Our Learner Plot groups have been busy planning, sowing and now planting out their gardens since their induction day on 1st April.  This year we were successful with funding from the National Lottery to recruit community groups with potential for then setting up their own growing spaces to take part in the scheme.  Crown Lane Primary School, Mencap, Spires, Streatham Drop-In Centre for Refugees, Albert Carr Estate residents and Streatham Library User Groups are the groups this year, sharing with a couple of local residents.

It’s been  great to see the plots transforming and the enthusiasm of the new gardeners. Crown Lane pupils come down twice a week rain or shine, and have been planting out the tomatoes and peas they sowed at school, coinciding with their science project about biology. They are very keen on digging and watering! Watch out for the pupils gardening blog coming soon…

All are welcome at our monthly Wednesday workshops which are support sessions to our Learner Plot groups but open to all.  The garden’s open garden volunteering sessions still run 12-4pm on Wednesdays and Sundays so these are an additional opportunity to get involved courtesy of our National Lottery funding this year. 

The garden will be running special activities as part of Kite Day on 14th May, and Streatham Festival on 2nd July which are listed above.

For more information please contact Ruth by email; streathamcommunitygarden@gmail.com

 

For more info, go to: http://streathamcommoncommunitygarden.org/education/

 

Wassailing 10th January  from 3 pm (dusk) in the Orchard (next to Community Garden)

Bless the orchard with the cider produced at this year’s Apple Day,. We will see the return of the musicians who were  so popular last year, leading the communal singing.  We will be blessing the orchard with cider from October’s Apple day using a special Wassailing cup – made by Peter Noy, one of our trustee, s from wood form an old tree removed from the orchard prior to planting new trees.  Flyer

 

Streatham Common Community Garden AGM 

11th January 7 for 7.15pm  at The Railway SW16

The business to be conducted will be

Apologies

Chair’s report

Receipt of Annual Report (click to download report)

Adoption of Accounts 

Elections 
This year 2 trustees are required to stand for re-election :
John Rhodes and Kasia Brookes
Nominations will also be taken from any members wishing to become trustees.

Any Other Competent business

Only members are entitled to vote, membership will be due for renewal shortly after the meeting.  Membership forms available here

After the meeting Charlotte Dove our Community Gardener in 2015 will talk about her Seed Saving trip to America.

Don’t forget:

Next open garden session after Wassailing  – 24th January. We will not be open on Wednesdays in January.

We have a cookery demonstration with local food writer Rachel de Thample, using seasonal produce form the garden form 1pm on 20th September.   We will have produce to sell – so you can try  the recipes at home afterwards!

Advance notice – Got apples and pears?  Bring them to Apple Day on 25th October.  You can only store unblemished apples so bring the others along to be  pressed for juice and cider.

 

Regular events

We are open for community gardening sessions every  Sunday from 12-4pm and every Wednesday from 2-4pm. There is always a range of jobs to suit all from digging to making tea. There is no need to register in advance – you can just turn up on the day and someone will show you what to do! We have a calendar of  events and a garden calendar of  what we will be sowing, planting and harvesting from now until the summer. Download our CALENDAR 2015 and see what we are doing each Sunday.

Wednesday Workshops 11-1  on 9/23^rd September and 14/28^th October.

Upcoming events 

Sunday 6^th September Stall at SCRUFF’S DOG SHOW 12.00 noon onwards

Top of the Common (opposite the café) We will be having a stall selling produce from the garden and wooden items made by local wood turner Peter Noy (including some made from wood from the garden or on the Common). Garden open as usual as well.

As part of Urban Food Fortnight 2015 we are running two inspirational talks/workshop events – learning about, using and tasting produce from the garden – and fresh produce available for purchase:

 Wednesday 16^th September 3 and 5pm around the world in one bed

Joan Riley from the Spitalfiields City Farm in the City of London (and one of our inspirational volunteers) will give you an opportunity to ask the question (and many have) “what’s that plant?”and find out the range of exotics in our Hot Bed as she talks about and shares the secrets of the Hot Bed garden and how she created it.

 Sunday 20^th September 1pm Rachel de Thample cookery demonstration

Local food writer and cookbook author and a regular and favourite contributor to our programme of events returns to the garden by popular demand and will lead a workshop and cookery demonstration using produce from the garden. She will also be bringing copies of her recipe book.

 October 4^th – Garden closed for volunteer event – regular  and new volunteers welcome for a thank you event.

 Sunday 25th October APPLE DAY – From 10.30

We will be holding our third annual Apple Pressing Day – bigger and better than ever! This year we will be providing lunch for participants. Please bring your locally produced apples and pears to be pressed – for juice and cider/perry – and get a share of the produce and we’ll put you on our apple map!!. We will also be providing apples (and juice) from Brogdale for tasting and pressing. There will be two pressing sessions: the first between 10.30 – 12.30 (followed by lunch) and the second between 1.30 – 3.30. Lunch will be provided courtesy of funding from Incredible Edible Lambeth

6th  January  – WASSAILING

Bless the Orchard garden for the New Year and sample our cider – produced from the apples pressed on Apple Day in October.

 

 

 

Upcoming events 

Bug Hunt and Headbands 5th July 1-4pm

Our contribution to the Streatham Festival.  A hunt for bugs and insects around the garden led by volunteers from the Institute for Biology. Come and see who’s  staying in the bug hotels and elsewhere in the garden.  for those who don’t like bugs  join our floral headband making classes in the  arbor. We also have plenty  of lettuce and salad leaves you can pick for picnics  as well as  a range of fresh picked produce.

Open members meeting 28th July 6.30 in the garden

if you’re not a regular volunteer (or even if you are)  and want a chance to see the garden in it’s evening glory come along. Find out what we’ve been up to  and we’d love to hear your ideas for what we should be planning for in the future.

 

Regular events We are open for community gardening sessions every  Sunday from 12-4pm and every Wednesday from 2-4pm. There is always a range of jobs to suit all from digging to making tea. There is no need to register in advance – you can just turn up on the day and someone will show you what to do! We have a calendar of  events and a garden calendar of  what we will be sowing, planting and harvesting from now until the summer. Download our CALENDAR 2015 and see what we are doing each Sunday.