November 2018

There’s not much to look forward to in the November gardening calendar, the day length shortens, temperatures drop and falling leaves start to untidy the place. The coloured autumn leaves may look pretty, but any aesthetics are outweighed for me by the mess they make and the work load of picking them all up.

However next year might be different. Autumn is also harvest time and with the launch of our new kitchen gardens I look forward to writing my next November blog to include an account of all the wonderful organic vegetables that Loftus residents have produced over the summer.

The kitchen gardens are very nearly complete and we will be holding an open day at the end of this month for everyone to come along and see what it’s all about. Please bring the kids as we plan on some fun gardening activities to interest the younger ones and get them involved.

The winter work of constant leaf clearing has begun. Last year there was a lot of leaves to pick up and this year there will be even more as the trees have grown bigger and multiplied in numbers. Next year and for ever more the job will get bigger and bigger.  It’s not all bad news though as we will be recycling all the leaves in our new composting area to produce Leaf mold (composted leaves) which will be returned to the soil to feed the plants. We plan on recycling as much green waste as possible now that we have the facilities and to start off our compost heap we have had a plentiful supply of recycled pumpkin lanterns.

I’m pleased to say everyone’s hedges are finally in and over the next few weeks the last of the street beds will be planted up. The only thing left do then is to replace the plants and trees that didn’t make it through that crazy summer of no rain that we had.

We can then breathe a huge sigh of relief that it will finally be finished. However work for a gardener is never finished as Paul and I know too well but we love our job and it will be a pleasure looking after it all.