunnel update and Birdwatch news

Everything is looking lovely at the garden and most beds have been well composted with soil improver and well-rotted horse manure, so hopefully we will harvest big fat vegetables...

Scroll down to see our team of volunteers at work - and having a social cuppa... Plus Birdwatch count and the photo of our newest member....

The tea urn was fired up on a rainy Sunday

Tomas making polytunnel shelving

Charlotte made a name tag for a fruit tree using a jam jar lid and plans to make more for the other trees and perennial plants - a great way to recycle and it looks pretty too... The Empty Common Garden is blooming (primroses, daffodils) and many hands make the work light. We have finished clearing up a new patch that has fertile and wonderful-looking soil. As Mary wrote in a group email: "Join us...spread the word... it is a lovely place to visit or work as much or as little as time allows."

 A jam jar lid makes a useful tree label

Droplets of water looking magical

Below are the Birdwatch results for the Empty Common Community Garden, sent in by Rebecca.


2 Robins
2 Linnets
1 Common gull
5 Woodpigeons
2 Magpies
6 Rooks (decided not crows)
15 Piebald wagtails

Birdwatchers were also treated to a flyby, of 20 Barnacle/Brent Geese or perhaps greylags... the jury is out on that one! Results were submitted to the RSPB.

Where's everybody???

Last but not least... here's our youngest member... Say hello to Freddie!

The Empty Common Community Garden - still looking great in winter!

Last Sunday it was a rainy day but a group of hardy volunteers still gathered to check on the garden and do a Birdwatch (watch this space for a blog post!) 

Below is a pictorial contribution from volunteers - the photos were taken in late 2015 and in January 2016. Thank you for submitting these great photos, Mary, Rebecca and Charlotte. More to come, so you can all see how the garden progresses.

Mary made two delicious soups and provided beer for a Sunday get-together in late 2015. So even in the dead of winter we still like to eat together in the great outdoors.

January 2016: the daffodils are already out in force as is our army of volunteers! Check out the lovely rotted compost in the wheelbarrow. As Charlotte said in an email, we will have big fat veggies this coming year.

Video of December party and Seedy Sunday reminder

This is the video of the December party by the talented artist behind  www.jhfilm.co.uk. If you missed the event, this video will give you a flavour of how art and growing can combine in a beautiful alchemy. Enjoy! Jonathan also took the photos below.

The Empty Common Garden will be at the Seedy Sunday, coming up on the 24th January.
See you there!

Happy New Year!

These pictures were taken in late November. Watch out for the December party photos and other photos from our volunteers....

Nasturtium seeds are edible - they taste even nicer than the flowers... They are spicy when raw and can be pickled. We helped Charlotte and Mary to harvest them. Some seeds will be dried and kept to be planted this year. Don't forget to swap and stock up on seeds at the Cambridge Seedy Sunday, on 24 January 2016! Empty Common will have a table there.

The polytunnel has a smart new floor made with attractive grey slabs. Scroll down to see more pictures of the Empty Common Community Garden, which was still quite green and luscious due to mild weather. We are still enjoying a mild weather and no snow has fallen, disappointing big and small children wishing to make a big snowman.