Groland Community Garden

D. Millson Sept '23 The lettuce were seen to be taking off very well once the poly-tunnel was constructed. There is a little bit of a cheat on the photo, but we wont go into that. The work party constructed a poly-tunnel and the plants have settled in very well. There is a clear problem with having a poly-tunnel at this time of year, we can't always be there to open and close the poly-tunnel each day, so whilst the weather is still pretty warm, the poly-tunnel is being left open at night. This contrasts with our domestic polys where they are opened during the day and closed at night. Soon the weather will be cold day and night and it can be left open with airing only on watering days. We were thrilled to see progress in the green house with pac choi closest to camera and herbs looking good at far end.  All are looking grand.

9 September 2023 Work-Party "Today we planted out the lettuce starts in Bed 3, trying to plant them in low to the soil to alleviate any drawing that low-light in the greenhouse had caused.  This bed will focus on The Great Lettuce Challenge - where we will report on progress of ** lettuce plants as we go through Autumn, Winter and into Spring. We wish them good luck." Work done: Watering raised beds and pots in greenhouse, planted out coriander and parsley in greenhouse,  and Silecia and Angry Sea lettuce starts in bed 3 for overwintering outdoors with bird and slug protection (Future work-party to construct plastic poly-tunnel with lent materials), continued chopping up compost twigs and branches. Also planted out kale, beetroot and onion/leek (need to check which!) which will be ok left exposed over winter. Received donated plant pots and planter (planter is to be used for pollinator plants in the spring so as not to waste precious raised bed real estate). 6 Person hours (

A Bath for the Soul and the Seeds   Birth of a Community It was June when the idea went from dream to reality: A commitment by the group of four, a place to tend, donated by a landowner on Roland, and a grant secured from the island’s Farmland Trust.  After a few collective gatherings filled with the excited hype of beginning, and many preparatory tasks (which you can read about here and here) we set up a weekly watering schedule.    That Monday morning it was my turn to tend the plants at the garden. I woke early and walked over to the site, plucking some of the plump blackberries in the bushes on the way. The first task that day was watering the new seedlings we’d planted in the greenhouse the Saturday before. Dripping the water gently over the tiny squares of speckled soil where thin yellow-green threads shot up like flagpoles, their thin cotyledons airborne, I felt a rising discomfort in my body.    Holding my heart open, I spoke softly “Oh dear nausea. I see you and feel you.” Wit

Pilot Project - planted up with Chorus Frog starts, end August. We are in catch up mode with this, our first blog entry, posted as the call for new members for Groland went out Groland Community Garden - It’s Started How would you like to be involved, if at all? Read on and contact John for more details 😉  Our community garden project has broken ground with a Pilot Project, planting into 4 raised beds and a greenhouse, on a generous neighbour’s Roland Road plot. Encouraged by our community’s success with a Salt Spring Foundations Neighbourhood Small Grant, we boldly applied for, and received, a Farmland Trust Grant ($1000) for the “Roland Road Community Garden Project”. Our focus is:- growing locally sharing produce locally and via The Root using existing underused resources learning and sharing gardening skills (especially to encourage new gardeners) building trust in our community establishing pollinator-rich gardens and  using water responsibly The Pilot Project is now complete (