The Tatties are in!

This week's blog is written by our chair Michael

‘Well that seems to be that strange storm of the last few days over. Who was not worried that those strong gusts would not damage delicate wee plants and seedlings, blow over freshly planted trees and bushes and generally create havoc.

My next intended visit is Monday 25 May at noon, where Jacqui and I will fill up the rest of the potato bed with some more tatties donated from Amandla from Coupar Angus Food and Growing Projects. Thanks to Kate for securing us the two bogies worth of Discovery Compost last week. You can certainly discover things in the mix as you work with it: bits of Lego, bottle tops, wire and other nutritious plastic bits. A reminder that the Discovery brand pre-dates our modern concern about plastic pollution and maybe an issue we can take up as a community group.

And thanks to Alistair for constructing the wooden storage for said compost and what looks like our own mix too. Amandla suggested making sure that when the council cuts the grass that we retain the cuttings for mulch and compost. While up at the garden on Friday there, the word lazy bed popped into my head and I am still not sure what it means but thanks to all who came along and got that big mound o’ compost levelled down to a manageable height for our potato purposes!

Some of us have become convinced that we need a fence...not a horrible steel barrier like they have in our backies here but maybe a light picket fence, wi’ a gate just up by the path and the big trees. And we have to get that gap in the fence fixed. This will give us some identification and boundary. Brian suggested something like this below. There seems to be increasing dog waste being found by us around the site and the council dog warden has been contacted about this. It's important to remember that dog fouling and failing to pick this up is a criminal offence. We have to get the balance right between access and amenity and hygiene and safety.

Thanks also to Alan for his kind donations of onion sets and fir apple tatties. There are other plants in the beds but we have a completely spare one going begging for planting so any suggestions and donations very welcome. We have also heard on the grapevine that a polytunnel has been secured.

Hopefully that was the last storm of the year, not ignoring the very serious issue of climate change though...and our present lockdown situation too. When the tatties went in I imagined a big barbecue some months hence when we can get thegither and enjoy our produce with the community. Hope that will be so and hope all are weel!’