Guided work party report May 18th

From Angela,
Despite the dreadful weather forecast, we had a rain-free, if windy session. Most of our volunteers now know the drill and helped themselves to bins, tools, kneeling pads/seats and set to weeding the brassica and pea beds, and along the edges of the paths.  Two other areas were also tackled today, the blueberry patch and the northern section of the Orchard.  The south pollinator bed was also weeded and tidied up, and then composted, and looks a treat!  The Buddleia Globosa appears to have survived the winter after all and there is new growth at the bottom, so the dead stems were cut back to make it less unsightly.  One of the figs appears to have died but our Espalier expert Richard  Hallman advises waiting until July and if no new growth by then, it is definitely dead and should be removed.  In the Alliums bed, a forest of tiny green leek shoots has appeared, and in the Roots bed a few carrot leaves are showing under their protective cover,  but strangely no beets yet!

Guided work party report

May 11, 2022 from Angela Hoy

We had 13 volunteers! Be sure to sign up for work parties. Click here to sign up for May sessions. . Click here for the June-Sept schedule. We are hiring a Work Party lead. Email Joanne for information.

We discussed the next phase of planting, the summer vegetables, which will take place in June; it is still far too chilly at nights for warmer season vegetables like beans and squash/cucumber/tomatoes.  We had a bit of a chilly breeze but no rain, so were able to continue weeding the vegetable beds, especially the Broad Bean and Pea beds which had sprouted hundreds of tiny unwanted seedlings.  And the rest of the 'volunteer' potatoes were removed from the Garlic, which looks almost ready for harvest (end of June).  Most of the spring planting seedlings generously supplied by Urban Roots Giving Gardens have now found homes, but we planted a few Chard and Parsley plants, and the remainder were shared between the volunteers.  We have more than enough Chives of our own, so these were donated to the Produce Library. As we had manpower available, we took the opportunity to completely turn the compost:  a barrowload of finished compost was added to the herb bed where the new Parsley was planted, after which Bin 2 was turned into Bin 3, and Bin 1 turned into Bin 2.  Not much heat, but hundreds of tiny creatures toiling away in there!  At the end of the session we were treated to delicious home-made rhubarb muffins and Mint tea , very welcome!

Our gardens' impact in the community

Check out our infographic highlighting the Riley Park Community Garden and its’ impact in the community during the past two years living with Covid. We are proud of the community in which we live and work, the volunteers who garden and support our work in other ways. While restrictions have lifted at this time, we ask our community to respect the preferences of our neighbours and that masks are welcome. Email Joanne for more information and to get involved.