Stonehill Community Garden - May News

Welcome to our Spring Newsletter!!  The garden has really been taking shape over the last few Wednesdays, thank you to all our fantastic volunteers for their involvement and hard work.

Planting Plan - We currently have a central path up the centre of the garden, with beds of varying shapes on either side of the path.  Longer term, the central path will be paved for accessibility, with raised beds on either side of the path.  For this season we have created beds in the ground to enable us to plant as much as possible.  The fruit cage will remain and we will try various experimental growing method: growing in straw bales, mushroom growing, Hugelkultur raised bed, trialling bio-dynamic planting times.  We are currently fund raising for the costs involved in making our garden accessible, and consulting people with different access needs.

Please feel free to give us feedback on any of our plans.

Crops growing this year - globe artichoke, asparagus, runner beans, french beans, broad beans, beetroot, broccoli, savoy cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, courgettes, gooseberries, kale, onion, peas, potatoes, radish, raspberries, rhubarb, salad leaves, sorrel, squash, strawberries, sweetcorn, turnips, edible and non-edible flowers.

Plant Donations Needed - Do you have any spare of the following?  Rhubarb, gooseberry bushes, jostaberry bushes, loganberry bushes, globe artichokes, asparagus, strawberries.  Please let us know if you do, and / or feel free to bring any down on a Wednesday 10am - 4pm.

Events over Spring

• 17th May - Demain Film Screening - 6pm open garden, 7pm film showing, 9pm film discussion, 10pm finish.  A film showing community initiatives that are helping change the world.  £3 donation - no need to book.  Refreshments available.

• 31st May - Family Day - 11am - 2pm.  Pizza, (self-watering) poly tunnel building, meet the chickens.  FREE to attend and take part (pizzas small charge).

• 10th June - Introduction to Permaculture Course - 10am - 4pm.  £10.  BOOK!!

• 25th June - Roundwood Timber Building - 10am - 4pm.  £30 per person including pizza lunch.  BOOK.

Abingdon Green Gym Visit and How Your Team Can Contribute - We had a visit from Abingdon Green Gym on Saturday 22nd April and they worked like demons!!  We were so impressed by their achievements in 3 hours, and their willingness to help.  Thank you so much.

If you have a Corporate Volunteer hours to use up this summer, consider coming to Stonehill to help us - we need people power and you get to enjoy a day outdoors, within nature and learning new skills.  Contact us here to enquire.

We hope to see you at the garden soon - we are open every Wednesday 10am - 4pm.