Inspire Planting Planning Meeting 24.4.24
Held at : Inspire Garden
- May Day Stall
- Getting plants to the stall: Chris A will get to the garden for 8.45am to transport plants to the garden. Mike will meet Chris at the garden to help load, and Chris B and Angela will be at the stall by 9am to receive the plants.
- Rota on the stall:
- 9-11am Chris B, Angela and Mike
- 11-2pm Pauline, Mike and ?Lyndsey
- 2-4pm Rhona, Chris B. Sue and Martin to come within that time to help transport unsold plants back to the garden.
- Float and items to be taken to the stall :£50 in cash – Adele to organise. Mike to provide plastic pots to put money in, Angela to provide clipboard and paper to record orders for the towers. From the garden : green collection bucket, bungees (from the potting shed), drawing pins, sticky tape, Inspire banner. Inspire name labels/T shirts or sweatshirts to be worn. It was agreed that Chris B should take some cash away after the end of his shift to reduce the amount of cash on the stall.
- Pricing – to use the cardboard labels from last year with some amendments. We will charge £13.50 for herb towers and £22.50 for strawberry towers. People will be asked for a deposit of £5/tower and given a number written on the paper slip Chris B is producing, which will have the address of the garden on it. The name, address and mobile phone number of people will be recorded, along with the tower number.
- Bags– Pauline will work her usual magic to get supermarket bags.
- Open Day in June and events beyond. It was decided not to go ahead with an Open Day on 2nd June, and to discuss possible events after May Day.
- Sowing and Planting
- Good progress has been made. Outstanding tasks are to plant peas out, cover the brassicas, sow carrots, sow salad crops in planters above the top greenhouse.
Inspire Planting Planning Meeting 10th April, 2024
Held at : Inspire Garden
1. Update on Sowing
- Garlic and onions to be planted out.
- Second earlies and main crop potatoes to be planted.
- Two rows of parsnips have been sown in Plot C, more parsnip sowing to be done in the beds above the outdoor kitchen area.
- Cucumbers are still at Mike’s house, celeriac at Martin’s. Celeriac is only growing slowly – next year maybe should be started earlier in propagator.
- Brassicas sown – purple headed cabbage and kale pricked out. We need to prioritise pricking out brassicas we will be taking to the May Day stall.
- Beans and peas – started off in polytunnel. Broad beans – to be planted out.
- Leeks – maybe pricked out too early. To sow some more.
- Sweetcorn – to be started off in polytunnel, along with radishes and lettuces.
- Carrots – to be sown direct outside.
- Spinach and chard – to be sown direct outside.
- Squashes and courgettes – to be sown late April.
- Salad crops – to be planted in planters above the top greenhouse.
2. Liming and compost
- Liming done on Plot A.
- Wickes compost is really only a soil improver. Next year, if used again, it needs to be mixed with better compost.
- Bottom compost bin needs to be emptied and the higher three bins moved down, leaving the top one empty.
3. Labels
- Labels found, to be painted ready for use. Chris has bought a number of new permanent marker pens.
4. Finance and events
- Ron Mahaly has given £196 towards decking paint and netting.
- Transition have given the garden (?) £450 from Potato Day.
- May Day (6th May) – stall booked. We will be selling tomatoes, chillies, marigolds, strawberries, brassicas, lemon balm, sage and parsley. We will take a planter of strawberries and one of herbs as samples, inviting people to order their own and collect from the garden. We will produce a leaflet with prices, garden location and advertising an Open Day on 2nd June.
- Other events – to be discussed at the next meeting.
5. Next meeting : 24.4.24 (to focus on May Day stall)
Inspire Planting Planning Meeting: 06.3.24
Held at: Inspire Garden
1. Update on sowing
- Garlic has been planted in pots.
- First and second early potatoes are chitting, and need to be planted in the next couple of weeks, main crop potatoes then to be chitted.
- Onions have been started in 6 cells in the bottom polytunnel.
