Community Fund – Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens – October Update

We have been really busy in the gardens this month. We’re harvesting the last of the onions and shallots and lifting the last few late potatoes, all of which have been shared with our members and put into our veg boxes for Edinburgh Larder. The leeks in the north garden are getting bigger and we’ve had a few: they taste great in leek and tattie soup! However we have just discovered that our friends the rabbits have taken to our leeks too. We’ve constructed a frame over the leek beds (thanks to Zoe) and some rabbit proof netting and we will have to wait and see. 

We have been busy sowing more winter salads in our glasshouse, and potting on some of the older plants. We’re planting red salad bowl lettuce, pak choi, red mustard, mibuna and Chinese cabbage, all of which will grow over the winter months. We have been working hard in the orchard this month and have had the final cut of the nettles. Once the nettles are harvested we use them in the garden for compost and liquid feed. Both south and north gardens received the last strim and cut of the season. Many thanks to Bill, John, and Euan for doing such a great job. We’re preparing for the new growing season and we’ve all been digging over the beds and weeding, getting ready for next year. Some of the beds in South garden have received their first mulch, along with the apple trees and rhubarb.

 

Natureplay have been busy and are still coming over every Tuesday. They’ve been helping in the garden this week mulching the rhubarb plants before winter sets in: we’re looking forward to seeing the rhubarb burst into life next year. This month we’ve been running free workshops, with lots of new people enjoying them. One of the favorites has been the winter salad workshop. Who would have believed it… growing salad in winter and in Scotland! Please feel free to come along to our workshops and discover the Community Gardens. Thank you to all our members and volunteers for all the hard work this month, the gardens are looking wonderful!