The lemonade was disappointing @CharlotteFbut the Daydream was to die for and still is like a cloud of blooms! Zsenia which were the new in one this year, beautiful but not strong plants. I've collected seed to see how next year's do. There were a few that grew blind with no flowers either so take that into account and do a few extra
Yes I also grew xsenia and found it a bit pathetic. Didn't get it past a seedling last year so it was an improvement, but I'm used to cosmos like triffids! Will remember daydream for future.
@chicky aren't the branching types great? I've had Ruby Eclipse this year and after a slow start they're still going!
@Joyce Goldenlily I'd love a community garden here. The organisation I work with does family support, but if there were a space nearby gardening would be a lovely fit as we'd love to be able to bring more if the community together. My cosmos (well, everything heat loving!) have also been very slow this year.
Have you thought of asking around to see if anyone has a piece of garden or land they would like to donate to your good cause. I know the land near my daughter belongs to a woman whose father owns a smallholding, she has bought the land, put up a couple of small greenhouses and for some unknown reason planted a monkey puzzle tree in the middle of the area. She sells plants but I personally have never seen anyone working there. The other garden is a piece of ground surrounded by a stone wall, alongside the road. Volunteers seem to work there every Sunday plus other times when they feel like it. It is great as anyone can go and take what they want from the veg. and put a donation through the letterbox of the equipment shed if they wish. I left several lots of surplus plants earlier in the year. They are displayed along the top of the wall, also surplus seeds. There is a plaque on the shed thanking a gentleman for the piece of land so I suppose he must have been a local. Councils are also donating pieces of land for groups to cultivate, you never know what you might get unless you ask. Even someone who has too big a garden to manage might be happy to share their land. It doesn't have to be acres in area, there is a lot of empty unused land alongside railways etc. Your local newspaper might advertise your search for you, do an article on the good work covered by your group etc. How about that for your 2022 "little project"!
@Joyce Goldenlily yes I have thought of that... I think the scale of the organisational challenge holds me back 😂 We're in a fairly built up outer-town/village so plots central to the community are few and far between, but we are surrounded by countryside. It's definitely worth looking into when I pluck up the courage!
Another thing I've considered is trying to bring people with neglected gardens into my 'flowers for good' project- as you say many folk will have space they're not using that with support and hands-on help from me could give us a bigger harvest to sell and give them flowers to enjoy. Again, it's just time and motivation holding me back!
@Joyce Goldenlily yes I have thought of that... I think the scale of the organisational challenge holds me back 😂 We're in a fairly built up outer-town/village so plots central to the community are few and far between, but we are surrounded by countryside. It's definitely worth looking into when I pluck up the courage!
Another thing I've considered is trying to bring people with neglected gardens into my 'flowers for good' project- as you say many folk will have space they're not using that with support and hands-on help from me could give us a bigger harvest to sell and give them flowers to enjoy. Again, it's just time and motivation holding me back!
Another line would be putting out a request for gardeners who no longer have their own garden who would be interested in helping. The answer is to delegate! Hold an indoor garden tea party for volunteers to meet and chew the fat over the idea, in a village or parish hall maybe. Approach the local parks department for a possible piece of land. Do you have a local college which runs horticultural/gardening, woodworking courses or a local school whose children could help? Would the lecturers,teachers and students be interested in being involved? Do not concentrate only on flowers as people may be more interested if there is something to eat at the end . Is there an Allotments Group who could help? Are there any residents from other countries who could teach you to grow weird and wonderful crops they grew at home before coming to England. Look up other community gardening groups and pick their brains re organization etc. You should not try to run the whole scheme on your own. Are there any grass roundabouts, verges etc. which would be better for some flowers/veg., being grown on them? I have been involved with a small croquet club so know there will always be skivvers who just want to take whatever they can without putting in any time, but there is always a small core of people happy to work tirelessly for the benefit of others. There are times when you wish you had never started and times when it is all worth while. Go for it girl! Good luck!
Got round to starting off my anemones and ranunculus yesterday- soaked for a couple of hours and then popped in cell trays and put in the greenhouse. Hopefully away from squirrels! Once they've sprouted they'll go out in the cutting patch under fleece.
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The other garden is a piece of ground surrounded by a stone wall, alongside the road. Volunteers seem to work there every Sunday plus other times when they feel like it. It is great as anyone can go and take what they want from the veg. and put a donation through the letterbox of the equipment shed if they wish. I left several lots of surplus plants earlier in the year. They are displayed along the top of the wall, also surplus seeds. There is a plaque on the shed thanking a gentleman for the piece of land so I suppose he must have been a local.
Councils are also donating pieces of land for groups to cultivate, you never know what you might get unless you ask. Even someone who has too big a garden to manage might be happy to share their land. It doesn't have to be acres in area, there is a lot of empty unused land alongside railways etc. Your local newspaper might advertise your search for you, do an article on the good work covered by your group etc.
How about that for your 2022 "little project"!
Another thing I've considered is trying to bring people with neglected gardens into my 'flowers for good' project- as you say many folk will have space they're not using that with support and hands-on help from me could give us a bigger harvest to sell and give them flowers to enjoy. Again, it's just time and motivation holding me back!
The answer is to delegate!
Hold an indoor garden tea party for volunteers to meet and chew the fat over the idea, in a village or parish hall maybe. Approach the local parks department for a possible piece of land. Do you have a local college which runs horticultural/gardening, woodworking courses or a local school whose children could help? Would the lecturers,teachers and students be interested in being involved? Do not concentrate only on flowers as people may be more interested if there is something to eat at the end . Is there an Allotments Group who could help? Are there any residents from other countries who could teach you to grow weird and wonderful crops they grew at home before coming to England.
Look up other community gardening groups and pick their brains re organization etc. You should not try to run the whole scheme on your own.
Are there any grass roundabouts, verges etc. which would be better for some flowers/veg., being grown on them?
I have been involved with a small croquet club so know there will always be skivvers who just want to take whatever they can without putting in any time, but there is always a small core of people happy to work tirelessly for the benefit of others. There are times when you wish you had never started and times when it is all worth while.
Go for it girl! Good luck!