- Cucumbers – Mike will take to start off at home.
- Spinach, Brussel sprouts, chard, red cabbage and kale need to be sown in trays.
- Parsnips to be sown directly – 4 rows and also in raised beds.
- Broad beans (Sutton and Bunyard Exhibition) and beetroot have been planted.
- Tomatoes, chillies, leeks, celeriac and herbs are being grown at home.
2. Green Manures, “muck” and liming
- Field beans have been sown.
- “Muck” has arrived – thank you Martin. Chris will be bringing chillies next week, and
- they will go in the hot boxes with fleece.
- Lime has been found and will be used on Plot A.
3. Wickes
- Thank you Pauline – we now have 20 free bags of compost, roof felting and tacks. Thanks to be passed on via Website, Facebook to Wickes.
4. Plot Care and Labelling
- Plot redefining continues. Labels to be found (in the potting shed?) and checked over to see whether they need new paint or not.
- Tomato labels created.
5. Top Polytunnel
- To be flooded.
6. Finance
- Chris estimates we need £2,000 to cover annual costs, and we do not now get any money from Potato Day.
- Agreed – Adele will put together a leaflet giving details of our May Day stall prices, location of Inspire Garden and advertising Open Day on 2nd June.
- We will discuss arranging workshops, attending Canal Festival etc at the next meeting.
- Decking paint – Mike will write to Ron Mahaly to ask him to fund this.
7. Next Meeting
- 10th April, 2024
Inspire Planting Planning Meeting: 14.2.24
Held at: Inspire Garden
1. Potato Day Orders
- We need to start chitting the first earlies in egg boxes in the caravan.
- Garlic – to be sown in Plot C
- Onions – to start off in 6 cells
2. Green Manures
- To sow field beans in Plot D
- Review what green manures we have before ordering any more.
3. Hot Boxes
- Martin will go to the stables on 18.2.24 and bring “muck” back with him.
4. Seeds to be started off now
Celeriac (Martin) leeks (Mike and Angela) tomatoes and Chillies(Chris B).
- Cumbers also need to be sown
5. Lime
- Plot A to have lime on it this year (Plot D last year)
6. May Day Stall
- We need to agree what we are going to grow for sale on May Day. Tomatoes and strawberries agreed. We need to make a decision about brassicas.
7. Peas, Beans and Beetroot
- Peas to be grown in gutters and then transferred to the top polytunnel to be grown on in there. Mike will check when to start them off.
- Start off Aquadulce and beetroot in 6 cells in the bottom polytunnel.
8. Compost
- Pauline to approach Wickes to try to get some free peat-free compost and bark chippings.
9. Plot care and labelling
- Weeding to continue and redefining of plot edges. Chris B to print out tomato labels.
10. Items for discussion at the next meeting
- Herbs – where to plant this year?
- Finance – how many events do we need to do to boost finances?
Next Meeting 6.3.24
Minutes from the Planting Planning Meeting of 29.11.23
Held at Inspire Garden
1. Potato Day Orders
Helen has put orders in for the following :
Acoustic, Rocket, Carolus, Homeguard, Kestrel, Charlotte and Desiree potatoes.
Aquadulce and Sutton broad beans
Alderman and Oregon Sugar Pod peas
Blue Lake and Cobra climbing french beans
Scarlet Emperor and Enorma runner beans
After discussion, it was agreed Helen would add a variety of onion and a variety of hard necked garlic to the order.
2. Seeds
The seeds used this last growing season were reviewed and it was decided not to grow :
Cauliflowers, peppers, Jack be Little or Achiki Kuri squashes (to grow lantern and crown prince squashes instead), marmande tomatoes (to grow Roma plum tomatoes instead) swede ( to grow purple top turnips instead).
3. Green Manures
To be bought in bulk after Potato Day.
Helen was thanked for her work with the Potato Day order and seed purchases.
Next Meeting – mid January, date to be confirmed.