Thursday 28 February 2013

Spring time plant stall *NOW OPEN*




 
Our Daffodil 'Scarlet O Hara' grown by garden volunteers.
Now FOR SALE for a bargain £3 per pot.
 



 
Our Tulip triumph mixed, planted by garden volunteer Mini
now FOR SALE for only £3 per pot.




We will be adding many more plants throughout the year,
so keep an eye out.
 
 
A perfect idea......
 



A good idea

 


 Short on space? not to fret, we have found an answer!
 
Grow a salad on the side of any wall space!
 
I came across this fun idea at clairepotterdesign.com. We are thinking this would be a great thing to do down at our allotment project in the summer.
 
Maybe you can think of somewhere you could do it too? 
 


Tuesday 26 February 2013

Out to play in the garden


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Morning Morning Morning
 
 
I would just like to share a nice link to a blog...

Out to play in the garden.

There is a little something about the garden and farm written on it and some sunny day photos...


out2playinthegarden blogspot


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Saturday 23 February 2013

Fruit workshop

 


Our fruit growing workshop went well on this cold nearly snowey day. Our tutor Alison from Ecolocal did a fine job of showing everyone how to prune their apple trees, plant out raspberries, look after strawberries including many more fruits.



 
Studying our apple tree in the garden.



 
Getting ready to make the first snip.





Perfect precision cutting!





We discovered that the cutting actually made a wand.





After coming in from the cold we were greated with this very fruity fudge cake. It was studyed and enjoyed.... well you have to eat the fruit too!
 
Many thanks to Alison, Ecolocal, Darren the cafe cake man and those who attended the workshop.
 
We have lots more super workshops planned for 2013

Please click here for 2013 Workshops

Friday 22 February 2013

Pretty Bandit

 
 
Meet Bandit...
 
Bandit was here to visit us in the office today.
He is a Galah Cockatoo which come from Australia. He is 9 months old and was born on May 19th 2012. He loves destroying everything and eating bananna chips.
 
Meet his owner Sarah...
 
 
 


 
 
He also likes hair and ears!
 
 
 
 
If you would like to learn a little more about Galah Cockatoos please click here Find out more


Wednesday 20 February 2013

Sowing a seed - step by step

We are making our own seed pots this week in the
garden and sowing a seed
 
This is how we do it....
 
 
1. We get our seed pot maker 
 

 
2. and our newspaper cut to size
(just a bit bigger than than the maker) 


 
 
3. I noticed the lovely sunny pattern on the wall in our cob building. ( you dont need one of these, but it was nice!)
 
 
 
 
4. Roll all the newspaper around the maker top....right to the end.
 
 
 
 
5.... so it looks like this then fold the excess paper into the bottom of the maker
 
 
 
 
6. Then push the bottom of the maker into the base, so it compresses the paper down nicely and ends up looking like this...
 
 
 
 
7. Now all you need to do is grab some compost and pop some in your pot to the top.
 
 
 
 
8. Then just make a hole in the compost and pop in your
favorite seed.
 
 
 
 
9. You can then label it up pop it in a warm sunny place.......
 
 
 
 
10. and give it a bit of water now - and when it looks like it needs it (compost looking dry).
 
 
 


Thursday 14 February 2013

Today in the greenhouse...

 
 
The growing gang...
 
 
 
 
Planting their sweet peas....
 
 
 
 
in goes the compost.....
 
 
 
 
the seed has been sown.....
 
 
 
 
HAPPY VALENTINES SWEET PEAS!
 
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sweet peas smell great
and so do you...
 
(we had to do it sorry! : )
 
X X X X X X X X X X X X
 
 

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Half term at the farm......



Andrew has been helping us prepare for the Great Gnome Hunt which will be part of one of the activities we are running over the half term holiday next week (garden activities Tue-fri).


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In the garden their will be....

Hook the duck
at the pond - £1 per go
........
Nuts about nature quiz 
from the shop - 50p a sheet
........

Sow your own seed
in the cob building - £1 per go
11am-12pm and 2pm-3pm
Plus more activities on the farm including...
 Watch Edna our owl in her training or flying session, animal feeding, Meet the small pets, pony rides and more!.
for more details please call us on 020 8543 5300
Pop down to the farm and see us!

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Friday 1 February 2013

Fruit Growing Workshop


Snowdrop time

After a short wander in the garden today I was happy to see so much life, which I thought I would share with you.
 
Its time for snowdrops galanthus and helebores Helleborus niger which is commonly called Christmas rose or black hellebore, it is an evergreen perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family, ranuncalaceae. We also have the sweet yellow flowers of the Aconites Eranthis hyemalis which is also part of the buttercup family.


helleborus
 




Eranthis
 
 
From now it is the perfect time to see snowdrops all around the country, like this carpet at Easton Walled Gardens, Lincolnshire which i found on the Telegraphs website Telegraph best places to see snowdrops 2013.


Easton Walled Gardens, Lincolnshire


You can also find more places to visit gardens with snowdrops at the National Gardens Scheme website Where to see snowdrops in 2013.