The growing team and myself have been busy in discussions this past week about all the different projects we want to see come to fruition this year. We started on one last Wednesday with digging out all our 8 year old asparagus tubers to re-locate in order to make way for the new flower cutting beds. The asparagus beds are difficult to keep weed free, having tried several methods over the last few years. We have therefore decided on a different approach and will be raising the height of the beds they are grown in.  We have agreed on a rough planting plan for covering the front and tops of the portacabin used for all our bag preparation and the adjacent storage shipping container. The kiwi plants will be part of that planting plan as well as our Turkey Figs which are soon to be taken out and re-planted. We will then select plants that will provide some colour and greenery for when the figs and kiwis die back in late autumn.

On Saturday, we had a great day making garden obelisks with Two Circles Design (www.twocirclesdesign.co.uk). The sun shone despite the cold northerly winds and we had 10 happy people taking away their obelisk garden support home, or not as the case was, as some of them found they were too long for their cars so will be coming back to pick up later this week! I will be using the one I made to dress with hops, as part of our wedding fair decoration that we will be starting to co-ordinate this coming weekend. It is always lovely to create a space of beauty.

Today, I will be going with Sonia and Mary to visit Mayfield Nursery in Southampton, a Social Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) charity that runs gardening groups for those with dementia, mental health problems and other vulnerable types of individuals. With our own STH project now underway, we are keen to learn from other like-minded charities and organisations that are currently practising this type of therapy.

Chantelle from Fresh Off the Boat is running 2 fish filleting workshops on 5th Feb teaching the basics of how to spot good quality fish, gut, descale, fillet, pin bone and, finally, prepare a flat fish. You will also get to take home all the fish you have prepared.  See the events page for further details.