Nearly there!

Getting Windmill Community Gardens back into action after it's renovation and the long, hard winter has been a long hard slog, but this week, it is starting to feel as if we are winning. Things are growing and we are now essentially ready for the clay oven workshop on Saturday, which will start to make our outdoor kitchen a reality. The aim of this is to have the ability to harvest and cook our produce in the same place, to bring home the message that we can reduce food miles to almost nothing if we grow more of our own food, and to prove that we can make delicious meals with what we grow.

Mark, Ellis and their fantastically created outdoor kitchen - all ready for use!

That's not to say that we haven't had a few hiccups! Like discovering that we didn't need to worry about the butterflies laying eggs on the brassicas, as the pigeons had pretty much stripped off all the larger leaves, so they had nowhere to lay them! Fortunately, the plants were all growing strongly, so the new leaves are already showing, and we hope that, now we have rescued and mended the big brassica net, that we will be able to produce a good crop. If you are passing, you should stop and have a look at our net system - using blue water pipes as the hoops, and holding the net on with bamboos that fit into clips (thanks  to Ron's ingenuity setting this up for us last year).

Mark, Helen, Ellis, Helene and Alison joined us this week, as well as a newcomer, Tes, who was welcomed with open arms, as he turned up with callaloo seedlings! Alison also brought the aubergine plants she's been raising for us, and they are looking very happy in the polytunnel. The herb seeds that the Robert Shaw pupils planted are coming up as well, as are the seeds that Helen put in, so we'll have nicely full beds soon, we hope. Tes also proved he'll be a great asset to the project, by single-handedly digging out most of the horseradish from the area which will be planted up with herbs next week. We were impressed!

Tes working tirelessy and thoroughly to clear the soon-to-be herb garden of weeds and horseradish

Helen weeding a raised bed

Mark has finished the basic build for the clay oven plinth, with lots of help from Ellis and a small amount of assistance from Tracey. When it's finished, we'll set up the can roof - Mark's Coca Cola habit will probably provide us with most of the cans!

Thanks to all the volunteers for such a hard-working week. The difference you make is huge!