26 May – we had a good morning doing general maintenance tasks at the garden today with eight volunteers weeding, planting more onions and mulching fruit trees while other worked at spreading wood chips on the access paths.

The next two work parties (Saturday 29 May and Wednesday 2 June) will mostly be more of the same sort of jobs – hopefully this afternoon’s forecast storms won’t damage anything. Fingers crossed firmly everyone please.

And then …

Weather permitting we expect to be doing the BIG planting session on Saturday 5 June when the seedlings of tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, assorted squash etc will be brought from the glasshouse on the Mac campus and be ready for setting out.

We could really uses all the help we can get then. If you can spare a couple of hours please come along and bring hand tools such as a trowel.

**Note: Covid-19 … although things may be relaxed on Montreal after 23 June, until then masks are mandatory at the garden.

Mike from the Mac Farm came with his tractor this afternoon and tilled the garden. We don’t actually plough the land, that goes far too deep and brings up clay, but till the top few inches to give a good with for planting.

We also found that a sheet of “geotex”, the felted variety, on top of the stack from last fall had been used as the site for a cosy mouse nest over winter and in turn – as is commonly the case – a couple of gentle bumble bee queens had moved in and were converting it to their needs. The nest was gently moved and relocated leaving the bees a little confused but not at all aggressive. Rather a shame as bumble bees need all the help they can get but it’s early enough in the year for them to take up residence somewhere else.’

It looks like the gods are smiling and we will be able to open the garden on Saturday 15 May

First thing – we will be observing the basic covid health protocols.

1. Bring a mask to wear if you cannot avoid getting too close to other volunteers.
2. Try to observe the usual social distancing procedure we are all used to now.
3. Consider having hand sanitiser just in case.

Now to the gardening. The garden is planted in three rotating strips – tomatoes to the east, beans, aubergines, peppers and onions in the middle and assorted squash and courgettes on the west. We will be concentrating on the following:

1. Removing any weed roots that have escaped the earlier attempts to get them under control and the tilling.
2. Setting out the main irrigation hoses and sprinklers
3. Laying geotex sheets and strips for paths between planting rows and nailing them to the ground with anchor nails
4. Setting up the support poles for the tomatoes.

You should bring –

• Basic tools for any weeding that has to be done
• A heavy hammer (if possible) for fixing the geotex nails
• Stout footwear and gardening gloves, sunhat etc
• Enthusiasm.

We will start work at 9am. Please park along Stafford. We will have a quick question and introduction session and then get down to work. We will finish round about noon or thereabouts though nobody is going to stop you working longer if you wish.

Anything we are unable to finish on Saturday morning we will try to complete on the following Wednesday – 9am start again. Planting will be done once the weather is warm enough and the seedlings stout enough.

Looking forward to seeing the community at work.

Some scenes from this time last year …

Given some nice weather in the next couple of weeks so that the site can be ploughed and tilled we plan to hold our first volunteer work party on Saturday 15 May starting at 9am.

The opening season dates are as follows – if you have given us your name as a volunteer or would just like to help anyway, please come along. There will something for everyone to contribute.

Opening Schedule ** Start at 9am each day unless told otherwise	Wet Weather Alternative Dates
Sat 15 May – “Opening Day” – set out geotex and stakes. Clear any weeds that have survived the ploughing. Erect rabbit fence around bean patch if we have enough volunteers.	Sat 22 May
Wed 19 May – (and any other day that week people are free) – start to install irrigation lines. Erect Gazebo if not already done.. Erect rabbit fence if not already installed.	Wed 26 May
Sat 22 May – continue as above. Put up bean-pole towers.	Sat 29 May
Wed 26 May – continue as above
Sat 29 May – first planting of seedlings that are mature enough plus complete unfinished tasks.
Wed 2 June – continue planting and sowing etc
Thereafter – regular work sessions each Saturday and Wednesday starting at 9am

If you have any questions just get in touch – gardenatfritz@gmail.com

** Any changes to the schedule, need for additional jobs on other days etc will be published here and on our Facebook page. Major news items will also be distributed by email to those on our address list.

Please email to know more – gardenatfritz@gmail.com

The 2019 season was a huge success with a 26% increase in the weight of produce over 2018 … which itself was a record.

We have written an illustrated summary of the seasn if you would like to know more – the summary also includes information abot the new Orchard at Fritz which we are now looking after. Click on the image/link below.

2018 proved to have been the best harvest since the garden started. Our backs certainly feel as if that is the case …

In particular the various cucurbitae (squash, cucumbers, courgettes) were increased by almost 90% despite the presence of various insect pests that we have not seen in previous years … and the squirrels found some of the ripening fruits. Beans were up by 55% … we had increased the number of rows planted this season and we also had a longer picking season than in earlier years as a result of the weather. Tomatoes, as usual, were our biggest crop.